Automotive

Letter From The UK: The French Are Coming

Letter From The UK: The French Are Coming

A very long time ago, the French tried to horn in on the North American continent but we, the British, saw them off only to be unceremoniously kicked out ourselves. Honestly, King George III wasn’t such a bad chap once you got to know him. Obviously, at the time, he was considered to be as mad as a box of frogs but it turns out he suffered from Porphyria, a terrible recurrent illness that accounted for his kaleidoscope of changing views.
Whatever.
Thriving Factories & Prosperous Futures
History shows that even without our help, America managed to get an automobile industry started, culminating, among others, in an organization called General Motors.
Meanwhile, back in Britain, we had our own flourishing car factories redolent with famous names. One of these names was Vauxhall. Founded in 1857 as an industrial manufacturer, the company started making cars in 1903. It is thus one of the oldest car makers in the UK and still ranks high in sales. In short, it is a British success story.
When I say British, I mean of course, American. The company was acquired by GM decades ago. Nevermind, the cars are still made on these septic isles and models like the Astra and Corsa have been consistently on the bestsellers lists. The future looked bright.
Vauxhall Astra. Photo: Vauxhall.
Storm Clouds
But all was not well. In fact, the General Motors’ European arm (including the German Opel brand) has been hemorrhaging money for years. The game was up. It was time to sell. Therefore, the big automotive news from Europe this spring has been the takeover of General Motors loss-making Vauxhall/Opel division by the PSA Group.
This does not, incidentally, mean that Europe has seen the last of GM. In fact, the American company will retain a presence within the continent, confirming they will remain in the European premium market with Cadillac and Chevrolet performance cars, which is good news for sports car enthusiasts.
The PSA Group is French. Yes, a mere three hundred years later and they’re back again, getting a foothold in someone else’s territory. As of now the Vauxhall name has a new owner. This has made waves throughout the industry and the future for this venerable and vulnerable British brand remains to be seen.
Too Far From Comfort
As an American owned company it made logistical sense to maintain full factory production of Euro-spec vehicles in the UK. The French, however, are just over twenty miles away across the English Channel. Stand on the White Cliffs of Dover and you can smell the cooking. This close proximity may well put British factories and jobs at risk as the French already have under-utilized facilities of their own.
This has been of such concern that our new Iron Lady, Prime Minister May, had cause to summon the PSA boss Carlos Tavares to question his motives. He has allegedly guaranteed UK production until “at least” the end of the decade.
Big deal. That’s only three years away.
Astra Sports Tourer models on the assembly line at Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port facility. Photo: Vauxhall.

Old Expressions, New Concerns
Also, with Great Britain now committed to leaving the European Union in two years time (we resign formally on March 29th), if we don’t agree on some sort of free trade deal of the type that we currently enjoy, then British-made cars could well become noncompetitive in the Euro market. The big concern is jobs in the same way that jobs have suffered in the recent past in the U.S. car industry.
From this side of The Pond, it seems automotive America might well be in resurgence. There’s a rather uncomplimentary old adage that says, “where America leads, Britain follows.” In this instance, let’s hope that is the case.
Geoff Maxted is a motoring writer, photographer, and author of our Letter From The UK series. Follow his work on Twitter: @DriveWrite

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Five Original Hybrids: American Power Meets European Design

Five Original Hybrids: American Power Meets European Design

If someone says the word “hybrid” to you during an automotive discussion, what car do you think of first? If you answer “Toyota Prius,” then you are likely in the majority. Today, auto manufacturers have adopted the term “hybrid” to define any vehicle which uses both an internal combustion engine and electric power as a fuel-saving measure.
But 40 to 50 years ago, “hybrid” cars were all the rage with enthusiasts, and no, these did not employ battery packs.
Setting The Stage
The term “hybrid” was used to define a car with a body from one manufacturer, and an engine from another, in a high-performance combination. More specifically, a powerful American V8 engine would be dropped into a European-designed and built sports car.
The new and improved power-to-weight ratio gave these vehicles tremendous acceleration. Low development cost and ease of maintenance were also seen as positive attributes, especially compared to some of the high-strung powerplants employed in other foreign-born exotica.
Today, these hybrids from the ‘60s and ‘70s are very popular among collectors, and for good reason. Most of them were also built in very low numbers, making them as rare as they are valuable. Let’s take a look at five of the more popular hybrid models (each built below 10,000 units, or about one week’s production of the Ford F-150.) We’ll examine their origins, what features they have in common, and what distinguishes them from one another.
Our five examples are roughly in chronological order.
Shelby Cobra. Photo: CARiD.
Shelby Cobra
Let’s start with the king of them all, the car that is likely the most popular hybrid ever built. In the early 1960s, former racer Carroll Shelby got the idea to drop an American V8 into a small British roadster called the AC Ace. At that time, the Ace was using an inline 6-cylinder engine of antiquated design. The company was willing, but asked Shelby to help find a suitable engine.
His first request, to Chevrolet, was turned down. However, Ford agreed, wanting to use its new “Windsor” 260 V8. Prototypes were built and were successful, and the car went into production, with AC sending painted bodies to Shelby’s home-grown production facilities in L.A., where the engines were installed.
While Shelby’s racing team had some competition wins with the new car, it was not a retail success. Some new cars languished unsold for more than a year. Of the original Shelby Cobras, fewer than 1,000 were built. There was no financial upside to continued production, so Ford and Shelby stopped their efforts by 1967. Meanwhile, AC continued producing the V8-powered car, which they named the AC 289.
The story gets convoluted from here. Starting in the 1980s, Autokraft, among other companies, began to produce replica Cobras, some as complete cars, and some as kits. Cobra-mania continued to swell, as sports car aficionados wanted an affordable Cobra. Even ol’ Carroll himself got back in the game with the so-called “continuation” Cobras.
Today, you may need to be something of a Cobra expert to distinguish a true original from a later replica. But the Cobra is instantly recognized by almost everyone. Go to any car show, and you’re almost guaranteed to see at least one Cobra in attendance.
Sunbeam Tiger. Photo: CARiD.

