WheelsTV Update

Hi Folks,

This next entry, and quite a few more, will be focused upon what is going on at WheelsTV. As you may have noticed, the home page has been revamped with some nice photos and thumbnails to the driving destinations. Now, the page loads faster (still a bit slow at times) and you can decide what view through the windshield you want to enjoy.

The BIG news is that we are in the process of adding a new destination channel, Automotive Rhythms, focused on the urban automotive experience. "With enough bling and ice to light Los Angeles." This is going to be a very hot channel. We will want to hear from you. How do you like it? The player is under construction but we should be live with a few programs within a few days.

One other interesting bit of news: You'll soon be able to buy WheelsTV programs on DVD from Amazon.com. If you are interested in owning great automotive entertainment...forever, you'll be able to get over 50 of our programs with more to come.

That's all for now. Please let us know how we can improve your viewing experience at WheelsTV.

Thanks and please drive safely,
Jim

Sports ACTIVITY Vehicle...A Marketing Coup

Moving metal is as much about image as it is about performance or safety. When gasoline started climbing and the blame began to fall on the "gas-guzzling" SUV's, SUV sales went through the floor and so did the bottom line for the companies that at one time made billions on these gussied-up trucks. GM and Ford, whose SUV's are primarily truck-based got caught with their mileage down and their lots quickly filled with Explorers, Suburbans, Expeditions and Tahoes.

Meanwhile, the Asian and European automakers had already started building SUV's on car chassis. Back in the late 90's, when we were producing Motor Trend Television (and winning a number of awards for it), we tested and reviewed the Lexus RX300. For comfort, ride, handling and ECONOMY, it beat the pants of the domestics. In many ways, its newer iterations, the RX350 and RX400h still do. But, I digress.

BMW, always the company to look for something unique to set it apart from the rabble, (iDrive, for better or WORSE is a good example) coined a new term for
its SUVs: Sports Activity Vehicles or SAV's. I have to give them credit for this one. Shedding the gas-eating image of the SUV established by their competitors, BMW has created a lively, stereotype-free vehicle class that fits perfectly within today's active lifestyle. At the same time, the acronym almost says "SAVe gas (or the planet)" you choose.

Even though the mid-sized X5 only gets 16 MPG city and 22 MPG highway, slightly better than my massive Tahoe, the image is green, healthy and original. In the highly competitive automotive marketplace with over 250 nameplates competing for our attention, BMW has come up with a pretty cool marketing twist. Sports Activity Vehicle: Kind of makes you want to engage in some form of sports activity...like plopping on the couch to watch a football game on a Sunday afternoon.

Now, if they can just get rid of the goofy iDrive on their E Series and concentrate on ergonomics and performance, their reputation for precise steering, autobahn braking and superior handling will remain in tact.

Never Drive in the Rain with Your Cruise Control On!

Here's some important information that I got from, of all people...my lovely wife, Karen. She forwarded one of those e-mails that travels around the net with the question..."Jim, does this sound right to you?" Well, I did a little fact checking and while the story may be embellished, the information is accurate. Don't touch that cruise control in the wet.

The e-mail that Karen passed along tells the story of a woman who was driving in the rain with her cruise control on. The car suddenly starts to hydroplane and crashes. She is not seriously hurt but in talking with the state trooper she learns that one should never drive in the rain with your cruise control on. The patrolman tells the woman that this warning should be listed on the driver's seat sun visor: `Never use the cruise control when the pavement is wet or icy', along with the airbag warning.

Using cruise control on wet roads can be especially dangerous because the car will accelerate without warning, particularly if the cruise control is attempting to maintain a constant speed on an upgrade. The cruise control may cause the car to shift gears while at a highway cruising speed, thus loosening the tires' grip on the wet road.

I did some research on the web and found (almost) the same story within this article from Murray Hubbard of Slide Rule, a column on CarsGuide, an Australian-based website at http://carsguide.news.com.au/story/0,20384,18728601-5001701,00.html "The problem with cruise control is that it may try to accelerate while the car has uneven traction. This can cause the vehicle to veer to the low traction side. "
"The same problem can occur if the driver uses either gas or brake under uneven traction. When braking, the car will veer to the high traction side."

Interestingly, both the story that my wife sent and the one at CarsGuide had a 36 year old woman crashing but not being seriously injured. Virtually identical except that the one my wife sent had the woman crashing somewhere between Kilgore and Gladewater Texas and the story from Australia had the same 36 year old woman traveling between Wollongong and Sydney. You'd think she would have learned from her experience in Australia before taking to the roads in Texas!! : ) Well, even if the story is an urban legend, the lesson is the same.

One more example from the Holden Car Company of Australia: "The man was driving to work in his Holden VR Commodore with cruise control set to exactly 110km/h. As the car started to go uphill, the cruise control kicked down a gear. Unfortunately, at this exact time, he went over a patch of water, which combined with the acceleration of the cruise control caused his car to aquaplane. The car fishtailed, he lost control and went head-on into some trees. "

Our thanks to CarsGuide for doing the research with help of Audi, Holden and Subaru and of course, Karen. So, pass the word to your friends and family...Never drive in the rain (or snow) with your cruise control on!

Thanks and please drive safely,
Jim