Buick 2-2 Bengal Roadster Concept, 2001

Buick Has Uncompromising Beauty and Unique Function

Sporty Bengal is poised to become a prized possession

Roadster with Surprise Seating

The inside, Bengal's leather seating gives driver and passengers the feel of comfortable club chairs, said Lyon. Also, leather inserts grace the wood steering wheel.

Powerful V6 with Six-Speed Auto Transmission

Bengal owes some of its exceptional handling and sculptural exterior appearance to an innovative powertrain. Its supercharged, 3.4-liter V6 engine, which generates 250 horsepower, is transverse-mounted with the six-speed automatic transmission in front of it, rather than behind. This new drivetrain creates a shorter front overhang and a more rearward center of gravity that gives Bengal great handling on curves.

Voice Activated Controls, Head-Up Display

Quiet Servant, first shown on Buick's LaCrosse and Cielo concepts, is back -- featuring voice- activated controls from Visteon Corporation and a reconfigurable, color head-up display that shows gauges on demand. This enables the driver to control the car and its systems with voice commands or a four-position joystick on the steering wheel. As a result, the dashboard is simple and elegant and the driver operates the car with both hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.

Freed of the usual gauges and knobs, the entire dashboard is in fact one large flat-panel speaker from NXT Audio, anchoring Bengal's premium audio system. Altogether, there are five of these unobtrusive speakers which envelop the interior in audiophile-quality sound.

Practical Seatbelt Maintenance and Care Tips

Just like all features of your car, the seatbelts require proper care. They are not difficult to keep in good condition. At the same time, with proper maintenance you will achieve a high level of safety for you and your family. Get some helpful advice on how to care for the safety belts of your vehicle.

Webbing Cleaning

It is a fact that the seatbelt webbing is most prone to wear and tear and to stains and dirt accumulations. You cannot do much about the natural wear and tear, but you can remove the dirt and stains. For the purpose, you should use warm soapy water and a sponge. You should choose a mild soap used for hand washing. You must avoid strong detergents and bleaches as they may weaken the webbing and cause rust and corrosion to the latch and buckle.

You should clean the webbing regularly, preferably every time you wash your car. If it gets dirty very quickly, you should wash it more often. You should not let stains and dirt linger on as they may cause more serious trouble as time passes.

Buckle, Latch and Loop Care

If you drink and eat in the car chances are high that crumbs, soda and coffee can get inside the seatbelt buckle. If this happens, you should clean the dirt immediately. Crumbs can be removed with a thin pointed object like a toothpick. You can use a metal equivalent such as a flat-blade screwdriver but you have to be careful not to cause any damage. In any case, you should remove the crumbs gently.

If the buckle is sticky because of a spilled drink, you should use a cotton swab dipped in alcohol or pour a little bit of alcohol inside. Alcohol is safe for metal while cleaning it perfectly. Besides, it dries quickly so the buckle will be as good as new in no time.

The latch can be cleaned with a little bit of alcohol as well. Any dirt which has got accumulated in the slot can be removed with a flat-blade screwdriver. You should clean the top loop as well to ensure that the seatbelt will retract properly. Remove any sticky dirt with the screwdriver and clean it with some alcohol. You can spray a little bit of silicone spray on the loop after cleaning it to ensure that the belt will retract smoothly.

Finally, you must inspect all car seatbelts on a regular basis. If you notice any disturbing signs of damage or malfunctioning, you must have the belts replaced immediately.



By Celine Potrov