Plug into the VW electric supercar€¦ · good job about keeping the story quiet. If it happened...
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Centralian Advocate, Tuesday, September 17, 2013 — 19 Alice Springs to Adelaide | Adelaide to Alice Springs WEEKLY SERVICE RedStar Car Carriers 8256 1299 for a quote MOTORING Furai’s end an inferno Jeff Glucker THE Mazda Furai concept burnt to the ground in the hands of Top Gear UK. Mazda unveiled the Furai concept at the Detroit Auto Show back in 2008. It wowed crowds, showing the Nagare design language that informed Mazda design in the following years. But the Furai wasn’t just a pretty concept, as it boasted at 335kW three- rotor set-up and helped back up the claim that Mazda had produced an actual supercar. Now that car is a toasted shell, burnt to the ground while in the hands of Top Gear UK. We’re not sure how this story managed to avoid leaking out for so long, but back in 2008 the car was with the popular television show’s crew and it wound up on fire. There’s been no official commentary on how this happened, as this story is making its way into 20th anniversary special for the show’s magazine. Still, in a world where bits of news can travel the globe in seconds, we’re amazed that no one knew about this incident for so long. Mazda and Top Gear did a pretty good job about keeping the story quiet. If it happened today, it would’ve wound up on Twitter, Instragram, and Facebook in a matter of minutes. Seconds, possibly. Our guess as to how this happened? Jeremy Clarkson demanding more power out on the Top Gear runway, while getting the Furai sideways. From there, it was just a matter of a hot three-rotor being pushed hard, probably a bit of an oil leak, and then ... combustion. Plug into the VW electric supercar Paul Pottinger The essence of the Volkswagen XL1 will run tomorrow’s Ups, Polos, Golfs and more VOLKSWAGEN XL1 points to a new direction in hatch vehicles. VW limited edition XL1 tech will power future Polo, Golf and Up models. Look hard at this car. It’s Volks- wagen’s next hatchback. Well, maybe look under the skin. It’s the substance of the XL1 rather than the outlandish form that we’ll see in VW’s small, affordable passen- ger cars before the calendar flips to decade three. While the limited run XL1 is on sale in Europe for some $160,000 to collectors and the uber green, its essence will run tomorrow’s Ups, Polos, Golfs and more besides. The trick is to look past the hip level height, carbon fibre body, gull wing doors and to see the plug-in electric battery on which it can run for 50km alone and the two-cylinder diesel engine which stretches the range for a further 500. This combo makes for emission free city travel and open road travel at some 0.9 litres per 100km, though it can motor at 160km/h. Hence the company label ‘‘1.0-litre car’’ of which the XL1 is the showroom precursor refers not to capacity but range. Having clambered through the Bladerunner doors, you could be in almost any contemporary VW, albeit the brand’s only two seater. The switchgear and most of the dials are from the Golf, the wheel is pure GTI, the gear stick oper- ates a seven speed DSG auto, the removable Garmin multi-media screen is found in the Up. There’s no mirrors and no need for them two rear facing cameras, one mounted in each door elimin- ate blind spots. That should be disorientating and so it is for about 30 seconds at which point it replaces intuition. That’s also so of the drive. The XL1 glides as silently as any electric vehicle though a good deal more efficiently than any on the road with almost on-existent wind resistance. Amid the plethora of innovation there’s at least one delightful old world note. The steering is purely mechanical, en- tirely devoid of assistance, just like a Lotus or my 1971 Kingswood. Merging onto to the autobahn, the diesel engine is engaged via finger tip on the Garmin. It chugs crudely but almost immediately into life, ensuring that you needn’t remain on the inside lane for long. When our brief test is over, I’m exhilarated in a way that only some fast and fabulous cars have made me. Parked nearby the XL1 at Bensburg Castle near Cologne this week, where VW runs a pre Frankfurt Show event, is a Bugatti Veyron the outrageous 16-cylinder quad turbo supercar. Haven’t driven one of those. Probably won’t. But its proximity makes you realise the XL1 is every bit as much a supercar in its own sense. And while it is the single most expensive