Sunbeam Tiger
Our second hybrid entry has a number of similarities with the Cobra: it’s British; it’s based on an existing sports car; and it’s the brainchild of Mr. Shelby. The Sunbeam Alpine was a two-seat roadster built by the Rootes Group in the UK. Originally powered by a 4-cylinder engine, the company wanted to explore more powerful options to expand the car’s sales potential. An attempt was made to work with Ferrari, but that effort failed.
Word got to Carroll Shelby, partly based on his success with the Cobra.
The same Ford small-block V8 from the Cobra was utilized, first in 260 cubic inch form, then as a 289 c.i. V8. It was an extremely tight fit. Part of the firewall had to be beat with a hammer to shoehorn the engine into place. The Ford powerplant doubled the Alpine’s horsepower, while adding little additional weight.
Prototypes were built, one was sent to England for approval, and the concept was quickly approved. The new car, dubbed the Tiger, had plenty of performance. The car entered production in 1964, about a year after the prototypes were done. Just over 7,000 Tigers were built before production ended in 1967.
Ironically, it was another American car manufacturer, Chrysler, which helped bring an end to this Ford-powered hybrid. Chrysler bought a controlling interest in the Rootes Group, and was none too pleased with the idea of “one of their own” being sold with a competitor’s engine. Any thought of substituting a Chrysler V8 ended when the company realized that its engine didn’t fit.
Iso Grifo. Photo: CARiD.
Iso Grifo
This hybrid differs from the Cobra and Tiger in several ways. Although it too uses an American V8 in a sexy European body, the Grifo was a “clean sheet” design. It was not an existing car receiving an engine swap. Also, the Grifo was designed and manufactured in Italy, intended to go head-to-head with that country’s best supercars, such as Ferrari.
To summarize the company’s beginnings: Renzo Rivolta founded the Isothermos refrigeration company in Italy just before World War II. After making refrigerators and heaters through the 1940s, the company moved to motor scooter production, then the Isetta bubble car in the early 1950s. Profits from these ventures allowed the Iso Company to move toward luxury sports cars.
The first such car, the Rivolta, saved on production and tooling costs by using a Chevrolet V8 engine. But it was the next model, the Grifo, which set enthusiasts’ hearts racing. Designed by famous Italian design house Bertone, its looks were as sleek as anything else on the market at that time. The first generation cars used a Chevy 327 engine, which pushed the car to a top speed of over 170 mph.
The 2nd generation Grifo moved up to a big-block 454, also from Chevy. The final version of the Grifo reverted to a Ford Boss 351 engine. This model was not only the last Grifo; it was the last Iso vehicle, as the company went out of business in 1974. Good luck finding one now, as only 413 Grifos were produced.
Jensen Interceptor. Photo: CARiD.

Jensen Interceptor
Among the five hybrids included in our story, the Jensen Interceptor stands alone as the one produced by a large-scale existing car manufacturer, using an American V8 from the beginning as its only available engine. The Jensen brothers, Alan and Richard, founded their company in the 1930s. They had always specialized in building bodies for other manufacturers, as well as complete cars of their own design.
For the Jensen-branded cars, the use of engines made by others was common, and helped control costs.
After producing several in-house designed sports cars after World War II, Jensen hired an Italian design firm, Touring, to create the Interceptor. Earlier Jensen cars utilized a Chrysler V8, and that continued, in 383 c.i. form, with the Interceptor. The result was a true Grand Touring machine: large, roomy, comfortable, and able to cruise for long distances at high speeds. Later models moved up to the Chrysler 440 engine.
Success with this initial hatchback model led Jensen to also produce convertible and coupe versions. But by the mid-1970s, financial problems befell the company, and Interceptor production was over by 1976. Jensen built just over 6,400 Interceptors in all three body styles.
DeTomaso Pantera GT5. Photo: Ed Callow.
DeTomaso Pantera
Our final hybrid is from the DeTomaso firm, founded by Argentinian Alejandro DeTomaso. With funding provided by a brother-in-law, DeTomaso began producing sports cars in Italy in the early 1960s, using European Ford, then American Ford engines.
The company’s third car, the Pantera, was its most successful. Like the Iso Grifo, this was a fresh design, not an existing car with an engine transplant. But instead of Chevy power, it used a Ford 351 “Cleveland” engine. And rather than locate that engine in the front, like all these other hybrids, it was mounted midships, directly behind the two-seat cockpit. Its body was designed by Ghia in Italy, and was one of the sleekest of the early 1970s.
Perhaps the biggest key to the Pantera’s sales success was the deal DeTomaso made with Ford for the car to be sold through Lincoln-Mercury dealerships. This gave it exposure that was otherwise unattainable. The Panera sold well its first few years in the United States. It was priced competitively, had great performance, and could be serviced at any Ford dealer.
But by 1974, with the first gas crisis in full swing, Ford decided to pull the plug on Pantera importation. By this time, about 5,500 cars had been sold. Meanwhile, DeTomaso continued production for the rest of the world, but at a much slower rate of output. Sales continued into the 1990s, eventually reaching over 7,000 units.
Highly Regarded Hybrids
These five hybrids provide us a nice cross-sectional view of market offerings during the ‘60s and ‘70s. Three are from the UK, two from Italy, three with Ford power, one each with Chevy and Chrysler power, and all of them produced in low numbers.
Also note how these cars were born at a time when customers wanted performance, and were willing to pay for it. Today, each of these models are highly-prized and very collectible. Like other muscle cars of the time, the demand is there, and that keeps prices high. So the next time someone asks you about hybrids, you’ll be ready to impress them with your knowledge about these amazing supercars!
Richard Reina is a Product Trainer at CARiD.com and lifelong automotive enthusiast.

