OPTIONAL NEW GM SYSTEM WON'T LET YOU DRIVE WITHOUT PUTTING YOUR SEATBELT ON

By Chris Bruce, Autoblog.com - General Motors might be in the middle of a recall crisis, but safety advancements for new cars is still top of mind.  In coordination with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Click It or Ticket campaign, the automaker is announcing a new, optional Belt Assurance System on some of its fleet models for later this year.

The system ensures that both the driver and front passenger are wearing their seat belts by not letting the vehicle shift out of Park if it detects that they aren't buckled.  GM spokesperson Jennifer Ecclestone tells Autoblog that the system uses the same sensor as the airbag to detect whether someone is in the seat.  The vehicle can still turn on, just not drive.

The feature will be offered as an option in 2015 model year examples of the Chevrolet Cruze, Colorado, Silverado and GMC Sierra.  However, this won't be an option that normal buyers will be able to order.  "We are rolling it out with a small group of fleet customers first," said Ecclestone.  The fleets will be able to spec the Belt Assurance System for no additional cost beginning in the third or fourth quarter of 2014.  With a positive response, Ecclestone indicated GM could offer the technology more widely.

According to NHTSA, 87 per cent of drivers already wear seat belts as of 2013, but they are still the best way to save lives in a car accident.  Of course, we can totally see how this system could become a nuisance if the sensors malfunction.  What do you think?  Is it a good idea to not let a vehicle move unless the front passengers are belted?

OSHAWA ONSTAR DISPATCHER HONOURED FOR QUICK THINKING

OSHAWA - Bryan Anta, an emergency advisor with OnStar, was named 2014 Dispatcher of the Year by the International Academy of Emergency Dispatch.  The prize is awarded annually to a dispatcher who has made the most significant contributions to further the values and mission of the IAED through personal action.

 By durhamregion.com - The call was muffled with a baby crying, a woman gsping, and indecipherable background noise.

Oshawa OnStar advisor Bryan Anta, 24, has been named 2014 North American dispatcher of the year after helping to save an asthma-stricken woman's life with one short phrase: "Honk once for 'yes' and twice for 'no'.

As an emergency dispatcher, Mr. Anta and his colleagues must be ready for anything.

"If someone is bleeding we can tell them how to control it.  If someone is choking, we have instructions to give the Heimlich.  We're even trained in child birth," said Mr. Anta.

OnStar Corporation is a subsidiary of General Motors that provides subscription-based communications, in-vehicle security, hands-free calling and navigation.  The OnStar service allows users to contact OnStar call centres during an emergency.

The OnStar subscriber base is upwards of 6.5 million customers.  Each month, 50,000 emergency calls are taken from the Oshawa Minacs location and although not all are life-or-death situations, dispatchers must be able to handle it all.

A dispatcher for more than four years, Mr. Anta has been trained on non-emergency and emergency OnStar calls.  Although he is confident in his ability to react in difficult situations, the call from the woman having the asthma attack in particular stands out as being especially troublesome.  Described by him as "a foggy mess", the first 30 seconds of the call were nothing more than a baby crying and the faint sound of a woman trying to talk.  It wasn't until a second voice started talking that things got a littler clearer.

"I could hear a woman saying her daughter was having an asthma attack and was trying to drive herself to the hospital.  At that point I realized the woman I was talking to was on a cellphone," said Mr. Anta.

Directing the struggling woman to honk the car horn in response to questions, Mr. Anta was able to gain enough information to assess the situation and keep the woman reassured until an ambulance arrived.

"It gets your heart pumping but I like jobs that help people in a meaningful way," said Mr. Anta.

About two years into his employment, Mr. Anta moved from taking calls from people needing directions to calls from people in medical emergencies.  His training consisted of five days of in-class role playing and asking questions, and five days of taking mock calls to walk himself through the process.

"We're definitely given the tools we need to help our customers," said Mr. Anta, whose skills were highlighted in his most recent accomplishment.

The dispatcher-of-the-year award was given to Mr. Anta by the International Academy of Emergency Dispatchers at the 2014 Navigators Conference on April 30.  The honor is significant because Mr. Anta is the first OnStar advisor to win the award.

GMC CANYON'S JUMP SEATS INNOVATE TO KEEP KIDS SAFE

By Brandon Turkus, Autoblog.com - We dig simple solutions to problems.  There's something highly gratifying about making a minute change to fix something, rather than tearing up the playbook.  That's what GMC has done with the new Canyon midsize pickup.

When putting a car seat in, car seat manufacturers require that at least 80 per cent of the seat's base fit on the bottom cushion.  That's a big problem in extended-cab pickups like the Canyon, which feature jump seats with shorter bottom cushions, in place of the larger, more traditionally designed bench.

