THE ò€™Roc just got...
THE ò€™Roc just got harder! The Scirocco R is the fastest, most aggressive version of the Golf-based coupé yet, and Auto Express has been granted an exclusive audience with it ò€“ giving us the chance to bag these first official images.
Silent-running electric...
Silent-running electric cars and hybrid vehicles are about to be wired for sound!
The near-inaudible whirring made by battery-powered models is a turn-off for many potential buyers. But Lotus and hi-fi expert Harman Kardonò€™s new technology means youò€™ll soon be able to select the engine noise of your choice ò€“ from a throaty V8 to a spaceship-like swoosh!
The Electronic Sound Synthesis (ESS) gadget works by processing road speed info from a carò€™s ECU and turning it into an engine note thatò€™s pumped through speakers in the cabin and hidden in the wheelarches.
As the system works ò€˜liveò€™, by reacting to driver inputs rather than using recordings, it can be modified to produce a number of sounds. And Auto Express has found out that the first cars to get the technology will appear in the UK very soon ò€“ with a Star Trek-like soundtrack!
Lotus engineer Andy Mackay told us: ò€œESS has mainly been developed to improve safety, especially for groups such as the blind, who cannot see cars approaching.
ò€œYet there are also opportunities to improve the feel of driving an electric model. Giving it a traditional exhaust sound is simple and effective, but we can do a lot more.ò€
The technology could be used on petrol motors, too. As makers look to lighten vehicles by using engines with fewer cylinders, ESS could make a four-pot sound like a V6.
car rental commented:
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03.04.2012