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Lotus Elise Sprint: Less Mass Means More

Lotus Elise Sprint: Less Mass Means More

“O mystic Lotus, sacred and sublime, In myriad-petalled grace inviolate, Supreme o’er transient storms of tragic Fate, Deep-rooted in the waters of all Time.”
`The Lotus’ dedicated to M. K. Gandhi,
by Sarojini Naidu.
Experience Is Everything
If you have never driven a Lotus, any Lotus, than those words might seem a little bit over the top, concerning a car. If you have never driven a Lotus, then I have pity and empathy for your automotive shortfall. If you have driven a Lotus, then you know those words are, if anything, not even close to what the driving experience is like.
For some reason, I thought Lotus had stopped producing the Elise and moved on to focus on the Evora and Exige. More’s the pity, I thought, because an Elise is a fantastic car. Nimble and graceful are understatements. Its handling was near telepathic. Its braking was startlingly short and its overall grip was like a mollusk on a rock. But no, Lotus is still making the Elise, and on top of that, they’re making a special edition that is even superior.
Power, Weight & Ratios
Essentially the Hethel outfit has turned the most obsessive of its engineers loose on the little beasty, and they’ve gone after anything that can save weight with a meat-axe. The “normal” Elise already tips the scales at not much more than 800 kilos, but the new Elise Sprint weighs in at 789 kilos, or around 1,700 pounds, dry. That means at the curb, this thing weighs a lot less than a first gen Miata, and it’s mid-engined and it puts out more power.
The Elise Sprint is available with either a 1.6-liter naturally aspirated engine or a 1.8-liter supercharged plant. I will not insult your intelligence by telling you what engine you should desire, but just in case you’re rather slow on the uptake, I’ll just give you a suggestion: Get the “big” block with the blower you primate.
Now, about that whole weight savings/meat-axe thing.
During development of the Lotus Elise Sprint, balancing the aerodynamic downforce across the entire car was paramount. One example comes with the rubber elements mounted on the flat underside and ahead of the front wheel, together with an additional diffuser vane at the rear. They help modify airflow under the car to reduce drag and increase stability. Photo: Group Lotus plc.

Cutting Down
The Sprint’s standard lightweight components consist of a Lithium-Ion battery that shaves off 9 kg, bespoke carbon race seats that cut 6 kg, and new lightweight forged alloy wheels that trim off an important 5 kg of valuable, unsprung weight. The carbon access panel, roll hoop cover and engine cover, and polycarbonate rear window chop off 6 kg. Overall, that’s an impressive 26 kg, compared to the earlier Sport and Sport 220 models, and both of those were already featherweight cars to begin with.
Other weight saving measures are found in the new, optional two-piece brake discs, which axe 4 kg, again of unsprung weight. There are optional carbon sill covers which subtract 0.8 kg, which is fairly insignificant, but it does show us just how fanatically committed Lotus can be. So you go bonkers with a weight loss program, but what does it get you?
Bring your stopwatch down to the track, and the results speak for themselves.
The Elise Sprint does 0-60 in 5.9 seconds and the Elise Sprint 220 does it in 4.1 seconds. Harder cornering, natch, and a power to weight ratio of 168 horsepower per tonne for the Elise Sprint, and 257 horsepower per tonne for the Elise Sprint 220. By the by, “tonne” is a British term but it also means the same as a metric tonne, or 2,200 pounds. So that all important ratio gets even better if’n ya calculate it out in American cypherin’. Bottom line: Champagne levels of performance at a (good) beer price.
The new Elise features the same suspension setup as before, with a fully independent double wishbone suspension and a front anti-roll bar, coupled with Bilstein high-performance gas dampers and Eibach coaxial coil springs, front and rear. Photo: Group Lotus plc.
Sights & Sounds
Lotus says “the 1.8-liter supercharged Elise is the best-sounding 4-cylinder car on the market,” but, A) that’s subjective, and B) does Alfa still make fours? Cause if they do, Lotus is everso wrong in that statement.
Visually you can tell the Elise Sprint from the matte black transom panel, black wheels which come with custom contrasting metal spun rims, distinct yet understated side stripes on the bodywork, and unique side and rear badging. If you’re not driving a Lotus, you’ll be seeing that rear badging more than anything else. There are also color-keyed inserts for the sports seats, transmission console, and HVAC surround, along with Sprint badge stitching. There’s more detail inside the Elise Sprint with a selection of optional Alcantara trim panels on the doors, sills, seats, and vent surrounds, all with contrasting stitching.
Lotus is justifiably proud.
“Enhanced by less weight, the Elise now provides even more driving purity, greater agility, and higher all-round performance. As we say at Hethel: less weight equals more Lotus,” rejoiced Jean-Marc Gales, CEO, Group Lotus plc.
So if you can get your hands on a Lotus Elise Sprint, do so. I hate to advocate speed, handling, braking, or vehicular insanity to anyone, but they’ve always worked for me.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
Lotus Elise Sprint Gallery