The Canyon gets around this with extendable jump seats -- simply pop out the headrest and slot it into the bottom seat cushion, and the truck can now easily accommodate a child's seat.

"It's an elegant solution that makes efficient use of the limited space in the rear seat in this type of vehicle, by allowing us to adapt the seat cushion length for child restraint installation," Eduardo Bugelli, the Canyon's safety performance team lead, said in statement.  "The additional seat cushion length provides more support to the child restraint, which helps to reduce the rotation and the risk of injury in a crash."

All in all, it's a pretty darn clever idea to a problem we imagine as fairly common in the world of pickup trucks.  Read Press Release below.

 

ALL-NEW GMC CANYON BRINGS SAFETY FIRSTS TO MIDSIZE TRUCKS

 

Detroit - When the all-new 2015 GMC Canyon launches this fall, it will not only bring a full payload of midsize truck segment-leading capabilities, but segment safety firsts including a patent-pending child safety feature.

Smaller jump seats found in extended cab midsize trucks may have too little lower seat cushion length to meet many child restraint manufacturer's recommendation to have at least 80 percent of the child restraint base fit on the seat cushion.  General Motors' engineers have designed a patent-pending solution for the 2015 Canyon extended cab to help keep kids in child restraints safer in a collision.

Using the rear jump seat headrest on the passenger side of the extended-cab Canyon, the jump seat cushion can be extended by removing the head rest and inserting it horizontally into the seat base.  This helps the extended-cab Canyon satisfy the seat base recommendation of most child restraint manufacturers.

"It's an elegant solution that makes efficient use of the limited space in the rear seat in this type of vehicle, by allowing us to adapt the seat cushion length for child restraint installation," said Eduardo Bugelli, safety performance team lead.  "The additional seat cushion length provides more support to the child restraint, which helps to reduce the rotation and the risk of injury in a crash."

In addition to this patent-pending design, the all-new Canyon will be the first midsize truck to offer Forward Collision Alert and Lane Departure Warning technology as part of the available Driver Alert Package.

Forward collision alert technology helps prevent frontal crashes by alerting the driver when the truck is closing in on a vehicle ahead too quickly, giving the driver additional time to react and avoid a crash.

Lane Departure Warning technology can alert the driver when the truck drifts over a lane line when travelling at least 35 mph.

In a collision, the Canyon's all-new cab structure is made from over 70 percent high-strength steel to better protect its occupants.  It also comes standard with six air bags, including head curtain side air bags that can also reduce the risk of occupant ejection.

Safety and convenience technology continues with a standard rear vision camera and available next-generation IntelliLink infotainment system.  IntelliLink can seamlessly integrate the capability of a smartphone into the vehicle so that hand-held phones may be safely stowed while driving.  Features such as smartphone voice recognition pass through, including text message support and Siri Eyes Free, enable the driver to be alerted to new text messages and have them read aloud and respond, depending on the functionality of the smartphone.  Siri Eyes Free enables iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 users to access Siri via the steering wheel controls and check calendar entries, have text messages read and respond to them, place calls or call up music.

Android phone users can also use the steering wheel controls to access their phone's voice recognition features.

The Canyon will be assembled at GM's Wentzville, Mo., assembly plant.  GMC will continue to work on and develop the Canyon until the start of production in fall 2014.

CALLAWAY DEBUTS ITS NEW C7 STINGRAY AT NATIONAL CORVETTE MUSEUM

By Brandon Turkus, Autoblog.com - Callaway showed off its first tuned version of the 2014 Corvette Stingray at the National Corvette Museum last week, giving the rampant enthusiasts of America's sports car a look at the roughly 620-horsepower, supercharged rocket.

Unlike the Corvette SC610 we showed you back in January, this Stingray packs a fair bit more oomph.  Horsepower is only up ten ponies, but torque has jumped from 556 pound-feet to "at least" 600 pound-feet.  Neither horsepower nor torque is official quite yet, although Callaway is expecting to know just what its creation can do once testing and validation is completed later this month.

The 6.2-liter, supercharged V8 now boasts a new, three-element intercooler, which Callaway claims only allowed the inlet air temperature to increase by ten degrees Farenheit during dyno runs.  Previous designs saw a 35-degree-Fahrenheit jump.  The exhaust system has also been fettled with, and now is even less restrictive.

Aesthetically, the Callaway Corvette borrowed a styling cue from the C6 Corvette ZR1, with its engine protruding through the hood.  It's a rather clean look, and Callaway claims it further improves heat transfer.

The total cost for the 2014 Callaway Corvette is $25,000 (US$22,995), in addition to the cost of a donor Corvette.  Take a look below for a brief press release from Callaway.

