As bright as the past of Chevrolet was, the future could be much brighter. The dream of the flying car from the '50s and '60s isn't likely to appear on the immediate horizon. What is realistically on the radar screen however, is an exciting array of some of the most awesome technological advances ever applied to our favorite mode of transportation.
Today's Internet is much like the early days of the automobile: Many companies, struggling to get a piece of the pie. Some will succeed, many more will fail. Like the automobile, the Internet is changing nearly every aspect of daily life and is already being integrated into tomorrow's vehicles. Cadillac will be one of the first to offer the ability to check, read, and reply to email, get directions from a Global Positioning System (GPS) and answer and initiate phone calls-all via a hands-free system called Virtual Advisor-and while motoring down the road. XM Satellite radio, offering your favorite tunes from coast-to-coast without interruption, will be available on vehicles next year. Global Positing Systems already allow drivers to see exactly where they are at any moment and help determine the best route from point A to point B. The advances will make your car nearly as convenient as your home or office. And most importantly, the male population won't have to ask for directions (not that we ever did before).
The systems being integrated into the Cadillac aren't the only possibilities for high-tech connectability. Many of the concept cars GM has introduced have included built-in computers or docking stations for portable PCs. Soon drivers will be able to check theater schedules and buy tickets on the road. Some day in the not-too-distant future you'll probably be able to download the menu for your favorite fast food joint, send your order, pay for it online with a credit card, then pull up just in time to literally grab it and go.
Smart cars have already been tested in Southern California. These vehicles are equipped with an array of sensors and can drive themselves down the freeway. By reading sensors mounted in the road as well as sensors that tell the car how close other vehicles are, the car cruises down the road without any assistance from the driver. Those who have tested the vehicles say it can be a pretty boring ride-and a little scary.
Powerplants will also become much more high-tech in the future. In the past, power was achieved by dumping as much fuel and air into the combustion chamber as you could. Engines are already being designed to work more efficiently. A perfect case-in-point is the new LS6 small-block, which produces 385 horsepower and gets better fuel mileage in the C5 Corvette than the previous 320-horse LS1.
It may sound strange for a die-hard performance enthusiast to talk about fuel mileage, but why not? There's no denying that cars must be efficient to survive. Recently, this writer talked to a member of the GM Performance Parts staff who shared that he has been slicing Vortech cylinder heads like loafs of bread in hopes finding more power. If new technology is combined with the desire to go fast and the byproduct is more power and better mileage than in engines of the past, then we're all for it!
According to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), by the year 2010, 25-35 percent of light-duty vehicles will have 42-volt electrical systems as opposed to the current 12-14 volt systems. Our guess is that this will increase fuel efficiency much the same as an aftermarket ignition system does (by producing a hotter spark and more thorough combustion).