Section B December 23-29, 2009
SHOP TALK
Gadget to deter
GPS thieves
Can you imagine dishing out $200 or $300 bucks
on a portable GPS, only to have somebody break into
your car to steal it?
Well, chances are pretty high that if you own one,
you could fall victim to it.
The high-tech mapping devices along with laptops
and iPods are now among the biggest targets for
thieves with the increase in sales of portable gadgets.
According to published reports, some 5.8 million
personal navigation devices were sold in the U.S. in
2007. And from April 2007 to April 2008, more than
31,000 portable navigation devices were reported
stolen in the U.S.
Even scarier are reports that thieves are now using
stolen GPS systems to track where people live to break
in their houses.
THE NEW DODGE Ram Heavy Duty features a few unique styling cues when compared to the light truck model. – A.J. Mueller Photography
MapLock
Hoping to help GPS buyers get a grip on those
thefts (literally), Who-Rae, an Australian company that
manufactures a number of consumer products, has de-
veloped Maplock -- a security device that latches onto a
GPS unit and cables it to the steering wheel.
The Melbourne-based Who-Rae suggests that suc-
tion cup marks or empty mounts left on the windshield
are signs that criminals look for, so even if a GPS is
removed from the car, thieves will cause expensive
damage looking for it.
Much as the Club, which locks on the steering
wheel to prevent your car from getting stolen, if pressed
would-be thieves could possibly use a pair of cable- New Dodge Ram Heavy Duty stakes its claim in world of trucks
cutters to snatch a GPS. But they’ll have to put in a lot
more work to cash in on the steal and chances are the
bright green MapLock would make them think twice Appeal not limited
about picking your vehicle. The device hooks onto
your GPS while tethering it to your steering wheel, help-
to ‘work’ rig
ing deter future thefts.
By Marcus Amick
“This is where prevention is better than cure comes
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
in,” note Who-Rae officials. It’s available at a number of
national retailers.
There’s just something about a nice big
pick-up right?
The view of the road, the
street presence, the feeling
you get sitting behind the
wheel. Yeah, I know — in
this day of hybrids and fuel
economy it’s become sort of
taboo to talk about trucks
unless you’re towing or haul-
ing something.
Marcus Amick
Even with the advances in
engine technology that allows
for better gas mileage, the idea of “big trucks”
and “going green” will probably never jell. Still,
even though you might not have a need for
BMW X6 Hybrid
one, most
can still ap-
hits dealerships
preciate a
truck when
behind the
The new BMW ActiveHybrid X6 rolled out
wheel or
THE INTERIOR of the 2010 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty features a number of premium details like
earlier this month, setting a new benchmark
as a passenger. There’s just a feeling you get
for the idea of conserving fuel.
when in one that you never get in a small car
soft-feel door bolsters and armrests and one-piece molded door panels.
or even a crossover. commodate cooling requirements for the avail-
STEP UP
The high-performance crossover, dubbed
the world’s first “Sports Activity Coupé” with
Sure, depending on your ideas about “going
able 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel engine
full hybrid drive, features a combination of a
green,” you might deny it publicly. But a nice
available, the new 2010 Ram Heavy Duty grille
One of the most impressive features of the
2010 Ram Heavy Duty, however, is the truck’s
V8 gasoline engine and electric drive.
big truck can be very appealing. It’s an appeal
opening is larger than the light-duty grille.
all-new refined interior, which you quickly
that Dodge has gone to great lengths to build You know that big rig look of the Ram, which
come to appreciate as a driver or passenger the
The hybrid X6 reduces fuel consumption
on with the new 2010 Ram Heavy Duty with has always been one of the truck’s draws in
minute you settle in for the ride.
and emissions by approximately 20 percent
everything from the truck’s styling to its per- rural areas as well as the city? Well, with the
compared to the combustion engine. The tech-
formance capabilities, which is why it’s pulled Ram’s more aggressive styling cues, that look’s
Interior appointments include soft-feel door
nology features three different drive modes
in so many awards including Motor Trend mag- a whole lot bigger on the Heavy Duty.
bolsters and armrests and one-piece molded
— electric power alone, use of the combus-
azine’s coveted Truck of the Year honors this
door panels. Seats now have improved power
tion engine, or the combination of both drive
year.
Available in a regular cab, crew cab or mega lumbar and lateral support. Other available
modes.
cab, the truck can be pretty intimidating on the features include two-tone upholstery with
BIG RIG APPEAL road. Love the look of the dually on the 3500.
full-width contrasting stitching on the instru-
Driving completely free of CO2 in the elec-
tric mode is possible up to a speed of 37 mph.
The new Ram Heavy Duty features many
ment panel; premium seating with heat and
The combus-
of the same exterior styling cues as the new
Join Marcus Amick on test drives
ventilation; heated rear seats, heated steering
and events at Twitter
tion engine
Ram, which was redesigned in 2008. But to ac- (http://twitter.com/MarcusAmick).
IN
See Ram Heavy Duty page B-2
then cuts in
THE
GREEN as required,
as a function
of load conditions, notes BMW, and is auto-
matically switched off when driving in overrun
at a speed of less than 40 mph.
While driving electrically, the BMW Active-
Hybrid X6 retains all its safety and comfort
functions. The brakes remain fully operative
thanks to electric vacuum supply and don’t re-
quire the combustion engine to develop their
full effect. The same applies to the Electronic
Power Steering, with steering assistance being
generated on demand by an electric motor.
The X6 hybrid features a high-performance
battery pack comes with its own liquid cooling
system incorporating a heat exchanger to cool
the battery pack through the flow of air from
the outside and, additionally, through a cool-
ing circuit from the air conditioning system.
Even the air conditioning remains fully
available without any restrictions, running
efficiently on an electrically operated air-con- SHOW ’EM WHAT YOU GOT
ditioning compressor. Since the battery pack
supplies the electric power to the 12-volt on-
Got a cool car or just love the one that you drive?
board network through a voltage converter, all E-mail us your best photo of you with your vehicle
other systems such as the lights, infotainment,
and it just might be featured in the MY WHEELS sec-
and safety systems remain fully functional.
tion. E-mail the photo along with your first and last
The drive system featured in the BMW Ac-
name, the city and state where
MY
tiveHybrid X6 consists of a 407 hp V8 power
unit with BMW’s twin power turbo technology
you live, and a telephone number
and two electric motors. Peak torque is 575 where you can be reached to
lb-ft.
MYWHEELS@wheelside.com.
See BMW X6 page B-2
WHEELS
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