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Toyota reveals safety research car at CES The goal: A car that makes its driver safer

Toyota reveals safety research car at CES

The goal: A car that makes its driver safer

One day before the International Consumer Electronics Show opened its doors in Las Vegas, Toyota took the wraps off the highest-tech Lexus LS ever made.

The car -- with spinning sensors and probing lasers galore -- is meant to demonstrate safety features that could be coming to production cars someday soon.

Called the Advanced Safety Research Vehicle, it sure looked like some of the autonomous self-driving vehicles we saw at the DARPA Challenge, but Toyota stressed that a robot car is not the goal.

“While key components of these research efforts could lead to a fully autonomous car in the future, the vision is not necessarily a car that drives itself,” a Toyota statement read. “Instead, Toyota and Lexus envision technologies that enhance the skills of the driver, believing a more skillful driver is a safer driver.”

Those technologies -- all bolted and strapped to the outside of the big luxury sedan -- are pretty impressive:

-- A 360-degree LIDAR laser on the roof that detects objects around the car up to about 230 feet away.

-- Three high-definition color cameras that detect objects up to 500 feet away, including traffic lights and even vehicles approaching from the side.

-- One radar on the front of the vehicle and three on the sides to measure the location and speed of objects, for comprehensive views at intersections.

-- A distance measurement indicator located on a rear wheel to measure travel distance and speed of the vehicle.

-- An inertial measurement unit on the roof to gauge acceleration and angle changes to determine vehicle behavior.

-- GPS antennae on the roof to estimate angle and orientation even before the vehicle is in motion.

“The research vehicle is a testing platform aimed at the development of systems capable of enhancing the driver's perception of their environment, assisting in the decision-making process and improving overall driving skills,” Toyota said.

The Advanced Safety Research Vehicle also incorporates systems already on Toyota and Lexus vehicles, such as ABS, Lane-Keep Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

Some of the most advanced components of the car will allow it to use short wave signals to communicate with other vehicles and with roadside sensors. The program even gets its own 8.6-acre Intelligent Transportation System proving grounds at Toyota's Higachi-Fuji Technical Center in Japan. Those communications will alert drivers to impending collisions at blind intersections, vehicles changing lanes in a blind spot and potential rear collisions with a vehicle stopped ahead.

“In our pursuit of developing more advanced automated technologies, we believe the driver must be fully engaged,” said Mark Templin, Toyota group vice president and general manger of the Lexus Division. “For Toyota and Lexus, a driverless car is just a part of the story. Our vision is a car equipped with an intelligent, always-attentive co-pilot whose skills contribute to safer driving.”

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20130107/carnews/130109926#ixzz2HPknl4DT

Ford to offer Rhapsody online music service in 1 million vehicles

LAS VEGAS (Bloomberg) -- Ford Motor Co. will offer Rhapsody International Inc.'s Internet music service in more than 1 million Ford and Lincoln vehicles, the online company's first tie-in with an automaker.

Ford and Rhapsody were set to introduce the service today at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, according to a statement. Listeners with Ford's Sync-enabled cars and trucks can use voice commands and buttons on the steering wheel to control functions on their smartphones.

With U.S. consumers listening to music most often behind the wheel, cars are a logical battleground for Web music services, including Pandora Media Inc. Rhapsody said 40 percent of subscribers use the service while driving. Voice commands and steering wheel buttons offer a safer way to run the service on Bluetooth-linked smartphones.

"Our customers see the limitations of terrestrial radio and Sirius XM satellite radio," Jon Irwin, president of Rhapsody, said in an interview. "They want full access to their music in the car."

Rhapsody is talking with other automakers about integrating the service, Irwin said, without being more specific. Pandora said in December its service is available in 75 vehicle models.

Ford Sync is available on the 2013 Fiesta, Mustang, Expedition, Fusion, F-150, Super Duty, Focus, E-Series and C- MAX, the company said in the statement. Ford has already integrated Pandora, Slacker Media Inc.'s web radio and Clear Channel Communications Inc.'s iHeartRadio.

"We want to give customers as many options as we can," Elizabeth Halash, AppLink product development engineer for Ford, said in an interview. "If they're already a Rhapsody user, they know the service and use it all the time, we want to allow that in the car as well and to use it hands-free."

Viacom Inc.'s MTV, Vivendi SA's Universal Music, Sony Corp. and Best Buy Co. own stakes in Rhapsody, Irwin said.

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The Very Best Used Car Deals: January 2013

Best Used Car Deals: January 2013 74 46 Jan 01, 2013 12:00 a.m. Used car shoppers will find low interest rate purchase deals on many certified pre-owned (CPO) vehicles this month. What you pay for a used car depends on things like vehicle condition and mileage, as well as supply and demand. To get the best used car deal, check out these used car sales before you buy. Used car shoppers can get a good deal on a used Toyota this month. Through the beginning of 2013, most certified pre-owned Toyotas are available with 1.9 percent financing for up to five years. If you’re considering a used Volkswagen, you can take advantage of 1.99 percent financing for up to 48 months on all certified pre-owned VW’s through early next year. Mazda is offering 0.9 percent financing for three years on many of its certified pre-owned vehicles from the 2010 to 2012 model years right now. Vehicles included in this offer are the Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda5, Mazda6, CX-7 and CX-9. Subaru is offering low interest rate deals on all 2007 to 2012 certified pre-owned models this month. Subaru buyers can take advantage of financing as low as 0.99 percent on all CPO vehicles. Shoppers in the market for a used luxury car or SUV might want to check out a used Mercedes-Benz. Right now, Mercedes is offering 1.99 percent financing on several certified pre-owned models from the 2009, 2010 and 2011 model years. Land Rover and Audi are offering purchase deals on their CPO vehicles this month. Land Rover has interest rates as low as 0.9 percent on many vehicles and Audi is promoting 1.9 percent financing for five years on its CPO models. BMW is also promoting low interest rate financing on most of its 2009 and 2010 CPO vehicles right now. Buyers can choose either a three-payment credit up to $1,500 or 0.9 percent financing. Looking to buy a used car? Check out our Used Car Rankings, where you can compare used cars by class, model year and budget. Then search our Used Car Listings, where you can browse used vehicles for sale in your area. While we work to keep used car deals up-to-date and accurate, the best source of current discounts and incentives on a used or certified pre-owned car is your local dealer.