Adaptive Cruise Control
Sentience intelligent cruise control demonstrated: you steer, it works the pedals
The driverless car of the future is getting closer every day, as more and more technologies come along that take critical jobs away from the driver and put them in the hands of lightning-fast, all-seeing computers. One of the latest and most ambitious of these systems has just been successfully demonstrated in the UK; the Sentience system is a kind of hyper-intelligent cruise control system designed specifically to minimize fuel consumption and emissions. It calculates the best route for you based on traffic, topography, curves, speed limits and a host of other information, and then actually takes over the throttle and brakes for you for the entire journey. It keeps you strictly within speed limits, slows down for corners, speed bumps and roundabouts, and it even knows when the lights ahead are about to turn red, so you don't waste petrol accelerating towards a stop point. Fuel savings in testing have been between 5% and 24% - a very significant figure - and Sentience is expected to be available on production cars, for a minimal cost, as soon as 2012. Incredible stuff. Read More
The Bentley GTC Speed - not quite 200 mph with the roof down
Bentley’s brand values haven’t changed much in the last century – exclusivity, design, craftsmanship and performance akin to no other. Key to this performance is the characteristic Bentley wave of torque and in creating the GTC Speed to build on the success of the Continental GTC, the company has strengthened what was already its biggest strength. Both Continental GTC models are powered by Bentley’s 6-litre, twin-turbocharged W12 engine with its 48 valves , four camshafts and continually variable valve timing but the Speed model has 9 per cent more power (600bhp) and 15 per cent more torque. This means the GTC Speed’s output of 750 Nm (553lb ft) is achieved across virtually the complete rev range, from just 1700 to 5600 rev/min. The experience will set you back UKP146,000 (US$218,000). Read More
Volvo has finally released images of the Volvo S60 Concept car which will be unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show in January. The Concept, which we originally previewed here, gives an indication of what the all-new Volvo S60 will look like when launched in 2010. Apart from the previously mentioned floating centre stack made out of handmade, solid Orrefors crystal, the car features a four-cylinder 1.6-litre petrol engine using high-efficiency GTDi (Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection) technology and producing 180 horsepower. In a conventional petrol engine, fuel is injected into the inlet manifold ahead of the inlet valves. With direct injection, however, the fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber under high pressure. The vehicle also has an upgraded version of Volvo's Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with a queue assist function. The radar-based Adaptive Cruise Control maintains the set time gap to the vehicle in front all the way down to standstill, meaning the car can drive itself in slow-moving queues with repeated starting and stopping. Read More
The pioneering autonomous vehicle that won the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge will complete its world tour with a visit to its home town before taking its place at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Dubbed "Stanley", the robotic Volkswagen Touareg developed by the Stanford Racing Team will be on show at the Silicon Valley The Tech Museum of Innovation from June 20 through July 17. Read More
April 14, 2008 Seats which include massaging and ventilation functions are among the new luxury trimmings Volvo has added to their S80 and XC90 Executive models. The new massage function consists of five inflatable pockets which have been built into the front seats and are pumped up and drained sequentially to create a wave-like motion that is adjustable at two levels. As well as massaging the lower back they also double up as a new lumbar support, while built-in ventilation is designed to keep the occupant’s body and clothing fresh. Read More
January 23, 2008 Ford has announced that its new Mondeo will get Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) technology as an option. The adoption of ACC technology, which has appeared previously in cars such as Volvo's S80 and more recently the new Jaguar XF, provides a significant safety boost by maintaining a pre-set distance from the vehicle in front and automatically decelerating when another vehicle enters this buffer zone. One the pre-set distance is renewed the vehicle then accelerates back to cruising speed. Read More
Volvo to unveil new safety technology at Frankfurt Motor Show
August 29, 2007 World-first driver alertness technology that includes automated lane departure warnings and a new collision warning system with auto braking will be among the innovations unveiled by Volvo at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Read More
One of the most anticipated models in Jaguar’s history makes its public debut today. After a frenzied response to the recent C-XF concept car unveiled at the start of the year, the public can now catch its first glimpse of the new Jaguar XF luxury four-door sports saloon. Packed with nifty technology and kitted out as a proper luxury saloon, the question remains – will this be the start of a new era for the Ford-owned Jaguar brand, or has the production car’s styling been neutered too much from the C-XF concept to tempt buyers? Read More
December 1, 2006 The Hyundai Design and Technical Center and Hyundai Motor America presented the world debut of the HCD10 Hyundai Hellion concept during a press conference at the Los Angeles Auto Show today. Hellion is a compact three-door sport crossover designed with attitude and independence creating its unmistakable character. Hellion’s architecture was inspired by a tough, hardshell backpack that uses ribs to provide structural and visual strength. To support this, Hyundai used three ultra-lightweight structural ribs to create Hellion’s safety cage. These ribs connect to a suspended surfboard-shaped spine. Hellion’s ribcage not only provides protection for its occupants, but also adds visual rigidity and shape. By stretching the sheet metal skin away from the common body surface, the ribs give Hellion a new kind of organic ruggedness. Read More
September 4, 2006 The Honda CR-V has posted strong retail sales everywhere since it was launched but with the benchmark being raised daily in the increasingly crowded SUV sector, Honda has completely reengineered the CR-V to be even better on the road at the same time as being more practical. The entirely-new Honda CR-V will hit showroom floors in January 2007 and according to company sources promises a driving experience as good as a D-sector saloon car, improved equipment levels and two optional active safety systems that are unique to the SUV segment. The first, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is a radar-controlled cruise control function which maintains a set distance to the vehicle in front, while Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) predicts collisions and warns the driver, before applying strong braking and retracting the front seatbelts if the situation becomes critical. The new CR-V will receive its international show debut in Paris on 28 September. Read More
