IEEE selects top 10 tech cars

The February issue of the IEEE Spectrum includes a list of the top 10 most technically sophisticated cars for 2003. The vehicles feature high-tech gizmos such as fingerprint access systems, Bluetooth wireless technology, natural gas powertrains, zero-emissions powertrains, voice-activated devices, and night vision. The top 10 tech cars are:

1. Volvo Safety Concept Car. Safety features include night vision, see-through A-pillars, controls for automated seat and pedal adjustment, warning systems that alert the driver when something is in the driver's blind spots, and rotating headlights that follow the lead of the front wheels as they turn.
2. Saab 9-3. This is the first car to use Bluetooth wireless technology to connect wireless devices such as cell phones, PDAs, and computers.
3. Honda Civic GX. Powered solely by natural gas, this car is sold along with a home-fueling station that uses a home's natural gas connection to recharge the compressed-gas tanks overnight.
4. Honda FCX. The FCX is the first car for the US market that is powered completely by fuel cells that meet zero-emissions standards by exhaling water vapor.
5. Cadillac XLR. This rear-wheel-drive car has a 4.6-L, V8 engine with sophisticated electronic controls.
6. Audi A8. One central control system—called the Multi-Media Interface—manages a mobile telephone, a satellite navigation system, and tautness of the air-suspension system, as well as audio, heating, air conditioning, and other assorted goodies.
7. Mercedes-Benz SL500. This vehicle's braking system links to a stability control system and an active suspension system, which helps to keep all parts of the car on the ground when it takes a corner.
8. Fiat Stilo. This car has a smokeless diesel with a 1.2-L, four-cylinder engine.
9. Chevrolet TrailBlazer. The engine-control system switches half the cylinders on or off, depending on the load.
10. Toyota Prius. This car's engine is a gas-line and electric motor hybrid that has an output of a small (1.5-L) engine.