Toyota has developed a system that automatically puts on a car’s brakes when it expects a stop sign. The Navi Brake Assist system works by combining data from the GPS system and a rear-mounted camera to know exactly when a stop sign is coming up and using that data to help you come to a stop at the perfect spot.

It sounds a bit unsafe, but the system uses the camera to cross-reference road markings with the locations of stop signs it expects to make sure the car is exactly where it thinks it is. Once the car is within 100 meters of a stop sign, the Navi Brake Assist signals with a sound and soon after starts applying the brakes on its own.

A system like this is hard to get right as any sort of software bugs could mean huge trouble. The system is undergoing trials in four Japanese cities right now, so we’ll see how well it really works.

Dutch inventors have unveiled a 75,000 Euro (about $111,100) robot able to fill up your gas tank without you needing to get out the car. The robot works by looking up your car model in a database and finding what fuel type (in addition to your fuel cap design) to use. It then extends its robotic arm, unscrews your gas cap, and puts the gas nozzle in as any human would.

The inventor hopes to have it in a handful of Dutch gas stations by the end of the year.

We hope he starts trying to sell these robots to US stations, as it would be good for people to not have to deal so closely with gasoline ever again. However, we are wondering about how much longer this device will be useful with all the alternative fuel source discussion and research taking place. Very cool, nonetheless.

Toyota is hoping to help to prevent accidents with its latest addition to some of its cars, an eye-monitoring system. It includes a camera mounted on the dash near the steering wheel which constantly monitors a driver’s eyes. If it senses that the eyes are not “properly open,” the system would alert the driver. It would also sense imminent collisions, helping it decide how and when to tell the driver to wake up.

The system would first be installed on Japanese Toyotas, with no word on if or when it would make it Stateside. However, seeing as this can only benefit our cars, expect to see it soon after its Japan release. Graphic after the jump. Read more »

When you see this car, you probably think to yourself, “Man, I want one of those.” And then you find out that it’s electric. No, not hybrid. This baby uses no gas whatsoever. It can’t get much better than that, right? Wrong!

This beautiful car is promised to deliver 248 horsepower, a four second 0-60mph, and enough electricity to drive for 200 miles. And best of all, it only takes 3.5 hours to fully charge.

Watch out Ferrari  and Maserati, at $100,000 (expensive, but within reason), the Tesla Roadster will all but wipe you out.

Tesla has finally confirmed that it has received all regulatory approvals to import the first production Roadster, code-named P1, for sale. Production is slated to begin on March 17, with the first P1 going to the company chairman.

I can already see the 600,000 customers who have signed pre-orders for the car drooling excitedly. I can’t wait to finally see a Tesla car driving down the street - beautiful, fast, and efficient.