2016 STP 500 Martinsville Speedway: "Drivers, start your engines!"
Gentlemen, start your engines and put your feet up.
Germany gives us car 150 mph developed for the autobahn, and Japan gives car with great fit and finish because Japanese consumers are so picky But the Detroit snow gives cars with remote start.
The term Detroit gets abused in both the automotive press - with Chrysler and GM going bankrupt and all - you can sometimes forget that Detroit has many good ideas, too.
Remote start allows you to press a button on your key chain to start your engine and preheat or pre-cool the interior without having to go outside that winter is over, GM, Chrysler and Ford F recently made separate press releases promoting the fact that they sell far more remote start options Note, Chrysler picture has a hand that's not to wear a glove that is something you do not see too often in Detroit in winter.
Chrysler Remote-start says is now available in nearly 90 percent of its Jeep Chrysler and Dodge products In 2009, remote start sales for its Mopar parts division are about 25 000 units that doesn his t much, but it Sá increase of 20 percent for the year.
Ford said its remote start commands factory installed are up 40 percent this year, although that, too, starts from a relatively small number Previously, remote start is a dealer installed option, the company said.
The forces of environmental political correctness can say that the gas remote start waste, and I have no ready answer to this, however, Ford says remote actually cut down on emissions by preheating of the catalytic converter company said that a car a cold catalytic converter produces an extremely disproportionate amount of emissions, the first time the driver steps on the gas.
Other automakers producing regions around the world have been popularized remote start, but it is a particularly attractive feature in Detroit, I was working in New York for the Detroit-based Automotive News long time, and it features lots trips to Detroit it looks like he was always there to be zero degrees or 100 degrees in the shade, with nothing in between.
It is obvious if you'd rather slip into a hot car with the windows already thawed, or trying to scrape the windshield with a credit card before your nose, lips and eyeballs gel closure.
To coin a phrase, necessity is the mother of invention.
Photo 2009 Chrysler CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved.
Gentlemen RemoteStart your engines and CBS News Relax, Gentlemen, your motors, new.