Sit Back And Watch A Ferrari Crash Into 2 Other Ferraris

by Gabrielle DeSantis

You can rest assured that when you see an exotic car it is likely an accident waiting to happen. Not all drivers of supercars like these three Ferraris lack the talent and brains to drive them. It just seems like that when you see a Ferrari crash like this one from Philly. They were on their way to the CF Charities Supercar Show when their driving talents and smarts got exposed for what they are; lacking.

Two Ferrari 488s and a 488 Pista crash because they could

The three Ferraris involved are a 488 Pista and two 488s according to @SaintLamont_. He used his phone to capture the footage while riding shotgun in a car traveling at excessive speeds itself. The CF Charities show pulls in enthusiasts from the east to help raise money for a number of education groups. 

According to @SaintLamont_ many of the participants drive to the event in small groups so as to make a grand entrance into the show together. The video is notable for capturing the array of exotics including a Porsche GT3 RS and numerous Vipers. A lot of them are traveling too fast. 

Potholes and uneven surfaces can be tricky for Ferraris and other exotics

Three Ferraris crash | Twitter

You quickly notice exotics twitching and then two 488s end up crashing. A poster comments that this section of the highway shows that either politicians or maintenance crews aren’t doing their jobs. Or both. This section of Keystone State highway is filled with potholes and uneven surfaces. 

That can be a recipe for disaster with stiff-suspended exotics like these flinging around the tarmac. Which was definitely true in this case. One Ferrari loses traction sliding into the 488. It springboards off of the Ferrari and smacks into a different Ferrari 488 Pista in the process. 

It’s a death dance of the stupid

Three Ferraris crash in Philidelphia
Three Ferraris crash | Twitter

Soon all of the cars involved do a death dance before the car the poster is in stops just behind the Ferrari carnage. How this didn’t turn into a battle royal of dumb Ferrari owners we’ll never know. Mostly, what we’d like to say about this incident we won’t. 

All of the participants involved in this crash we’re sure are fine. But it does serve as a reminder that not all Ferrari drivers are invested enough in their Italian supercars. Instead, they are but another toy to navigate under conditions not suitable enough for their marginal talents.

RELATED: A $1.5 Million Ferrari F40 With No Insurance Totaled On Final Drive Before It Sold

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Toyota and Lexus Are Finally Catching up to Tesla in Level 2

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Toyota and Lexus make some of the best cars on the market, and they’re getting even better. But despite their lauded safety and reliability, they’re not usually known for being as high-tech as Tesla’s EVs. However, after an upgrade, Toyota and Lexus are catching up to Tesla in semiautonomous driving technology.

What is Level 2 anyway?

In the world of autonomous cars, there’s no such thing as a truly self-driving vehicle yet. Although many companies are experimenting, developing, or even advertising cars as self-driving, that’s not the reality. This is because there are six levels of automation. Level 0 is the first level, and it means no automation, which is just regular driving.

Each level afterward indicates a car is more capable of self-driving than the prior level. So, for example, a fully self-driving car would be Level 5. But unfortunately, cars for sale in the United States have hit only Level 2 thus far. 

Though Level 2 seems like a low level compared to what’s possible, cars capable of Level 2 today are generally impressive. And so far in America, only two automakers are selling cars capable of Level 2 — Tesla and General Motors — according to MotorTrend.

A look at Toyota’s competition

By now, many folks may have heard of the controversy surrounding Tesla’s Autopilot. Unfortunately, many people mistakenly assume Tesla EVs are fully self-driving. However, Autopilot, like any other Level 2 semiautonomous driving tech, requires the driver’s attention. Without that, allowing Autopilot to drive the Tesla can be hazardous.

But Autopilot and GM’s Super Cruise are highly advanced technology systems. When used properly, they can do intelligent things like steer the car, accelerate and decelerate, and navigate certain highways without needing a driver’s hands on the wheel or feet on the pedals. 

There are some differences between Autopilot and Super Cruise, though. Namely, Super Cruise uses lidar — light detection and ranging, an advanced scanning technology — to gauge distance. On the other hand, Autopilot uses a less expensive form of scanning technology. It uses cameras and radar, but soon it will use only advanced cameras through something the EV maker calls Tesla Vision.

How Toyota and Lexus are finally catching up to Tesla

That said, Toyota and its luxury brand, Lexus, have finally joined the Level 2 club since the automaker has equipped two models with the technology. It’s in the newest Toyota Mirai and Lexus LS in Japan. This tech upgrade will be available stateside, too, but only in the LS. MotorTrend reports that Toyota will bring the newest version of the LS to America this fall. 

The LS will be equipped with Lexus Teammate, and like other Level 2 tech, Teammate will use advanced sensors and software to drive the car hands-free. But again, Toyota isn’t trying to trick anyone here: The automaker made sure to mention that drivers will still need to pay attention while using Teammate. 

In fact, a camera will monitor drivers and detect if they aren’t paying attention, MotorTrend reports. If a driver doesn’t respond to alerts in a certain amount of time, Teammate will safely stop the car, turn the hazard lights on, contact emergency services, and unlock the doors. Plus, like Tesla Autopilot, Teammate will get over-the-air updates, which may help improve its functionality.

RELATED: Lexus Dropped the Ball on the 2020 LS

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How Do Heated, Cooled, and Ventilated Seats Work?

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Your car is a space you hope to be as comfortable as possible while driving. But sometimes, the HVAC system doesn’t do enough to keep you feeling the right temperature. That’s where heated, cooled, and ventilated seats come in. These luxurious features are becoming more common in cars. Here’s how they work.