Photos & Source: Group Lotus plc.

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AutoSens Detroit Conference Examines Vehicle Perception Technology

AutoSens Detroit Conference Examines Vehicle Perception Technology

One of the hottest topics right now in the automotive universe is autonomous driving. It’s also one of the most misunderstood. Proponents believe the forthcoming technology holds much promise, citing how autonomous cars usher in everything from zero emissions to better infrastructure.
Grease knuckled gear heads and car enthusiasts feel their prized small block V8s, pavement twisting muscle cars, and short-throw manual transmissions are going the way of the dodo.
Today’s engineers are riding this delicate balance; challenged with keeping a given automobile’s performance benchmark in tact, while implementing the latest advanced driver assistance systems. This is where AutoSens plays a critical role. Their conference in Detroit, Michigan this May is dedicated to engineers in the field, working on these different applications.
Passion & Value
AutoSens Detroit will provide a wide range of educational, networking, and hands-on experiences with regard to engineering the modern advanced driver assistance system. According to Robert Stead, Managing Director, Sense Media, AutoSens was built on the vision of senior technical experts at automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. That vision is then delivered at the conference by passionate experts who believe a strong community dialogue is ultimately necessary for the success of the technology.
“What we want to create is a community catered to the engineers who are working on advanced driver assistance systems, and other solutions to autonomous vehicles that will be integrated over the coming years,” Stead explained.
Sense Media launched in 2015 and held the first AutoSens conference in Brussels, Belgium. Stead points to how the evolving autonomous landscape, from digital imaging technology to cameras and radar shaped AutoSens.
“I decided two years ago the best way to serve that community was to set up my own business and focus entirely on digital sensing as a whole,” he said. “We place great importance on keeping the discussion relevant to engineers, upholding technical standards, and adding value for attendees.”
AutoSens Detroit takes place at the M1 Concourse, May 22nd through the 25th. Organizers are leveraging their existing good relationships with Detroit-based companies to put together a thought-provoking and exciting event. For Stead, having an AutoSens conference in Detroit is even a little personal.
“I went on a holiday there with some friends and I was really inspired to hear the stories of regeneration in Detroit,” he said. “I am a techno and house music fan too, so we attended the Movement Festival.”
Sense Media Managing Director Robert Stead addresses those in attendance at AutoSens Belgium. Photo: Sense Media.
Collective Voices
The speakers at AutoSens Detroit are as diverse as they are distinguished. Collectively, the panel has experience in everything from robotics and computer vision, to automotive electronics, digital imaging, and functional safety. Each speaker was handpicked and selected carefully based on their contributions to advanced driver assistance systems, functional safety, autonomous driving, and their overall passion for the topics.
“It is important to have the right caliber of speakers and be covering the right topics in Detroit,” Stead said.
The AutoSens Detroit panel includes Todd Benoff, Partner, Products Liability Practice Group, Alston & Bird. Benoff will host a session on insurance and liability and what the ethical considerations are for autonomous cars. Filip Geuens, Chief Executive Officer, Xenomatix, will facilitate a session on affordable, effective LiDAR solutions backed by real-world autonomous tests. Other speakers include Rudy Burger, Managing Partner, Woodside Capital Partners, with a session on the ever changing dynamics in the autonomous vehicle landscape, and Paul Fleck, President of Dataspeed, with insights on how to build an autonomous vehicle.
“For engineers who are working in this space, it’s an opportunity to come and hear about some of the things that are happening,” Stead said. “AutoSens is meant to help them to understand what is going on in the wider industry.”
AutoSens roundtable discussion in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: Sense Media.

Collaboration & Community
Indeed, the forthcoming autonomous era holds much promise, but right now we are still anticipating the many things that may (or may not) happen. Like a runner before the gun fires, we are poised and ready, having prepared long and hard for the finish line sprint. What we sometimes forget is how there are many others running alongside us. Your vision for the autonomous world may be remarkably similar to someone else in the field, but up until now, there was no way to meet them.
That’s the greatest value for those attending AutoSens, be it in Detroit or Brussels. It’s not simply a conference where you attend a couple of workshops, scribble down a few notes, and leave. AutoSens is about the community of people who share the same passion and drive for this bold, forthcoming autonomous generation. AutoSens brings us together so we can collectively implement the solutions necessary to welcome in what we all believe is a better era, not just for transportation, but society as a whole.
“The goal of all this technology is to improve safety,” Stead explained. “In order to do that, we need to have more conversations and collaboration, and what we have managed to create is an environment where that happens.”
AutoSens Detroit takes place at the M1 Concourse in Detroit, Michigan, May 22nd through the 25th. Automoblog readers receive a discount on their tickets through this special offer.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.