VW in the brand’s near 80-year history, its heart and lungs will be part of your and my driving reality. Use your brains to start car Richard Read FORGET fingerprint scanning. Brain wave identification is on the way. It’s hard out there for a car thief and it’s getting harder. Once upon a time, all the bad guys needed to do was find an unlocked vehicle. Now, they’ve got to fight their way past kill switches, LoJack devices, and OnStar not to mention the impending arrival of digital licence plates, voice-identification, and fingerprint-recognition. But all those gadgets pale in compari- son to the latest theft-prevention tool. According to Mashable, Isao Nakanishi and his colleagues in the graduate school of engineering at Japan’s Tottori Uni- versity have developed a prototype for a safety system that uses brain waves to identity drivers. The system takes samples of brain waves from a driver and stores them in a database. If a vehicle begins moving and the driver’s brain waves don’t match those on file, the vehicle is disabled. The system can also tell if a driver is drunk or falling a sleep, since brain waves in those circumstances vary significantly from samples taken when a motorist is fully awake and sober. Though it’s still in the very early stages, the system is ultimately intended for use on mass transit vehicles or on those that carry large sums of money or valuables. However, we could easily envision a day when this technology might roll out to mainstream cars. Nakanishi’s system still has a few po- tential shortcomings. For starters, if the goal is to protect buses and armoured cars, it doesn’t do much to prevent those vehicles from being hijacked, provided the bad guys keep the approved driver behind the wheel. And in emergency situations, there would need to be some kind of override to allow unauthorised persons to drive a vehicle. But ignoring those flaws, what’s most interesting about this technology is the future it points to, the same future that includes Apple’s new fingerprint- recognition software. It’s a future in which all the accessories we know and loathe keys, wallets, credit cards become useless. Or more accurately, they become us, as our own bodies are transformed into passcodes. Tinfoil-hatters, we’re sorry but the future isn’t looking so bright. Embrace Cactus? Citroen Cactus concept is unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show HERE’S a smooth newcomer with a spiky mission for French carmaker Citroen. As the manufacturer uses a style-driven push in Australia with its DS line, its Cactus concept is unveiled this week at the Frankfurt motor show to preview the thinking behind a revitalisation of its mainstream C-Line models. Citroen believes the design of the Cactus crossover is the look that will work for people who buy cars for transport, although it’s not backing away from its aspiring-for- prestige position Down Under. It’s not as outrageous as some recent sports car dream machines, but it’s not just a boring box. ‘‘The French are renowned for flair and cutting-edge design and that won’t disap- pear. It’s in the DNA,’’ the head of Citroen Australia, John Startari, tells Carsguide. ‘‘The global strategy concentrates on product development and the C-Line range will be pitched as the more- affordable models.’’ So Startari confirms that Citroen is working closely with Peugeot in Australia, dovetailing their line-ups with the top end reserved for his DS models, as they work under the shared ownership of the Sime Darby group. ‘‘That’s to stop cannibalisation in the PSA stable,’’ he says. Looking closer at the Cactus, Startari sees potential for Australia, even though the Frankfurt motor show car is revealed with left-hand drive. ‘‘Citroen has tended to go into production with the majority of its concepts, so . . .’’ hints Startari. ‘‘It’s too early to determine if it will come to Australia. But we’ve a hot, dry country and there is a certain resonance.’’ Among the design work on the Cactus is a ‘driver’s station’ with controls in a fully- digital interface, sofa-style front seats, nat- ural materials and what Citroen calls ‘non- aggressive flowing surfaces’ for the body. Technology work starts with lightweight body panels, ‘airbumps’ to protect the body, and a hybrid drivetrain incorporating compressed air and hydraulics that prom- ises 2.5 litres/100km economy.
Transcript of Plug into the VW electric supercar€¦ · good job about keeping the story quiet. If it happened...