How heated seats work

Heated seats contain a heating element located between the seat cushion and upholstery. An electric current runs through the heating element when the heated seat is turned on, making the seat feel warm, Toyota explains.

This feature is more common than cooled or ventilated seats. Some cars even include memory settings for how you like the seats to be heated or cooled, AutoNation Drive reports.

How cooled seats work

Regular air conditioning reduces a car’s fuel efficiency, HowStuffWorks reports. A more environmentally friendly option is to air condition the seats instead. This option blows cooled air on the occupant rather than trying to cool the car’s entire cabin.

Though ways to cool seats differ, the most common method uses several fans inside the seat to circulate air through a layer of material that diffuses the air, which then blows out through the perforated or mesh upholstery. The air blowing out of the fans might or might not be refrigerated.

Refrigerated air comes either from a cooling element in the seat or the car’s larger air-conditioning system. A gas in a closed loop is compressed and then condensed to cool into a liquid to refrigerate the air. The liquid then goes through an expansion valve, turning back into a gas and cooling further. Air passes the cold closed loop and is also cooled. The gas used to be chlorofluorocarbon (aka Freon) but is now generally hydrofluorocarbon HFC-134a.

In some cars, the cooled seats can be turned on remotely, making getting into the car on a burning-hot day much nicer. Cooled seats are also easy for drivers and passengers to adjust to their own comfort levels. Plus, it feels nice on a hot day to have cold air blowing directly on you.

How ventilated seats work

Chevrolet explains that cooled and ventilated seats help cool you, but ventilated seats don’t use refrigerated air. Ventilated seats also have little fans and ducts inside the seat cushion and backrest. Some systems suck air into the seat, and others have fans to blow air from the seat toward the occupant. The air passes through the seat through small perforations in the upholstery

You can turn the feature for cooled or ventilated seats on and off, and you can adjust the force of the air too. Some Chevrolet models have a feature where the ventilated seats turn on when the remote start is used if the outside temperature is hot. Once the car is on, the ventilated seats turn off. Other Chevrolet models can be set to auto, where the ventilated seats turn on when the cabin temperature reaches a level the driver set.

Having ventilated or cooled seats can make the car more comfortable after sitting in the summer sun. Ventilated seats still help occupants cool even though the air isn’t refrigerated. Without any air circulation, sitting on a car seat prevents the parts of your body touching the seat from regulating temperature well and can make you feel hotter or sweaty. Circulating the air in the seat helps draw heat away from the body, allowing perspiration to work as usual.

Heated, cooled, and/or ventilated seats are useful comfort features. But don’t despair if your car doesn’t have them. You can buy air-conditioned seat cushions that plug into your car’s electrical system.

RELATED: Do You Need to Warm Up Your Car Before Driving It?

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United Airlines Planes To Reach Supersonic Speeds

by Gabrielle DeSantis

Have you ever dreamed of flying at supersonic speeds? You just might get the chance – in a few years, anyway. Supersonic United Airlines planes are about to be the fastest EV, according to an announcement made on June 3, 2021. The supersonic plane suite will come from Boom Supersonic, an aerospace company out of Denver, Colorado. Boom’s commercial line of supersonic planes are called Overture. They will soon be part of United Airlines stock of planes.

United Airlines plane | United

Where will the supersonic planes come from?

A white airplane with the word United printed on the side in blue.
United Airlines plane | United Airlines

United Airlines is going to purchase 15 supersonic planes from Boom, according to NBC News. The Overture airplanes are set to be net-zero carbon. One of the ways that Boom’s Overture planes will be net-zero carbon will be by running on 100% sustainable aviation fuel. Boom Sonic founder and CEO Blake Scholl said, “The world’s first purchase agreement for net-zero carbon supersonic aircraft marks a significant step toward our mission to create a more accessible world.”

Before United Airlines completes the purchase, the Overture planes must first meet safety, operational and sustainability requirements as required by United Airlines. There is an option for United to purchase 35 more of Boom’s Overture planes. The planes will be 205 feet long and hold anywhere from 65 to 88 passengers.

How fast will the supersonic planes be?

A United Airlines plane sitting on the tarmac.
United Airlines plane | United Airlines

The supersonic planes will be capable of flying at speeds up to Mach 1.7. This is twice the speed of the fastest airplanes currently flying. United says that they’ll be able to fly from Newark to London in three and a half hours, and San Francisco to Tokyo in six hours. This will allow for people to take “longer, more relaxing vacations to far-off destinations,” said Scholl.

When can people fly in the supersonic planes?

The luxurious interior of an airplane.
An image representing a United Airlines supersonic plane interior | United Airlines

The supersonic planes should be ready by 2025, though they won’t fly with people in them quite yet. This is probably good, as people might not want to jump on a plane traveling twice as fast as regular planes without some sort of trial period.

The supersonic planes will be able to fly in 2026, though they still won’t be able to have passengers in them until 2029. United CEO Scott Kirby said, “United continues on its trajectory to build a more innovative, sustainable airline and today’s advancements in technology are making it more viable for that to include supersonic planes.”

Another aspect of the agreement between United Airlines and Boom Supersonic is that they will collaborate to produce sustainable aviation fuel at greater quantities, faster. If other airlines begin using sustainable fuel, it could have massive environmental benefits. 

The supersonic planes should be super comfortable, too. Passengers excited at the prospect of flying at supersonic speeds will certainly want to do so in luxury. The Overture planes will have in-seat infotainment screens and cutting edge technology. United Airlines says that there will be plenty of passenger space, which is always at a premium on flights. 

RELATED: Virtual Mirrors Are a Thing in the UK; Why Not the US?

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