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Section B

SHOP TALK

SHOP TALK

those cables? Scared of

Have you ever found yourself in a

situation where your car battery dies, you pop the hood, go digging in the trunk to pull out the jumper cables, look at the battery and think, “Now, which end goes where?”

Go ahead, admit it. We’ve all done

it at least once where you get that really worried feeling, afraid that you might blow something up in the car or damage the battery altogether trying to connect the cables. Virtually everybody who owns a car has been there at some point.

Figuring out that whole positive and

negative terminal thing with jumper cables can be as stress- ful as trying to crack that big math test in high school without studying.

Well, Michelin is looking to ease

some of that stress with its “Smart Jumper Cable.” Instead of the usual color-coded clamps for the battery’s positive and negative terminals, the cables are all Michelin blue. Halfway down the cable is a box of electronic smarts.

To use, just put one clamp on the

positive terminal of the battery and the other on any piece of bare metal and the electronics will detect whether you’ve made a complete circuit and illuminate an LED on the central box. When the second battery is connected, the electronics automatically determine the polarity and switch it as needed.

Cost? About $30 to $40.

THE NEW 2011

Infiniti M features a more aggressive exterior design.

– Marcus Amick photos

‘The Revival ’

Infiniti M strikes back big with 2011 model

By Marcus Amick

SPECIAL TO THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE

Yep. There’s no doubt now that when Infiniti launched the previous

Infiniti M sedan, they missed the mark. Even the Infiniti team will tell you that. Likely

off the record (no official quotes), but they rec- ognize that the old M didn’t quite live up to their expectations in the market place.

Not that it wasn’t a nice sedan because it was

in just about every area you’d want a luxury ride to be. In fact, I raved over the previous M when it launched as a breath of fresh air to the “usual” when it comes to luxury cars.

Marcus Amick General Motors EN-V

THE

A step into the future

INGREEN

Looking toward 2030 when

urban areas are expected to be home to more than 60 percent of the world’s 8 billion people, GM is toying with an idea that could be the next mode of personal mobil- ity.

With its strategic partner, Shang-

hai Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC), GM is exploring sev- eral solutions for tomorrow’s driv- ers, including a new vehicle form called EN-V.

EN-V, which is short for Electric

Networked-Vehicle, is a two-seat electric vehicle that is designed to alleviate concerns surrounding traffic congestion, parking avail- ability, air quality and affordability for tomorrow’s cities.

Unveiled in Shanghai, the con-

cepts will be showcased from May 1 through Oct. 31 at the SAIC- GM Pavilion at World Expo 2010 Shanghai. Shanghai is expected to become one of the epicenters for the establishment of personal mo- bility solutions for the future.

“EN-V reinvents the automo-

bile by creating a new vehicle DNA through the convergence of electri- fication and connectivity. It pro- vides an ideal solution for urban mobility that enables future driving to be free from petroleum and emis- sions, free from congestion and ac- cidents, and more fun and fashion- able than ever before,” said Kevin Wale, president and managing di- rector of the GM China Group.

EN-V is propelled by electric

motors in each of its two driving- mode wheels. Dynamic stabiliza- tion technology empowers EN-V, giving it the unique ability to carry two passengers and light cargo in a footprint that’s about a third of a traditional vehicle.

It can literally “turn on a dime”

within its own operating envelope. In addition, everything in EN-

V is drive-by-wire, supporting its ability to operate autonomously or under manual control. The motors

See In the Green page B-2

Favorite Car Color? “Black. I just like black cars. It’s got that stealth look.”

Music Playlist? “Jazz with some John Coltrane, R&B with some Teddy Pendergrass and Jay-Z for hip-hop.”

Speed or Luxury? “Speed. Why drive is you can’t go fast? I practice safety first, though. I go to Midland to test and tune.”

Dream Car? “Brand new Corvette, midnight blue.”

Driver: Larry (“Leaping Larry”) Dilworth

When not driving? Major advocate for people with disabilities. Works with WOW (Warriors On Wheels), an advocacy group for people with disabilities. Attends a lot of car shows and is a retired photographer.

Vehicle(s)? 2004 Honda Civic EX with Lamborghini doors.

First Ride? “When I graduated from Northwestern High School in 1964, my dad bought me a1965 Plymouth Sport Furry. I remember that 388 engine. It was sharp. I wish I had it now. But my favorite car I ever owned was a 1965 Ford T-Bird with the droptop that went all the way down into the trunk.”

WHAT YOU GOT

Got a cool car or just love the one that you drive? E-mail us your best photo of you with your vehicle and it just might be featured in theMY WHEELS sec- tion. E-mail the photo along with your first and last name, the city and state where you live, and a telephone number where you can be reached to

MYWHEELS@ wheelside.com.

SHOW ’EM

Trouble is, the old M just didn’t have that “wow” factor to distinguish it in the highly com-

petitive luxury segment to entice buyers to get in. You recognized it when you saw it, but it was kinda...just

there. There really wasn’t

anything about the design that was all that different from everything else on the road in the luxury seg- ment. Well, aside from that Infiniti badge, which if you’re in the market for a luxury sedan might not be enough to steer you away from brands like Mercedes-Benz or Lexus.

SHE’S GOT THE LOOK

Clearly, Infiniti’s learned from its mistakes because the new

2011 M has just about as much of that “wow” factor you can pack in a luxury sedan.

It all starts with a striking new exterior design, which makes it

hard not to want to peek inside even if you’re not a fan of Infiniti. The 2011 model features some of the styling cues in the new G37 sedan – just in a much more bolder way than its smaller sibling.

Case in point: The guy who stopped me during my test drive and

asked if he could take a picture of the car. “I wanted to send it to my wife,” he said. “She’s looking to buy a new car. This is hot.”

Building on some of the design elements of the previous M with

it long, low hood and high rear deck, the new M stands longer, wider and lower than the previous model, which gives it a sportier

See Infiniti M page B-2

Join Marcus Amick on test drives and events at Twitter (http://twitter.com/MarcusAmick).

Infiniti M

March 31 - April 6, 2010

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