Centralian Advocate, Tuesday, September 17, 2013 — 19
Alice Springs to Adelaide | Adelaide to Alice Springs
WEEKLY SERVICE
RedStarCar Carriers
8256 1299 for a quote
MOTORING
Furai’send aninfernoJeff Glucker
THE Mazda Furai concept
burnt to the ground in the
hands of Top Gear UK.
Mazda unveiled the Furai
concept at the Detroit AutoShow back in 2008.
It wowed crowds, showingthe Nagare design languagethat informed Mazda designin the following years.
But the Furai wasn’t justa pretty concept, as itboasted at 335kW three-rotor set-up and helpedback up the claim thatMazda had produced anactual supercar.
Now that car is a toastedshell, burnt to the groundwhile in the hands of Top
Gear UK.
We’re not sure how thisstory managed to avoidleaking out for so long, butback in 2008 the car was withthe popular televisionshow’s crew and it wound upon fire. There’s been noofficial commentary on howthis happened, as this storyis making its way into 20thanniversary special for theshow’s magazine.
Still, in a world where bitsof news can travel the globein seconds, we’re amazedthat no one knew about thisincident for so long. Mazdaand Top Gear did a prettygood job about keeping thestory quiet. If it happenedtoday, it would’ve wound upon Twitter, Instragram, andFacebook in a matter ofminutes. Seconds, possibly.
Our guess as to how thish a p p e n e d ? J e r e m yClarkson demanding morepower out on the Top Gear
runway, while getting theFurai sideways. From there,it was just a matter of a hotthree-rotor being pushedhard, probably a bit of anoil leak, and then . . .combustion.
Plug into the VWelectric supercarPaul Pottinger
The essence of the Volkswagen XL1 will run tomorrow’s Ups, Polos, Golfs and more
VOLKSWAGEN XL1 points to anew direction in hatch vehicles.
VW limited edition XL1 techwill power future Polo, Golf andUp models.
Look hard at this car. It’s Volks-wagen’s next hatchback. Well,maybe look under the skin. It’s thesubstance of the XL1 rather thanthe outlandish form that we’ll seein VW’s small, affordable passen-ger cars before the calendar flipsto decade three.
While the limited run XL1 is onsale in Europe for some $160,000 tocollectors and the uber green, itsessence will run tomorrow’s Ups,Polos, Golfs and more besides.The trick is to look past the hiplevel height, carbon fibre body,gull wing doors and to see theplug-in electric battery on whichit can run for 50km alone and thetwo-cylinder diesel engine whichstretches the range for a further500.
This combo makes for emissionfree city travel and open roadtravel at some 0.9 litres per 100km,
though it can motor at 160km/h.Hence the company label ‘‘1.0-litrecar’’ – of which the XL1 is theshowroom precursor – refers not tocapacity but range.
Having clambered through theBladerunner doors, you could bein almost any contemporary VW,albeit the brand’s only two seater.The switchgear and most of thedials are from the Golf, the wheelis pure GTI, the gear stick oper-ates a seven speed DSG auto, theremovable Garmin multi-mediascreen is found in the Up.
There’s no mirrors and no needfor them – two rear facing cameras,one mounted in each door elimin-ate blind spots. That should bedisorientating and so it is forabout 30 seconds at which point itreplaces intuition.
That’s also so of the drive. TheXL1 glides as silently as anyelectric vehicle though a good dealmore efficiently than any on theroad with almost on-existent windresistance. Amid the plethora ofinnovation there’s at least onedelightful old world note. Thesteering is purely mechanical, en-
tirely devoid of assistance, justl ike a Lotus or my 1971Kingswood.
Merging onto to the autobahn,the diesel engine is engaged viafinger tip on the Garmin. It chugscrudely but almost immediatelyinto life, ensuring that youneedn’t remain on the inside lanefor long. When our brief test isover, I’m exhilarated in a way thatonly some fast and fabulous carshave made me.
Parked nearby the XL1 atBensburg Castle near Colognethis week, where VW runs a preFrankfurt Show event, is aBugatti Veyron – the outrageous16-cylinder quad turbo supercar.
Haven’t driven one of those.Probably won’t.
