From the July 2015 issue
Our Gearbox section was formalized in 2008, but we’ve been doing reviews of automotive accessories and upgrades since the Sports Cars Illustrated days. The progress that’s taken place over our 60-year history hasn’t spared the gadget, and we’ve occasionally been there to chronicle in-car technology’s relentless march forward (or backward). Here are some of the automotive breakthroughs we’ve held in our hot little hands.
A.L.E.R.T. J3AD Breathalyzer, March 1978
What It Is: Electronic breathalyzer.
What We Said Then: “When you consider the grief . . . that this device can forestall, it may be one of the most humanitarian developments of the electronic age.”
What We Say Now: The J3AD was accurate to within 10 percent but could be easily fooled by a recent cigarette or buzzed burp. However, there’s no discounting the unit’s importance then as now. Although at $795 in 1978 dollars, this two-pound brick, which was used in our first drunk-driving test, wasn’t exactly attainable.
For a modern equivalent, see our most recent breathalyzer test.
Smoking Out Old Smokey Radar-Detector Test, February 1979
The Test: Our first truly comprehensive radar-detector roundup.
What We Said Then: “We do have a 55-mph speed limit . . . and apparently enough people are sufficiently opposed to this impediment to progress to turn the manufacture of radar detectors into one of the most tumultuous growth industries in America.”
How It Worked: We zeroed in on 12 detectors, testing their ability to pick up X- and K-band radar signals by positioning real police radar equipment in various settings along real roads. Cincinnati Microwave’s Escort won by a landslide.
What We Say Now: While the technology has progressed, the mission of radar detectors remains the same: saving our wallets.
For the modern equivalent, see our most recent radar-detector test.
Honda Gyro-Cator Navigation System, January 1983
What It Is: Paleolithic navigation system sold only in Japan.
What We Said Then: “The need to know where you are and which way you’re heading is fundamental to the act of automotive travel—particularly now that self-service filling stations have all but eliminated the convenience of asking, ‘Hey, bub, which way to Main Street?’ ”
How It Worked: Using a computer, a gyroscope, and a distance sensor fitted to the car’s front axle, the Gyro-Cator located the car at a starting point on a printed-out plastic sheet that was placed over a small screen. As you moved, you left little “dots” on the display.
What We Say Now: So, $1300 bought you a locating device that required you to map out your route beforehand. Pass the sextant, Ahab.
For a modern equivalent, see our most recent smartphone-app roundup.
Valentine Research g.Analyst, January 1991
What It Is: Portable performance-data recorder.
What We Said Then: “A ‘driving coach and car-performance evaluator,’ it’s a two-axis g-force recorder that can, when properly used, tune a conscientious driver’s chassis and his technique.”
How It Worked: With an accelerometer, 16 KB (kilobytes!) of onboard RAM, a 16-bit Intel microprocessor, and a display screen, the g.Analyst gave drivers a simple dot-matrix graphical plot of their performance through a corner.
What We Say Now: You know the hackneyed maxim that today’s phones have more computing power than the Apollo spacecraft? We’d say that.
For a modern equivalent, see our most recent test of portable GPS data recorders.
Presented By Chevrolet
NEW FINDS Speaking of going on 60 years, the Chevrolet Malibu nameplate has been around nearly as long as us, and, like most things that survive, it’s not mired in the past. From its efficient four-cylinder engines—one with stop-start technology, the other with a turbocharger and 259 horsepower—to its available OnStar-based 4G LTE* data connection, the Malibu is pushing toward the future with vigor and style.
*Requires compatible device, active OnStar service, and data plan. See onstar.com for system details and limitations.
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