Mitsubishi was one of the first manufacturers to offer a differential that could be electronically controlled. The system was called Active Yaw Control and was available on its high performance Evolution model in the late 1990s.
If equipped on both the front and rear axles of an all-wheel drive car, these sophisticated differentials can direct the vehicle's torque to any wheel in any amount at any moment. That not only improves handling when the driver is pushing hard, but also improves the around town drivability and traction in foul weather, without any drawbacks.
9.Dual Clutch Transmission, 2003
Basically, advanced dual clutch transmissions (DCT) offer the benefits of a traditional automatic transmission with none of the drawbacks. On a six-speed DCT gearbox, for instance, one clutch shifts the odd gears (1, 3 and 5) and the other one handles even gears (2, 4 and 6). The twin clutches allow the driver to shift gears seamlessly with incredible speed. The result is something as easy to use as an automatic but with quicker shifts than a manual.
Dual clutch transmissions have been used in racing since the 1980s. Volkswagen was the first to popularize the transmission and democratize its use in relatively pedestrian cars. VW's dual clutch transmission, called DSG, was launched in mainstream performance vehicles like the GTI in 2003.
8.Advanced Turbocharging Goes Mainstream, 2008
Turbos have been used on production cars since the 1960s. These compressors, driven by the vehicle's exhaust gasses, force more air into the cylinders. When combined with more fuel, that results in more power. Turbos can make a small engine perform like a much larger one.
Both GM and Ford introduced small turbocharged engines in the 2008-2009 timeframe that signaled the tech had matured enough to install in the company's least-expensive cars. Now automakers could use smaller, more efficient turbo engines and retain (or even exceed) the power levels of larger engines. Today, nearly every manufacturer has downsized its engines to smaller turbocharged ones with a boost in performance and fuel economy
7.Mandatory Tire Pressure Monitoring, 2000
It's no coincidence that we see far fewer cars parked on the side of the road with a flat tire these days? Big improvements in tire technology had a lot to do with it, and run-flat tires have enjoyed a spike in popularity over the past two decades. But the standardization of tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) in cars means that owners are warned about their under-inflated tires before real trouble happens.
There are two types of systems. Indirect TPMS uses the anti-lock braking system and wheel speed sensors to notice if tires are spinning faster than they should, indicating reduced air pressure. A light illuminates when the tire is 25 percent below a pressure threshold. Direct TPMS is far more accurate and uses pressure sensors inside each wheel to measure tire pressure and send it to your vehicle's information center.
The first TPMS was available on the Porsche 959 supercar in the late 1980s. But it took new laws, sparked by outrage over the Firestone/Ford Explorer rollovers of the 1990s.
6.Rear View Backup Camera, 2002
Until the early 2000s, the only ways to know what was happening behind your car as you backed out of the driveway were to look at your trusty mirrors or to crane your neck and look out the rear windshield. Neither approach could cover the area directly behind the car, putting children and pets at risk. In 2002, Infiniti launched a lifesaver with the first backup camera available in the new Q45. With a camera mounted below the trunk lid and a monitor in the dash, these early systems saved lives and made parking far easier for thousands of car owners. Later in the decade, Nissan introduced its Around View Monitor, which used multiple cameras to produce a 360-degree perimeter picture of the area around the car. Some of the best systems, like the one in the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class, even provide enough detail to spot a curb on the side of the car when parking.
5.Radar-Based Cruise Control, 1999
Lots of little innovations paved the way for the self-driving car future we've been promised. Take the radar cruise control systems that began to arrive in the early 2000s. Where older cruise control systems could maintain the car's speed, these new ones could also maintain a safe distance to the car in front without driver intervention, even if that car changes its speed. Mercedes-Benz was one of the first to debut this tech when Distronic launched in the 2000 S-Class.
As the technology has advanced, it has gotten more ambitious. On many vehicles, the tech behind this same radar system is used in collision avoidance systems that warn a driver they're in danger, apply full brake power automatically, or both. Mercedes-Benz added the ability to steer just three years ago, and last year Tesla enabled its somewhat controversial Autopilot with fully autonomous control. Someday in the future, when your car really does all the driving, remember that it all started with a relatively small improvement in cruise control.
4.Airbags Everywhere, 1998
Airbags have saved tens of thousands of people since then, and the success of driver and passenger bags lead to a proliferation of airbags around the cabin. Today, even a humble compact sedan has driver and passenger airbags in addition to side-impact airbags and side curtain airbags that trigger in the event of a rollover.
3.GPS Satellite Navigation, 2000
Automakers began to offer navigation systems that relied at least partially on Global Positioning System satellites in the mid-to-late 1990s. Oldsmobile was the first in the U.S, with Guidestar in 1995, but the U.S. government deliberately degraded the signals given to Guidestar. In 2000, the true precision of GPS came to civilians, and soon after, automakers began developing and installing systems in new luxury vehicles like the BMW 7-Series. It wasn't long before the aftermarket for portable GPS units exploded with new dash-top units. These systems work so well and are so convenient
that paper maps have basically disappeared from vehicle glove boxes
2.Stability Control, 1995
Electronic stability control (ESC), which helps correct a skid if your car begins to slide, was the final step in a technical progression that began with anti-lock brakes in the 1970s and 1980s.
No drive train advancement has improved fuel economy more dramatically than the hybrid-electric power train, and today hybrids are so common that it's hard to imagine a time before them. In fact, they're just now old enough to vote.
Toyota was the first to market with a mass-produced hybrid in the form of the 1998 Prius. It combined a dinky 1.5-liter gas engine with an electric motor and nickel-metal hydride battery pack. Not many embraced the tech early on, but the idea was revolutionary and changed the face of the car industry—nearly every automaker has a hybrid or plug-in hybrid in the lineup.
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