“Plasmaclustered” While You Drive (It’s a Good Thing)-

The world has become quite “germaphobic” over the past decade, leaving air cleaners and ionizers as a common household addition. It was only a matter of time before they were introduced into our own vehicles as an option/feature.

The Infinity FX Crossover is going to be introducing its new equipped ionizer system that will be effective in removing airborne molds, spores and the foul smell of cigarettes and exhaust, while replacing it with the simulated freshness of a spring rainstorm. The FX will be out on the lots in June, just in time for those summer chili offs!

The 2008 Toyota Camry has a similar system at the moment, but the Infiniti model appears to be a bit more effective on removing allergens for those who are sensitive to their surroundings. Rather than just releasing ions in the air, the Infiniti system has a second stage of the filtration that catches and removes pollens and other airborne allergens.

Scratch Shield Paint and LDP (Lane Departure Prevention)-

Going back to the Infiniti line of vehicles, we find that the new EX35 is boasting this year two very cool gadgets. First it has the (LDP) Lane Departure Prevention, which monitors lane markings as you drive and sounds an alarm if you begin to stray.

If the driver does not correct the situation, the EX35 takes the situation into its own hands and applies the brakes to predetermined wheels to help guide the vehicle back towards the road. This is all in the hopes of giving the driver enough time (with what ever they are doing) to “wake up” and get back on course. For those who suffer from “highway hypnosis”, otherwise known as getting bored and falling asleep at the wheel, this could be a real life saver! Nissan has a similar gadget and this may only be the start of many more to come.

If you do get a little off course and end up off the road trampling over bushes and fences and scratching the front paint, thanks to the Scratch shield paint on the Infiniti EX, all you will have to do is leave the paint out in the sun for a day or two and it will virtually repair itself.

How it works, is the paint is actually a gel-like substance that does not dry and therefore is able to flow over top open scratches and create a like new appearance. Because of its “flow related” healing capacity, large damage will not have the same ability to be repaired as easily, so it really only works with light scratches.

*Note: What I have to wonder is if the paint is constantly flowing… wouldn’t there be a point over several years time where the paint would all run down to the bottom portion of the vehicle and collect in one thick blob? (either way, it’s still a cool development.)

Push Button Starter-

As the summer rolls through we should predictively see more and more cars using push button starter systems. Besides looking and feeling cool using them, consumers will actually receive better personal attention from their cars.

By this we are referring to the smart cards that will go along with the push button start. The driver will simply slide into the drivers seat, immediately have their smart card recognized, push the “start” button, and not only will the car start, but the card will have programed the seat setting, steering wheel, mirrors, preferred air temperature, and favorite radio presets.

Once you get to where you want to go, all you need to do is push the button once more and the car shuts off. Recent consumer poles show that one of the top features that they are asking for in their next cars are keyless ignition, and most car manufacturers are beginning to listen.

It wasn’t long ago that this luxury was considered just that, only a feature for such luxury lines as Bentley, Jaguar, and Maybach. But this summer we will be seeing a glimpse of these popping up in more and more Chevrolet’s, Toyota’s, Mazda’s, Nissan’s, etc.

Here is the current list of vehicles using this technology according to Edmunds.com:

Acura RL, Audi (A6, A8, Q7, S6, S8), Bentley (Continental GT, GTC, Flying Spur), BMW (3, 5, 6, 7, B7, M5, M6, X5), Cadillac (STS, STS-V, XLR, XLR-V), Chevrolet Corvette, Infiniti (FX35, FX45, G35, M35, M45), Jaguar XK, Lexus (ES 350, GS 350, GS 430, IS 250, IS 350, LS 460), Maybach (57, 62), Mazda (CX-7, CX-9, Mazdaspeed 6, RX-8), Mercedes-Benz (CL, CLK, CLS, E, GL, M, R, S, SL), Mini Cooper, S, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan (Altima, Altima Hybrid, Maxima, Murano, Sentra, Versa), Suzuki (Grand Vitara, SX4), Toyota (Avalon, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius), Volkswagen Touareg, and Volvo (S40, S80, V50).

Oh, The Sweet Smell of Burning “Lavender”-

While one of the coolest gadgets for tires coming down the pike for the next five years should be either self-inflating tires or non-inflatable tires, this summer we have fragrance tires to look forward to. Kumho has taken it upon themselves to create a tire that once warm, gives off the aroma of either lavender, neroli (orange) or jasmine.

These tires go under the code name ECSTA DX, and have been being sold through Tire Rack for a number of months. While the muscle car crowd may try to pass these off to the local law enforcement as friendly incense burning while smoking their tires through local neighborhoods, the real targeted consumer according to Kumho is the luxury sedan driver.

Let’s face it, tires do get warm after being on the pavement all day, so when we pull into out garage it may small a bit like warm rubber. Well, now for $80 to $120, you can get out of your car to the sweet essence of man made fragrance…

What are they going to think of next?

While perhaps not the first time it has been unveiled, but it was an interesting idea back in 1986 when the BMW Z1 introduced it, and it still is today.

The Disappearing Door by Jatech is basically a new way to enter and exit a vehicle. Instead of the traditional hinge doors that most of us have become accustomed to, it is a lot more like sliding mini-van doors, except instead of sliding to the side, they slide underneath the vehicle. You may be wondering how the typical vehicle could have enough height clearance.

The Disappearing door rolls down an enclosed system that is placed within the body frame. The door in effect is not actually rolling underneath the vehicle as it appears, but rather inside the lower frame. The whole purpose of this system is to make it both easier and safer for passengers to enter and exit their vehicle.

While similar to the infamous “lambo” doors that opened upwards as seen on the Lamborghini and the DMC DeLorean,

these doors prove even less cumbersome because they fall completely out of the way from all angles.

The doors are also safer, as they allow a driver to pull up tightly against a curb away from traffic without having to worry about getting the doors open. Since there is no door that swing outwards, there is no way for an oncoming car to hit the door, and you can also keep an eye of the traffic through the side mirror which will not move with the door as in most hinged designs.

Using similar technology as the minivan, these doors would not prove to raise the cost of the typical vehicle all that much, so why don’t we see more cars like this? Well, as mentioned earlier, the BMW Z1 tried this design back in 1986, and while these cars have become collector items now, the idea never really took off.

As the famous grandpa saying goes, “they would just be another thing to break”. And if they would break, all the safety of the design would be thrown out the window, because you would be out in the street manually cranking the doors down similarly to a convertible top that has stopped working.

Jatech is hoping that this idea will catch on some 20 years later now that technology has improved substantially. But are consumers ready for such an odd innovative car door that may prove to be more trouble than its worth?

Probably not, but the idea is still cool to talk about anyway!