VR3 Bows Bluetooth Head Unit, Backup Camera

EATONTOWN, N.J. — Roadmaster USA, maker of low-end car audio under the VR3 brand, will offer a low-cost Bluetooth CD receiver and a new wireless backup camera, each in the $100 range.

Under the VR3 brand, the new Bluetooth head unit will ship in late summer/early fall, with a microphone that will convert the car radio into a speakerphone for a cellphone. The radio will display caller ID info, and users can redial and perform certain other functions from the head unit's controls, said CEO Murray Dayan.

Roadmaster, which supplies car stereo to Wal-Mart, Target, Pep Boys and other stores under the VR3 brand, currently offers head units with USB and SD capability, as well as WMA and MP3 playback, at approximately $100.

In addition, the company will ship at the end of summer its first wireless rear-vision backup camera for a price of approximately $139 or less. The system can be self-installed, said Dayan. It requires no wires between the camera and the monitor. Users mount the camera on the license plate holder, using the existing screws, and connect it to the backup light. The monitor is then placed on the dash and plugged into the cigarette lighter.

Roadmaster is also introducing a VR3 line of Bluetooth accessories to be available at Wal-Mart and Target over the next 60 to 90 days. These are Bluetooth modules to allow hands-free/speakerphone capability with the user's cellular phone. They include a Bluetooth speaker that plugs into the cigarette lighter as well as units that clip on to a visor or rear-view mirror. Prices start at $39.