Think about the endless possibilities of places you could park or things you could do if you didn’t have to worry about opening the car door once you got there. And what if you you didn’t have to worry about how far your door had to swing to get them open? Well here’s a company who seems to have all the answers figured out.

Nissan has some cool new technology heading to our shores by way of their Japanese Elgrand. The baton will be handed from the Elgrand to the Infiniti EX35. The pass off will be the world’s first All Around View Monitor. The high tech mirror system will go into the Elgrand at the end of the month and the Infiniti EX35 in December.

  
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Cars and road trips… You just have to love them, the good with the bad. It seems that long drives are either uneventful or riddled with excitement but no in-between.

Several years ago my mother was driving the 8 hour drive from their summer home in North Eastern Oregon back to their winter home on the South Western Oregon coast for the last time because dad had Alzheimer’s and mom wanted to be near their favorite ranch where she felt as if she could take better care of dad in their golden years.

On the way back mom was getting tired so she pulled into a truck stop with a restaurant that was sitting up on a hill that sat along the freeway. She asked dad to go inside and get her a cup of coffee to help keep her alert. But when dad got out of the car and because of his condition he accidentally let their pet dog out of the car. Frustrated and no longer able to deal with such problems he just said to hell with it and walked on into the cafe. That left mom panicked and rushing around the parking lot trying to catch the dog that was running away from her and out into traffic and so on. All of a sudden mom realized the car was rolling and as she frantically tried to jump back in the car and as she fell began being dragged along on the ground and almost ran over herself. As she helplessly laid on the ground in tears watching in horror she saw her car roll down the hill towards a hotel. There was only one single parking space that was empty in front hotel rooms and as amazing as it was her car drove perfectly into that spot without hitting a single car before crashing right thru the wall into the only empty hotel room. As mom collected herself Dad walked out with two cups of coffee in is hands and saw Mom laying on the ground, the dog running around and he asked, “Where in the hell is the car?” Mom just pointed to the car sticking out of the hotel wall and so Dad just turned around and went back into the cafe sat down and drank his coffee.

Don’t feel bad, it’s ok to laugh along. It sounds like a terrible story but if you knew my dad I’m positive he would make us all laugh until we cried with this story. He was such an awesome man… I sure miss him.

New York City, known for tiny apartments with astronomical rents has a similar space problem when it comes to parking. Too many cars, not enough space. The developers of the Chinatown Garage think they have found a solution made possible by technology.
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Looking like a giant dome that’s just been thrown from the Daihatsu Opti in the next spot, this giant squid is actually on display outside a Japanese fish market. Yuck. Where is Captain Jack Sparrow when you need him?

Source <3yen via Boing Boing

Over the years we’ve seen all sorts of parking aids, from sonar to a tennis ball on a string. We’ve even seen foam padded walls for the inevitable. Now you can play Star Wars in your Garage and save your paint at the same time! This laser Parking system shines a laser onto the hood of your car, showing when you’ve gone far enough.

Via Gizmodo

Valet parking. It’s enough to strike fear in the heart of almost any car owner. Some smart ass teenager whipping around in your pride and joy. Even worse, you might get the half blind silver fox who didn’t see that pole that creased your fender.

Enter the Valet Girls. Well trained models and actresses who make the entrance to any event more appealing. In Hollywood of course, everyone is special and nobody would stoop so low as to park their own car. You may as well get an eyeful as you watch your pride and joy slip away. Guests at the new Red Pearl Kitchen will arrive to find a team of silk clad hotties waiting to park their ride.
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Up here in the Great White North, we only have valet parking at hotels, theaters and weddings. When I was in Chicago last summer, I was amazed to see Valet Parking signs all over. There was Valet parking at every door of one shopping mall we went to! How lazy is that?

In the spirit of fat, lazy people all over, Lexus is offering The ES Insiders Guide to Valet Parking. This fun and informative guide is going to be available at www.lexusvaletguide.com There’s no word if it will teach you how to protect your ride from the angry robotic Valet.
press release after the break

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Here in The Garage, we just love seeing new technology. It’s even better when that new tech screws up. What may be even better than that is when the humans in control of the tech screw up.

It seems that Hoboken, New Jersey is miles ahead of most towns. They have one of them newfangled robotic parking garages. The only problem is that robots don’t work when their software license expires!

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South beach seniors rejoice! Hovair brings you the answer to those pesky parking problems. No more backing up to get in and out of the driveway. The sales of replacement side mirrors are going to drop drastically near seniors settlements all over.

The in ground turntable can be used for residential, industrial or car show purposes. On the residential front, just think of it as a lazy susan for your driveway.

source jalopnik via gizmodo