CALLAWAY CARS DEBUT 2014 CALLAWAY CORVETTE

A production prototype 2014 Callaway Corvette was displayed at the NCM Bash, National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, on April 24th through 26th.  Callaway staff was on hand during the weekend to answer questions about the new car and conducted an in-depth "walk-around" on April 25, presenting the new Callaway Corvette's features.  That presentation can be seen on corvetteblogger.com soon.

During development testing, the Callaway supercharged LT1 has produced at least 620 horsepower and at least 600 lb-ft of torque.  Callaway's advertised SAE-corrected horsepower and torque rating will be released following final powertrain management calibration, scheduled to conclude in late May.  Durability testing and validation, performance and drivability testing, and emissions compliance testing must be completed first.  Then, Callaway Corvette production can commence.

Callaway's third generation Corvette supercharger system is a completely new design.  Callaway engineers developed a new supercharger housing and integrated intake manifold for improved airflow and increased charge air cooling capability.  Intake manifold runner cross-section and length were tuned for a broad torque band while maintaining excellent peak horsepower.  Eaton's 2300cc TVS rotor pack was selected for its high thermal efficiency, OEM-certified quality, and service-proven reliability.  A new triple-element intercooler configuration provides significantly lower inlet charge air temperatures than possible with single and dual element designs.  Because of the added volume of the new internals, the supercharger housing itself extends through the hood.  Consequently, both conductive and convective heat transfer mechanisms are utilized to remove power-robbing heat from the inlet charge.

To illustrate the increased efficiency of the Callaway intercooling, inlet air temperature increased by less than 10 degrees F during repeated dynamometer runs, compared to increases of at least 35 degrees F with other intercooler designs.  That means more consistent performance at the track and dragstrip, as well as increased power on the street during summer months.  To prevent drive belt slippage, a new 10-rib pulley system has been incorporated.  In fact, certain new technical features are significant enough that utility and design aspects of this system are patent pending with the US Patent and Trademark Office.

A new Callaway Corvette exhaust system utilizes a single acoustic chamber (muffler) to attenuate harsh frequencies and accentuate low frequency tones, while allowing spent gases to exit the exhaust system with minimized restriction.  Callaway's signature Double-D exhaust tips are significantly larger than previous Double-D tips to complement the new Corvette's center exhaust bezel.

New composite manifold base covers, exterior emblems and interior badging further distinguish the 2014 Callaway Corvette.  Package MSRP is $22,995.

2014 CALLAWAY CORVETTE EQUIPMENT

• Callaway Supercharger System 
• Supercharger-Surround Hood Trim Ring
• High Flow Intake System
• Low Restriction Exhaust System
• Callaway Embroidered Floor Mats
• Callaway Door Sill Panels
• Exterior and Interior Callaway Badging
• Underhood Build Plaque
• Callaway Key Fob
• Authenticity Documentation Package
• 3 Year/36,000 Mile Limited Warranty

Optional

•  5 Year/100,000 Mile Powertrain Service Contract
• Callaway Wheel and Tire Packages
• National Corvette Museum Delivery
• Callaway Factory Delivery
• Optional suspension, brakes, body and interior equipment will be introduced during the course of the model year



GM'S DRIVING SIMULATOR PUTS SUPER CRUISE TO THE TEST

 

By General Motors, Detroit - Lightning-fast refreshing of visuals inside General Motors' Research Driving Simulator are helping advanced technology developers study how drivers interact with Super Cruise, the semi-automated driving system that could be in Cadillac models later this decade.

The upgrades to the simulator provide realistic road feel and responsiveness to driver actions, reducing the feeling of disorientation associated with driving simulators, particularly during low-speed maneuvers.

A 360-degree high-definition projection screen integrated with a 2-terabyte-per-second image generator allows visuals to dynamically respond to steering and pedal force inputs within 70 milliseconds.

These enhancements let Super Cruise developers measure driver control interactions, eye-glance behavior, and evaluate driver approaches before full system vehicles are available.

"Simulator testing helps our vehicle teams understand the consequences of design decisions quickly and early in the development cycle when it is cost effective to do so," said John Capp, director of GM Electrical, Controls and Active Safety Research.  "Ultimately, the work done here enables the rapid development of sophisticated systems like Super Cruise and leads to improved driving experiences for our customers."

The system can load vehicle concept designs and integrate new prototype controls in the test vehicle with minimum programming or preparation.  Suppliers also can load their models to test some vehicle control subsystems before building them.

Advanced driver assistance and safety features will play an increasingly important role in keeping drivers alert during semi-automated driving, Capp said.  The system is designed to ease the driver's workload on freeways only, in bumper-to-bumper traffic and on long road trips, but driver attention is still required.

Traffic crash data seems to suggest a need for automated driving systems.  According to the National Highway Safety Transportation Administration, human error causes more than 90 percent of all crashes, a figure that could be lowered with widespread use of automated driving systems.