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Say what you will about David Hasselhoff, but we will always remember the guy as Michael Knight, crime-fighter extraordinaire with a badass car named KITT. And no, you don't get to make fun of the car's name because KITT, which is short for Knight Industries Two Thousand, is a modified 1982 Pontiac Trans Am complete with Turbo Boost, molecular bonded shell body armor, microscanners, and more. Of course, if we're talking about technically advanced cars, we'll have to look at what real life automakers are offering these days to see how far we've come from the four-stroke internal combustion engine in the days of yore to the touchscreen navigation systems, Bluetooth connectivity, and other sophisticated features that are becoming more and more common among the automobiles of today.
Let's take a look at the top cars of 2013 that are "leveraging the latest technology to help their vehicles stand out in a crowded market and help give motorists a reason to trade in their existing rides for the latest models."
2013 Audi 8
Described as "the third generation of Audi's flagship model and comes equipped with more smarts and sophistication than a Harvard grad, sans the obligatory sweater vest," the 2013 Audi A8 runs on Blackberry's QNX system and is powered by a NVIDIA processor. Other features include a 40GB hard drive, an eight-inch high-resolution full-color LCD screen, Bluetooth streaming, iPod connectivity, Audi connect, and more. It should be noted that Audi connect, which turns the car into a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot, "provides access to an impressive suite of Google-powered features including Google Earth with full 3D mapping, Google Local Search, and Google Voice Local Search."
Tesla Model S
Winning one award is nothing to write home about, but the Tesla Model S has actually won several awards and recognitions including the 2013 World Green Car of the Year, 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year, and Time Magazine Best 25 Inventions of the Year (2012), just to mention a few. According to CNET, "The 2012 Tesla Model S sets a new standard for cars of the 21st century by integrating cabin tech equal to anything from the consumer electronics industry and incorporating a long-range, powerful, and efficient electric drive train."
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
There's no denying that the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee is a high-performance vehicle not just because it can deliver "470 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 465 lb.-ft. (630 Nm) of torque with a 0-60 mph time of around 4.8 seconds", but also because of its in-car tech features, such as the new Uconnect infotainment system. There's also the Uconnect Access Via Mobile which lets customers stream their favorite tunes into the vehicle through apps like Pandora, Slacker, and Aha. Other noteworthy features include an Eco Mode, which "optimizes the new eight-speed transmission's shifting to extend the range of the SUV's Fuel Saver Technology, which deactivates four of the cylinders" and "an optional 825-watt, 19-speaker premium SRT performance audio surround-sound system from Harman/Kardon."
2013 BMW 750Li
The 2013 BMW 750Li is proof that you can improve on perfection, at least when it comes to navigation and stereo systems. With regards to connected features, the 750Li "included the smartphone-based ConnectedDrive app integration;" BMW online, which provides access to Google local search, weather, and news; Applications, which lets drivers add new apps from the App Store; and Widgets, iDrive, and a lot more. This vehicle also offers a Bang & Olufsen audio system as a $3,700 option, as well as a sophisticated night vision system that uses a FLIR camera and image processing software to detect pedestrians. With all those features, we would have to wonder if there's anything that the 750Li doesn't offer. To be honest, we wouldn't be surprised if, for the next iteration of this car, BMW would fit it with an excellent business phone service (read more), complete with unlimited inbound and local calling and voicemail to email features.
Author Bio
Monique Jones is an Engineer who deals with telephone systems. Besides being an Engineer, she also works as a part time writer. She helps her colleagues and other people about their communication issues, giving effective solutions to address their needs.
I love the audi 8 but I sometimes have trouble finding a audi service center. Las Vegas has a few that I have been able to get to.