Welcome to Must Read, where we single out the best stories from around the automotive universe and beyond. Today, we have reports from Wired, Road & Track and Digg.
The Robot Car of Tomorrow May Just Be Programmed to Hit You – Wired
Comforting.
In previous years, robot cars have been quarantined largely to highway or freeway environments. This is a relatively simple environment, in that drivers don't need to worry so much about pedestrians and the countless surprises in city driving. But Google recently announced that it has taken the next step in testing its automated car in exactly city streets. As their operating environment becomes more dynamic and dangerous, robot cars will confront harder choices, be it running into objects or even people.
The rise, fall, and rise again of Honda engineering – Road & Track
You'd be right in assuming there's very little interesting going on at Honda and Acura these days. As I gathered from the Acura TLX reveal last month, there's a technically fascinating car dressed in a truly forgettable outfit. R&T's Jason Cammisa uses the RLX Sport Hybrid as the example here, but with a similar point.
Instead of abandoning the all-wheel-drive system, Honda reinvented it. The all-wheel-drive RLX Sport Hybrid model has one electric motor for each rear wheel, with the key being that each motor can operate independently. Imagine a car's right rear wheel being propelled forward while the left rear wheel tries to turn backward; the car would veer to the left. This is the essence of torque vectoring, and it makes big cars feel supernaturally agile. The RLX accomplishes the job purely with electric motors. (Fun fact: Even the million-dollar Porsche 918 can't do this; that car uses a single electric drive motor for both front wheels.)
How To Dispose Of Everything – Digg
Good advice.
Do NOT recycle a condom. In any way. Like, not for a second sex act or with your commingled plastic recycling. Condoms should be wrapped in a tissue and thrown out with your normal trash.
Then you should cuddle. And make waffles. And be cool around their friends.
Photo: Getty Images