But its proximity makes yourealise the XL1 is every bit asmuch a supercar in its own sense.And while it is the single mostexpensive VW in the brand’s near80-year history, its heart andlungs will be part of your and mydriving reality.
Use yourbrains tostart carRichard Read
FORGET fingerprint scanning. Brainwave identification is on the way.
It’s hard out there for a car thief – and it’sgetting harder. Once upon a time, all thebad guys needed to do was find anunlocked vehicle.
Now, they’ve got to fight their way pastkill switches, LoJack devices, and OnStar– not to mention the impending arrival ofdigital licence plates, voice-identification,and fingerprint-recognition.
But all those gadgets pale in compari-son to the latest theft-prevention tool.
According to Mashable, Isao Nakanishiand his colleagues in the graduate schoolof engineering at Japan’s Tottori Uni-versity have developed a prototype for asafety system that uses brain waves toidentity drivers.
The system takes samples of brainwaves from a driver and stores them ina database.
If a vehicle begins moving and thedriver’s brain waves don’t match those onfile, the vehicle is disabled.
The system can also tell if a driver isdrunk or falling a sleep, since brain wavesin those circumstances vary significantlyfrom samples taken when a motorist isfully awake and sober.
Though it’s still in the very early stages,the system is ultimately intended for useon mass transit vehicles or on those thatcarry large sums of money or valuables.
However, we could easily envision a daywhen this technology might roll out tomainstream cars.
Nakanishi’s system still has a few po-tential shortcomings.
For starters, if the goal is to protectbuses and armoured cars, it doesn’t domuch to prevent those vehicles frombeing hijacked, provided the bad guyskeep the approved driver behind thewheel. And in emergency situations, therewould need to be some kind of override toallow unauthorised persons to drivea vehicle.
But ignoring those flaws, what’s mostinteresting about this technology is thefuture it points to, the same future thatincludes Apple’s new fingerprint-recognition software.
It’s a future in which all the accessorieswe know and loathe – keys, wallets, creditcards – become useless.
Or more accurately, they become us, asour own bodies are transformed intopasscodes. Tinfoil-hatters, we’re sorry butthe future isn’t looking so bright.
Embrace Cactus?
Citroen Cactus concept is unveiled at the2013 Frankfurt motor show
HERE’S a smooth newcomer with a spikymission for French carmaker Citroen.
As the manufacturer uses a style-drivenpush in Australia with its DS line, its Cactusconcept is unveiled this week at theFrankfurt motor show to preview thethinking behind a revitalisation of itsmainstream C-Line models.
Citroen believes the design of the Cactuscrossover is the look that will work forpeople who buy cars for transport, althoughit’s not backing away from its aspiring-for-prestige position Down Under.
It’s not as outrageous as some recentsports car dream machines, but it’s not justa boring box.
‘‘The French are renowned for flair andcutting-edge design and that won’t disap-pear. It’s in the DNA,’’ the head of CitroenAustralia, John Startari, tells Carsguide.
‘‘The global strategy concentrates onproduct development and the C-Linerange will be pitched as the more-affordable models.’’
So Startari confirms that Citroen isworking closely with Peugeot in Australia,dovetailing their line-ups with the top endreserved for his DS models, as they workunder the shared ownership of the SimeDarby group.
‘‘That’s to stop cannibalisation in thePSA stable,’’ he says.
Looking closer at the Cactus, Startari sees
potential for Australia, even though theFrankfurt motor show car is revealed withleft-hand drive.
‘‘Citroen has tended to go into productionwith the majority of its concepts, so . . .’’hints Startari.
‘‘It’s too early to determine if it will cometo Australia. But we’ve a hot, dry countryand there is a certain resonance.’’
Among the design work on the Cactus isa ‘driver’s station’ with controls in a fully-digital interface, sofa-style front seats, nat-ural materials and what Citroen calls ‘non-aggressive flowing surfaces’ for the body.
Technology work starts with lightweightbody panels, ‘airbumps’ to protect the body,and a hybrid drivetrain – incorporatingcompressed air and hydraulics – that prom-ises 2.5 litres/100km economy.