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High-Strength Steel: The Ally of Autonomy

High-Strength Steel: The Ally of Autonomy

The technology necessary for autonomous driving usually hinges on some common elements. For example, radar, cameras, LiDAR, and other various sensors are usually present. We hear about advanced algorithms, adaptive learning, and artificial intelligence, all of which are necessary for this new, promising era of driving.
Proponents say autonomous cars bring better infrastructure, reduced emissions, and the end of traffic fatalities. Massive events like the North American International Auto Show reflect just how far this technology, and its promises, have progressed.
It doesn’t seem like the future anymore because it’s already here.
Education & Utilization
Without one of the longest-standing industries within the automotive landscape, this bold autonomous world would come to a screeching halt. Sure, we can easily associate a number of software applications with autonomous driving, but what about a raw material like steel? When we hear “driverless car,” steel probably does not come to mind, although maybe it should?
“For some reason, people understand that automobiles are new technology but they don’t understand that steel is a new technology too,” said Jody N. Hall, Ph.D., Vice President, Automotive Market, Steel Market Development Institute.
The Steel Market Development Institute represents steel companies and works closely with the automotive industry to provide the proper grades based on the application. The organization is also focused on educating the greater automotive industry on the uses and benefits of the material. ArcelorMittal, a multinational steel manufacturing corporation headquartered in Boulevard d’Avranches, Luxembourg, shares a similar vision. Blake Zuidema, Director of Automotive Product Applications, spends a great deal of time with the automakers.
“My team works with the OEM body structure design community to try and understand what kinds of material properties are required in order to achieve all of their design objectives,” he said.
Steel is widely utilized in the automotive industry, encompassing a significant portion of any given vehicle’s chassis, body, and overall structure. Full-size trucks from General Motors, RAM, and Ford, for example, employ a high-strength steel frame to accommodate heavy payloads. Other vehicles, from minivans to crossovers, use steel for occupant safety and enjoyable driving dynamics.
SMDI’s display at the 2017 North American International Auto Show at the Cobo Center in Detroit, Michigan. Pictured here is the new Chrysler Pacifica. The individual colors correspond to different materials, including their grades and properties, used to manufacture the vehicle. Photo: SMDI.
Structural Integrity
Part of the steel industry’s focus with autonomous driving is providing the designers of the technology a durable material that can be shaped around their components. The idea is that if the sensors associated with automated driving are protected, they are more effective.
“If we are able to give them a better performing material, then they can have a more efficient design,” Dr. Hall said. “You need some kind of structure to hold all of those sensors in place and a steel intensive one can better protect them.”
It’s not just protecting the sensors, however. Even in the era of driverless cars, occupant protection is still paramount. Indeed, one of the promises of autonomous driving is an accident free world, but perhaps those glasses are a little to rose colored?
“I would love to believe that when we move to autonomous vehicles that we will eliminate traffic accidents but the simple fact is that is not going to be 100 percent true,” Zuidema said. “I think we are going to dramatically reduce the number of traffic accidents but no technology is perfect.”
Zuidema points to both the commercial airline and shipping industries and how they run on automated and connected systems. Despite this, planes still crash and ships still sink.
“Sensors can fail or be occluded by the elements; driving conditions can deteriorate to the point where the sensors may tell the wheels to do something, but if there is no traction, the vehicle is basically a ballistic object,” Zuidema explained. “There is no reason to believe autonomous vehicles, despite the technology, are going to be free of accidents.”
SMDI, ArcelorMittal, and other advocates for steel believe autonomous cars will need passive safety features as much, if not more so, than active ones. Further to that, the future autonomous car needs to be programmed not only to understand the world around it – streets, road signs, traffic etc. – but to understand itself.
Expect The Unexpected
Let’s say an autonomous car encounters a runaway baby carriage and is, in this scenario, left with only two choices since stopping in time is not possible. One, it hits the baby carriage, or swerves to miss it, but will collide with some other object – wall, telephone pole, dump truck etc. – in other words, there is no promising end to this situation. If the car understands it has a very strong safety cage constructed from a very durable material, and highly engineered passive safety systems, that will impact its decision.
On the other hand, if the vehicle understands itself as has having a safety cage of less integrity, and passive safety systems that are, from an engineering perspective, neglected, because we have put too much faith in the accident free promise of autonomy, then its decision could be very different. It may, in fact, hit the baby carriage.
“I realize this may be a stretch but these are the kinds of things you have to think about when it comes to autonomous vehicles,” Zuidema said. “When I think autonomous, I am still thinking the safety cage of the car is going to be equally important, if not more important.”
The three-point safety belt as it appeared in the Volvo PV 544 in 1959. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seat belts saved nearly 13,000 lives in 2014. Photo: Volvo Car Corporation.

