Saturday, November 20, 2004
Some are innovative; others are just plain odd.
KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
LAS VEGAS -- Parts is parts is the old joke about chicken, but when the automotive after-market world gathers for its annual trade show, every shock absorber and lighted spoiler gets its own press release.
Here are some of the new car products that stood out as innovative or just plain odd at the recent Specialty Equipment Market Association show:
USpray-in or drop-in composite bedliners do protect a pickup truck's cargo bed, but the BedRug bedliner by Wise Industries does more. It looks like a form-fitting carpet. It's water- and stain-resistant. It's made of polypropylene foam with polypropylene fiber, which means it provides a more comfortable surface for sleeping and helps keeps golf clubs and other cargo from sliding around. It can be cleaned with a hose or pressure washer. Information: www.bedrug.com or (800) 462-8435.
UCertainly a specialty item, the trailers from the Second Trunk Trailers of Bend, Ore., are both eye-catching and useful. Made of fiberglass, they match the design of the "first trunk" of your premium midsize sedan. The company claims it can match the styling as well as paint color and rims and tires of your car. The company's display vehicle is a nice silver Audi, and the trailer matches its upscale look. The company says it will produce new models that match convertibles and roadsters next spring and ones that match SUVs next summer. Information: www.secondtrunktrailers.com.
UThe back-up camera systems by HitchCam of Commerce, Calif., got strong reviews in a recent issue of Consumer Reports. Its system for a Hummer H2 mounts atop the rear liftgate of that vehicle in place of a marker light. The kit includes the swivel-mounted color camera, a 3.5-inch LCD monitor and the appropriate wires. Systems for other vehicles are available. The company quotes the Kids and Cars organization that 2,700 children are treated in emergency rooms and 91 died in 2003 after being hit by a vehicle that was backing up. Information: www.hitchcam.com or (800) 924-HITCH.
UWhile Sony's Gran Turismo 4 isn't a real auto product, it does contain the kind of cars that fill the floor at SEMA. The company handed out awards to specialty cars, and one from the 2003 SEMA show, a 1962 Buick Special, will be included in GT4. In all, the PlayStation2 game includes 650 cars and 100 driving courses. It goes on sale in December with a suggested price of $49.99.
UPet products continue to be popular, as some folks can't live without their pooch in their Porsche. The Pet Stow-Away from Global Pet Products of Winston-Salem, N.C., is a neat solution for road trips. It's a car seat that accommodates pets up to 18 pounds. It's soft with a mesh front. It lifts a pet 10 inches higher than seat level so he or she can see what's going on. It folds open into a bed, and it packs up as a suitcase. The suggested price is $89. Information: www.globalpetproducts.com or (877) 768-2059.
UThe popularity of in-car navigation systems continues to rise, and Thales Navigation of Santa Clara, Calif., has just released a more affordable version. The Magellan RoadMate 300 has a suggested price of $699, compared with $1,299 for the RoadMate 700. The savings comes with the use of an optional SD card for storing map data. (The RoadMate 700 has maps preloaded on its hard drive.) The maker says the RoadMate 300's 80 MB of map-storing capability is enough for several small cities or the entire state of Florida. (Major U.S. roads and highways are preloaded on the 300.) It provides turn-by-turn text and voice directions, and goes on sale in late November. Information: www.magellangps.com.
UAnother hot trend is satellite radio, and companies are rushing to provide more in-car and out-of-car choices for those who sign up for XM or Sirius service. Delphi exhibited its new Delphi MyFi product at SEMA. About the size of cellular phone or PDA, the MyFi is portable. It can be carried for personal use, or plugged in to use at home or in the car. And it can store up to five hours of XM programming. It'll sell for about $350. Delphi also showed off its new XM SKYFi2, which saves 30 minutes of satellite-radio programming from multiple channels. Listeners can pause programming, too, and listen to it within 30 minutes.