Innovative car keys taking driving to a whole new leveI

It's only suiting that a car as high-tech as the BMW 7-series would come with a key fob to match it.

It comes with four buttons to lock and unlock the car, pop open the trunk, and panic. But it also comes with a full-color 2.2-inch touch screen that lets you swipe to see information like whether all the doors are locked and your current fuel range.

You can also use the key to control the climate in the car and toggle the lights. But by far the coolest part is that you can use it to park the car remotely.

Tesla's key fob was actually designed to look like a mini Tesla Model S

In addition to locking and unlocking the car doors, the Tesla key can be used to tell the car to pull forward and backward, all from a semi-remote distance and without anyone inside of the car.

With the F-Pace's Activity Key, by holding your wrist up to the Jaguar badge on the rear of the car, you can lock or unlock the vehicle. And it's waterproof! 

The Activity Key is available as a $400 option.

Ford, Toyota and others team up to rival Apple and Google telematics dominance

A battle of formats is nothing new in the electronics or the automotive industry, and the latest is a bit of both as Apple and Google have come to dominate the platforms for in-car apps.

Now Ford, Toyota, Peugeot-Citroen, Suzuki, Subaru parent company Fuji Heavy Industries and a group of suppliers want to change that by offering an open-source software platform to give users more choice in how they connect and use smartphone apps in their vehicles.

The SmartDeviceLink Consortium plans to use Ford's AppLink software, which is currently used in more than 5 million vehicles, as the basis for the new open-source platform. The new platform will allow smartphone app developers to better integrate their app functions into in-vehicle tech including infotainment screens, steering wheel controls and voice-activated features.

2018 Subaru WRX and WRX STI coming with big performance improvements

Subaru tends not to mess with the WRX and WRX STI often, but for 2018 the all-wheel-drive rocket gets some performance upgrades enthusiasts can get behind.

The base WRX gets revised suspension tuning in an effort to improve both comfort and performance capability –- better handling is always welcome. For those buyers who prefer a manual transmission, Subaru says it has “significantly enhanced” the currently notchy shifter feel of its six-speed transmission with a new synchro design producing less friction. We think that’s even more reason to forget the CVT even exists in a performance car like the WRX. If you weren’t a fan of the electric steering before, Subaru has tinkered with it a bit for 2018, so you might want to give it another try. An optional performance package is offered for the WRX Premium. With it you’ll get Recaro eight-way power seats, red-painted brake calipers with upgraded Jurid brake pads and a moonroof delete in the name of weight reduction.

Moving onto the more radical STI, Subaru went another step beyond the revised suspension tuning in the WRX\ and updated the AWD system, as well. Previously, the limited slip differential used a combination of mechanical and electronic controls, but it will be 100 percent electronic for 2018. Subaru justifies this by saying the electronic control offers both quicker and smoother responses. The new STI also features an upgraded Brembo braking system that looks like it’s track-ready from the factory. Monoblock six-piston calipers up front, and two-piston rears will clamp down onto larger, drilled rotors all the way around. You’ll be able to tell them apart from last year’s calipers because Subaru went and painted these upgraded units yellow.

When I review a new car, most of the time I get it dropped off at an airport near a venue at which I will be helping to organize a 24 Hours of LeMons race, and then I spend a few days driving it ...

 

Wheels keep increasing in size as the years roll on, and the STI is no exception, offering 19-inch rims for the first time. You’ll notice the lack of engine talk here, because Subaru hasn’t done a single thing to either the WRX’s 2.0-liter boxer four-cylinder or the STI’s 2.5-liter power plant. 

Appearance-wise, the front end of the car gets revised with a larger grille opening and steering-responsive headlights, so the curve ahead will be lit up for late-night hooning adventures. Technology is also upgraded for the new WRX and STI in the form of larger screens on the interior and a vehicle hold system to keep the car still on all grades.

We’ll have to be patient for the WRX and STI to get the kind of overhaul the Impreza just received, but these newest changes are certainly a welcome placeholder. Look out for the more exciting turbo boxer siblings in spring of this year.