Stable Paths & Bold Visions
One of the most prominent examples of safety in the automotive industry is Volvo. Nils Bohlin, a Volvo engineer, is credited with the world’s first 3-point safety belt in 1959. The seat belt is arguably the greatest, most iconic passive safety device of all time, saving countless lives over the last near 60 years. This legacy is carried on through the automaker’s new Scalable Product Architecture (SPA), which utilizes hot formed steel and serves as framework for future Volvos.
“The use of hot-formed, Boron high-strength steel is a tradition for Volvo and provides several benefits in terms of safety and production,” said Jim Nichols, Technology and Product Communications Manager, Volvo Car USA LLC. “SPA allows us to add additional strength and rigidity to our cars while reducing weight and improving crash performance.”
Volvo’s vision is that by 2020 no one should be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo. That’s a full five years before the general consensus on when autonomous cars are expected to be released.
“SPA gets us closer to this vision via additional high-strength steel and an electrical architecture that can support new safety technologies,” Nichols explained. “With the SPA platform, we were able to build both an electrical and network infrastructure that allows for the placement of additional sensors, which support autonomous driving technology.”
Dr. Hall believes such infrastructures are most effective when steel is in the picture.
“We want to deliver the structure of a vehicle that engineers can utilize to give good ride quality, durability, and safety performance,” she said. “However, today, we need to give the sensors for autonomous technology a pathway, and so we design the shape of the steel accordingly.”
Volvo’s belief in autonomous driving is well publicized and they have, in recent times, championed it with much vigor. And while SPA will, with its electrical and network infrastructure, support the technology necessary for autonomous driving, the basis is still on durability and safety.
“Thirty percent of the XC90 architecture, for example, is made from Boron steel, which is among the strongest materials available today,” Nichols said. “This material mix allows us to deflect and absorb crash forces, keeping drivers and passengers safer.”
A Volvo XC60 endures a frontal crash test at 35 mph. Photo: Volvo Car Corporation.
Cost & Energy Consumption
In addition to safety is cost, another concern consumers will inevitably have when faced with an autonomous car. One school of thought suggests going with an aluminum or carbon fiber intensive body to cut weight and therefore, reduce the number of batteries. Since battery and electric powertrains are often associated with autonomous vehicles, steel proponents are implementing strategies accordingly.
“In the past, batteries were very expensive and if you could reduce the number of batteries you needed for a given range of performance, you could reduce the cost of the car,” Zuidema said. “What we see now is the cost of batteries coming down – the marginal costs are such that it is cheaper to make the vehicle a little bit heavier out of steel, and even though you will need slightly more battery storage, the cost of the batteries is nowhere near the cost of converting to aluminum or carbon fiber.”
Steel advocates also point to the environmental benefits during manufacturing, especially as autonomous cars have the potential to reduce emissions themselves. Manufacturing an automobile from steel requires less electricity and CO2, thereby generating a smaller carbon footprint.
“Steel by its very nature requires far less energy during the production phase than other materials like aluminum,” Zuidema explained. “It takes a lot more energy to take aluminum oxide and convert it into pure aluminum metal than it does to take iron oxide and turn it into pure iron.”
General Motors is now testing autonomous technology in Michigan. The Chevy Bolt EVs for the tests feature advanced autonomous systems, along with other hardware designed for occupant safety, like ten standard airbags. The new Chevy Bolt EV utilizes high-strength steel extensively throughout its body structure for additional safety. Photo: General Motors.

Wings & Wheels
While some automakers predict as early as 2021, it’s hard to say just what the autonomous market will become once the vehicles arrive. My emotions on autonomous driving are mixed, although that was not always the case. When I first learned about it, and when we first began covering it here for Automoblog, I was all for it. Today, I am not so sure, but I want to believe in the autonomous car and I will give it a chance. I want to believe the forthcoming autonomous automotive system will give us all the benefits it promises and more.
Imagine a world free of accidents with better infrastructure and reduced emissions.
It’s nothing short of awesome.
However, I am not willing to give up my seat belt for the autonomous automotive system. I am not willing to give up the usage of high-strength steels either that keep us safe during a collision. I will give autonomy a chance but I won’t give it my entire blind faith. Neither should you.
Even though airplanes are the safest form of travel, I still buckle up when I board, and am mindful the nearest exit might be behind me. I even stay awake for the safety presentation. Like we often do with wings in the sky, we take for granted the basics that keep us safe. We should not replicate this with our wheels on the ground, autonomous or otherwise. Our faith in the autonomous system is best predicated upon the understanding of why the modern sensor needs the proven material, and why, for the sake of all the promises of autonomy, they must work in tandem.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.

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Mercedes-AMG GT Concept: The Performance Sedan Of The Future

