LAS VEGAS: If you're getting bored or irritated with your current vehicle, the most popular way to fix that is to buy a new one. And on behalf of myself, this publication and the car industry in general, let me just say how much we appreciate your trade.
But if you're not in the mood to change vehicles but are still bored or irritated with it, there are things you can buy to improve it. From the biggest display of such items in the world — the Speciality Equipment Manufacturers Association trade show — a selection of some cool stuff for your vehicle. FYI, all prices below are quoted in US dollars, so be warned.
Visteon's NavMate navigation system (www.evisteon.com) will be real useful if you spend a lot of time driving in the U.S. Those Sunbelt-bound revellers will find it especially useful. Visteon's $1,799 navigation system can be transferred from one vehicle to another, but unlike other portable systems it provides verbal directions, so drivers don't have to take their eyes off the road. It also offers turn-by-turn visual guidance on a 3.2-inch display and features preprogrammed points of interest in more than 40 categories, ranging from hotels to golf courses.
The AutoPC from Clarion in Gardenia, California, at www.Clarionnet.com will give you all of the benefits of a laptop PC and more. You remove your stereo head unit from the dash and swap in the AutoPC, which means not only does it control your sound system, including a CD changer, but it also features a navigation system that speaks turn-by-turn directions.