1977 Toyota Celica Gt Hatchback 2-door 2.2l on 2040-cars

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Toyota and Lexus show off advanced safety research vehicle [w/video]

While Google and Audi explore the possibilities of autonomous vehicles, Toyota and its Lexus division are studying the intermediate step of vehicles equipped with a deep suite of technology that help drivers make the best decisions. Introduced at this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the Lexus advanced safety research vehicle is an LS sedan fitted with three high-def color cameras to detect objects up to almost 500 feet away, 360-degree Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) lasers that can detect objects up to 220 feet away, three radar units to keep track of other vehicles at intersections, a precision odometer on the rear wheel, GPS that estimates orientation and an accelerometer.
Currently testing at a purpose-built 8.6 acre urban testing ground at the Higashi-Fuji Technical Center in Susono, Japan the Toyota research vehicle is being used to study how to make better drivers, as well as figuring out how to reduce crashes as the industry's journey through passive and active safety systems progresses. In the event of a crash, new rescue systems are also being tested.
Further investment is being put into the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) that would use shortwave signals to harness information from the car and from other vehicles on the road, as well as roadside infrastructure and even pedestrians. Toyota reasons it could then build a picture of interactions and, for instance, alert the driver to a potential collision at a blind intersection.

Weekly Recap: An '80s encore in the auto world

The '80s returned in a big way this week, as National Lampoon's, Ghostbusters, Miami Vice, and even Tetris were back in the news. While there were far more serious topics (see below), nostalgia mingled with modern marketing to put these Reagan-era favorites back in the spotlight. The '80s were alternately cold and corny at times, but their cultural touchstones can still generate big money. That's why Infiniti recreated an iconic scene from National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) for an advertisement that hawks the QX60 crossover. Actor Ethan Embry, who played Rusty Griswold in a later Lampoon's movie, pilots the Infiniti – which is serving as a modern Family Truckster – for a trip to Walley World. A blonde pulls alongside in a red Lamborghini. They flirt, and she drives on. Christie Brinkley, who played the original girl in the red sports car (she drove a Ferrari in the '83 flick), is riding shotgun and chides Embry with: "A blonde. In a convertible. Seriously?" Okay, it's hardly on the level of "here's looking at you," or even "you can't handle the truth," but it should resonate with '80s babies, many of whom are now having children of their own and moving into three-row SUVs like the QX60. Naturally, Hollywood is going back to the well, too, with a Vacation remake that premiers July 29. Meanwhile, Ghostbusters is returning next year, and director Paul Feig offered a peak at the new Eco-1 in this tweet. In the 1984 classic, the team drove a modified 1959 Cadillac. Now, it will drive a late '80s Cadillac. As expected, the announcement generated support and controversy from movie and car enthusiasts. His tweet had generated several thousand retweets and favorites in the days following the news. Though the '80s Caddy looks, uh, less elegant in comparison to the now-iconic fins and curves of the original Ecto-1, it's about the same time lapse into the past as the '59 Caddy was to viewers in 1984. Speaking of 1984, Miami Vice, which debuted that year on NBC, is seeing one of its hero cars hit the auction block, Mecum Auctions announced this week. The 1986 Ferrari used on the show will be offered for sale Aug. 15 during Monterey classic car week. The white supercar runs a 390-hp flat 12-cylinder engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission and was in storage after the show ended in 1989 until earlier this year. It has 16,124 miles on the odometer and is authenticated by Ferrari North America and Classiche.

Jeremy Clarkson names 10 worst cars for 2015 and 2016

When Jeremy Clarkson, outspoken automotive journalist, ex- Top Gear host, and co-host on The Grand Tour, drives a car he doesn't like he doesn't pull his punches. As Jezza harshly puts it, cars shouldn't just be a form of transportation. These 10 cars made Clarkson's "the terrible 10" list on his column in The Sunday Times for lacking imagination and not giving the journalist "the Fizz," which his list of top 10 cars did. In typical Clarkson fashion, the list is controversial. Some of the cars on Clarkson's list have received praise from other outlets, which shouldn't really come as a surprise since he usually goes against the majority's opinion. Nonetheless, there's at least one car that will catch you off guard. To get a glimpse at Clarkson's reviews and the entire list of cars, head over to his column in The Sunday Times. Vauxhall Astra SRi Nav Infiniti Q30 Premium Tech Skoda Superb SE L Executive Zenos E10 S Renault Kadjar Signature Nav BMW X1 xDRIVE25d SEAT Leon X-Perience SE Technology Nissan GT-R Track Edition Volkswagen Scirocco 2.0 TDi Hyundai i800 Related Video: Featured Gallery Jeremy Clarkson's Terrible 10 For 2015 and 2016 View 11 Photos News Source: The Sunday TimesImage Credit: Clive Brunskill / Getty Images Celebrities BMW Hyundai Infiniti Nissan Toyota Performance bmw x1 infiniti q30