Mercedes-AMG GT Concept: The Performance Sedan Of The Future

Mercedes-Benz is, at their heart, a big sedan company. Sure, they might build devastatingly quick race cars now and then. They might build beautiful Gullwings every quarter century or so, but at their heart, big, fast sedans is what Mercedes-Benz does.
Witness the Mercedes-AMG GT Concept.
What Ferrari is to road going sports cars, Mercedes-Benz is to big performance sedans: The Benchmark. With the new Mercedes-AMG GT Concept the Stuttgart company just rolled out at Geneva, they hope to redefine what that benchmark is.
Proper Introductions
What the Mercedes-AMG GT Concept does is successfully blend a bunch of odd, disparate elements. The Mercedes-AMG GT Concept wants to be all things to all people. It has the practicality of a four-door sedan, yet the styling of a coupe – working the now fashionable idea of a four-coupe to great effect – it has bags of power as only an engine-obsessed company like Mercedes-Benz can have, yet it gets great gas mileage and pollutes very little since it’s a hybrid; it is most definitely not a sports car, yet it cops design elements from its corporate sibling the AMG GT sports car.
Usually, this does not work. It does not work at all, and usually fails spectacularly. Look at the Pontiac Aztek. That tried to be all things to all people too, and besides ending up a radiating failure, its only real notoriety is that it was the car Walter White drove in Breaking Bad.
The Mercedes-AMG GT Concept works.
Quote Worthy
“With the Mercedes-AMG GT Concept, we are giving a preview of our third completely independently developed sports car and are extending the attractive AMG GT family to include a four-door variant,” said Tobias Moers, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH. “With our AMG GT Concept, that means a combination of an ultra-modern V8 gasoline engine and a high-performance electric motor, both intelligently networked with an extremely powerful yet lightweight battery concept.”
Moers also underscored the performance aspects.
“This hybrid powertrain offers an impressive electric range and the opportunity to generate a system output of up to 805 horsepower in its last level of development, and covers the sprint from 0-60 mph in less than three seconds – which corresponds to the performance of a super sports car,” he said.
Okay, let’s break down what Herr Moers just said.
Photo: Mercedes-Benz USA.

Perception Versus Reality
Look, we could delve deeply into the styling of the car, but ultimately all that is subjective. I can trust anyone with eyes out there to form an opinion on the Mercedes-AMG GT Concept’s looks, and I would wager that most people would find them pleasing. What is not subjective is the drivetrain.
As Herr Moers pointed out, this monster reels out 805 horsepower, which is comparable with the upcoming Ferrari Superfast. Let that sink in for a bit.
Yes, of course this thing is going to weigh more, so it’s going to need a lot of power to hit performance benchmarks like 0 to 60 in less than 3 seconds. But still, that’s a lot of go.
The performance-based hybrid system starts off with a handcrafted AMG 4.0L V8 biturbo engine, mated to an additional, powerful electric motor. Obviously the electric motor is critical to getting this thing to scoot to 60 mph in less than three seconds. The power generated from both sources gets routed to the Bahn via a fully variable AMG performance 4MATIC+ all-wheel drive system. Not only is this a benefit in cruddy weather, it also helps with the prodigious power output in general. Furthermore, with torque vectoring, each wheel can receive torque individually, resulting in a perceptible increase in performance.
Photo: Mercedes-Benz USA.
Track Inspired Performance & Efficiency
There are three operating modes for the AMG GT Concept. It can drive on the electrical system alone, just the combustion engine, or with an optimal combination of both as a hybrid. So, you could drive it as just an EV, sort of like a big Tesla, in a way. You could go with just the turbo V8, in full-on old school mode. Or you could be the clever ape and use both and get all the performance and efficiency you can handle.
The operating strategy of the AMG GT Concept is derived from the hybrid powerpack of the Mercedes Petronas AMG Formula 1 race car that has been kicking butt and taking names for the past three seasons. Three? Four? I can’t remember, and frankly, it’s been going on for far too long.
The AMG GT Concept hybrid system was developed in cooperation with engineers at Mercedes-AMG HPP High Performance Production GmbH. Just like in the Formula 1 car, the AMG GT Concept’s battery is charged while the vehicle is driven so you have maximum electrical power available at all times.
Photo: Mercedes-Benz USA.

Future Tastes
“The AMG GT Concept gives a sneak preview of the exterior design coming to the series production model,” according to a Mercedes-Benz press release.
That means they are going to build this thing, but like all show cars, what ends up in the dealership won’t be exactly what you see here. All show cars have a certain amount of gee-wiz stuff on them – gyroscopic self-leveling ashtrays and such. That’s the sort of stuff that doesn’t make it to production.
What will make it, however, will be the general look of the AMG GT Concept and its innovative, powerful hybrid drive system. No word on when it will arrive or what the price will be, but the AMG GT Concept sure seems close to production. It’s also not too wild of a guess to say this thing will cost many, many dollars. In the meantime, the Mercedes-AMG GT Concept is on display at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
Mercedes-AMG GT Concept Gallery

Photos & Source: Mercedes-Benz USA

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Cadillac Unveils New User Experience Technology

Cadillac Unveils New User Experience Technology

This is a strange thing to try and comprehend, but I bet you’ll end up seeing more and more of it as our dashboards and our smartphones overlap in some great Venn diagram of user interfaces. Cadillac has just updated what it calls the “user experience” in its CTS sedan.
As it turns out, this generic term of “user experience” is something I have quite a bit of experience with. I work with a lot with game companies, training outfits, and people who do museum designs and stuff like that.
“User experience” is a catch all phrase that all boils down to this: “How does the person using “this” [and “this” can be anything from a kiosk in a museum to a training film] come out at the end of the encounter?”
Museums To Motor Cars
Ideally, you want your audience, say a bunch of grade school kids at a natural history museum, to know more about dinosaurs at the end of the day. Cadillac is applying this basic idea so as to better integrate people, both passengers and drivers, into its cars. You could sort of see it coming, if you’ve been paying attention.
First off, everyone seems to have a smartphone or a tablet or both. That ubiquity is very attractive to almost anyone who makes or sells things. Beyond giving you a place to attach your smartphone to your dash, it quickly grew to integrating smartphone systems with automotive ones. Getting songs to the speakers of your car from your iPod quickly grew to factory integration of things like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. So how long before it grows to be more than that?
If Cadillac has anything to say about it, how long is now.
Photo: Cadillac.
Personalized Preferences
This next-generation user experience system debuts in the new Cadillac CTS, and will be arriving at U.S. dealerships soon. Cadillac plans to include the system in the XTS and ATS sedans in 2018 with other product lines to follow. The aim is for the system to offer a more personalized, intuitive interface with the upgrade.
Cadillac wants a dynamic environment that can be fine-tuned over time to meet a customer’s evolving connectivity needs. They also want to leverage cloud computing to further personalize vehicles, be it for better navigation, or updating and installing different applications via the Collection app store.
Caddy is aiming to apply the functionality of apps and smartphone practices into the vehicle. Which is a clever way to approach this. They aim to provide customers easier access to common features via a Summary View where key applications like climate, audio, phone, and navigation are displayed on one screen. My Driver Preferences is what Cadillac calls it, and yes, that sounds like a third rate appropriation of something Apple would have done in 1988, but give them a chance, they’re still learning.
My Driver Preferences are individualized, cloud-based profiles that allow you to jigger the infotainment system to match personal preferences, and take that with you to any new Cadillac user experience equipped vehicle. You know power seats with memory functions? Think of it like that on steroids. You hop into your rental Cadillac, log in, and how you and the car talk to one another is just like your personal car back home.
Photo: Cadillac.

Predictive Preferences
So you can tweak things like vehicle and display settings, contact favorites, navigation route preferences, and recent destinations. A particular driver creates an individual account for their preferences across all Cadillacs and then can manage them either in the vehicle or via myCadillac Owner Center on the Cadillac website.
Of course this all integrates with your smartphone (Cadillac might be a lot of things, but they ain’t stupid).
The new system features an available, all-new navigation app with what Caddy calls “an intuitive interface” that gives a driver access to destination information via available cloud-based services. This includes updated points of interest, live traffic information, fuel prices, and parking information.
And yes, all that sounds good, but what Cadillac will need to sell is using their system over Google Maps or the like. The Cadillac system does have enhanced voice recognition and improved onscreen search functions, so you can access more relevant search results. This is a subscription-based system that can learn your preferred routes and destinations, even going as far as offering predictive suggestions based upon traffic and frequent destinations.
Why is it that these sorts of things in cars want to try and second guess what you need or want, and then feed you recommendations? Besides being rather cloying and most likely a pain in the rear, the answer is obvious: Money.
Photo: Cadillac.
Mindful Usage
Not only will a car company (General Motors via Cadillac, in this case) get a lot of demographic data to sift through, they can sell that to potential business partners. Like selling how many Cadillac owners searched for and actually went to a Chili’s while on the road to Brinker International. It’s sort of like Big Brother, only instead of dragging you to Room 101, they manipulate you into spending money at a chain restaurant in a strip mall.
All of this feel-good and semi-useful totalitarianism comes standard on new Cadillacs equipped with the user experience system as an available, opt-in 12-month connected navigation trial. So in a way, it’s sort of like OnStar, only more so. If you want to geek out on this, it functions via the built-in OnStar 4G LTE platform, which with customer consent, allows Cadillac to remotely update various features.
“With customer consent” is an important term to keep in mind for . . . well, most likely the rest of our lives now.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
Photos & Source: Cadillac

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Report: Could a new Toyota MR2 be on the horizon?

Report: Could a new Toyota MR2 be on the horizon? Following the media frenzy of the 2017 Geneva Auto Show, rumors suggests some new Toyota sports cars are on the way.
What’s going on?
A new report from EVO suggests Toyota could be furthering the process of reuniting with its past of making affordable sports cars. Toyota delivered pretty well to the enthusiasts with the 86 sports coupe–those complaining about lack of power notwithstanding.
But now, the new report says Toyota’s planning two additional sports models, one of which might signal the return of the MR2. Yup, you read that correctly.

Please, say it is so…
I wish I could, but there’s no genuine and real confirmation from Toyota quite yet. But EVO did manage to speak with CEO Tetsuya Tada, who hinted at the prospect. He first recognized the 86 and the obvious collaboration with BMW, summoning the return of the Supra. Then, Tada ambiguously admitted that a third model will join the lineup, resulting in a total of three sports cars. By the time the lineup is fulfilled, a new generation 86 will have arrived.
To many, the hints Tada shared suggests a new MR2 is on the way considering Toyota’s past lineup of sports cars that led itself to recognition by enthusiasts.
Originally, Toyota’s sports car lineup consisted of the flagship Supra. Then, you had the mid-engined MR2. And at the entry-level, you had the lovely Celica.
We already know a Supra is on the way. So gap filled. The current and next-gen 86 serves the purpose of the Celica. Gap number two, filled. What does that leave? The MR2.
It’s not all just the talk of the town…
For those of you already skeptical and thinking: this is Toyota folks, there’s no way the maker of the Camry and the Corolla will do this when people don’t care about cars yada yada yada yada yada….
But you see, this is false. Subcompact sports cars with low horsepower, but excellent chassis and handling dynamics are becoming increasingly popular. Or, at least demand is strong enough for Honda to make an all-new one–the S660.
The MR2 would technically be a step above the S660. But Honda is already rumored to be working on reviving the S2000. So the Japanese affordable sports car wars are back.
– By: Chris Chin
Source: EVO
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