Clever carscontentsHeads-up on HUDs – 3

embracing our electric future – 4

Anatomy of Mclaren’s supercar – 8

looking ahead with ‘third eye’ – 15

Under the skin of Dakar hellraisers – 19

Power play – 23

Say hello to your automotive futureHaving recently experienced some exhilarating drives on road and track, in machines ranging from wild to disconcertingly civilised, we are reminded of the remarkable advances in automotive technology across almost every conceivable discipline. engineers, metallurgists, computer programmers, aerody-namics experts and myriad other professionals have combined their talents to produce cars that not only look and feel good, but also entertain, guide, inform and protect their occupants.

If we didn’t know better, we might be tempted to say that the art of car manufacture is approaching its apogee. The good news is that we’ve barely started. – The Editors

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EyEs… frontposted on-screen. These indicate points of interest and road conditions ahead.

According to Making Virtual Solid, all that’s needed is a small hardware package.

Surveys demonstrate that consumers find current satnavs counter-intuitive and stressful, the company says. Virtual Cable has the potential to allow drivers to go where they want confidently, without hav-ing to estimate the distance to the next turn, searching for the next intersection on an unlit roadway at night, turning down the radio to hear directions, or refocusing eyesight as they look from road to a map screen and back to the road again.

The Virtual Cable display is a factory-installed component option of an auto- motive navigation system that can be integrated with any method of route planning: voice interface, in-car instru-ment panel screen, portable map display system, cellphone, PDA, or PC. Portable alternative systems such as smartphones or portable GPS systems can be poten-tially integrated with the Virtual Cable. These devices can be made to display location based services (LBS) information to passengers, leaving wayfinding to the Virtual Cable system.

The Virtual Cable display does not alter the appearance of the car: all the driver will see is a fine mesh embedded in a transparent panel in the dashboard ahead of him. The colour of the mesh may be set to match the appearance of the dashboard. ■

The effect is rather like adding layers to Google maps – but far more realistic

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W ith all the technology packed into today’s cars, and the need to monitor all of it, keeping your

eyes on the road can be tough. That’s why several car manufacturers have bor-rowed head-up technology from fighter pilots. Projecting vital information to cre-ate a virtual display in the driver’s field of vision is a definite boost for road safety.

Until now, that kind of tech has largely been restricted to upmarket cars as origi-nal equipment. However, True3D’s Head Up Display could bring the benefits of this kind of system to the aftermarket.

Like conventional HUDs, the True3D system keeps drivers focused on the road instead of on a sometimes hard-to-read screen (with hard-to-hear voice instructions) mounted off to one side.

But True3D goes one better: it subtly merges the satnav direction informa-tion with what’s happening in reality up ahead. The idea was smart enough to win True3D the €20 000 Galileo Master 2011 grand prize at this year’s European

Satellite Navigation Competition.California-based company Making

Virtual Solid calls True3D “an augmented reality navigational display engine designed to provide non-distracting, translucent location guidance”.

Here’s the killer part of this set up: where regular Head Up Displays beam a fairly small image ahead of the driver, True3D projects the display across the car’s entire front window. The effect is rather like adding layers to Google maps – but far more realistic, because it uses 3D technology to provide accurate depth perception. Imagery is stable and visible even in bright sunlight.

And you know that highlighted strip on the satnav display, indicating the route you need to be taking? In True3D, this becomes an overhead “virtual cable” for the driver to follow. In another re-ally clever twist, virtual road signs are

Virtual Cable head-up display is overlaid on the entire windscreen, instead of in an isolated section as with conventional systems. Above: components intrude minimally on car interior.

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electric future?By 2020, it’s been predicted, there could be 14 million electric vehicles on the road as the world searches for alter-natives to fossil fuels and tries to ward off climate change.

With hybrid sales already in the millions and manufacturers rushing EVs to market – even South Africa has got in on the act, with its Joule – there is every reason to be confident that those predictions are well founded.

But there doesn’t appear to be an easy solution to EVs’ single biggest problem: range. Currently, the EV average is about 150 km on a charge.

According to Forbes, the average American drives less than 50 km in a typ-ical day, from their home, to destinations such as their place of business, gym, and supermarket. And there are several different types of models to fit individual needs. A 100 per cent battery-electric car such as the Nissan Leaf or the newly announced Chevy Spark EV are great for short-range driving, and running errands, especially if you live in a city.

Vehicles such as the Chevy Volt, whose petrol engine is essentially there

solely to recharge the electrical system, provide an alternative of sorts.

There are three questions that need to be asked before you consider buying an electric vehicle:➜ How far do you drive?➜ Will an electric vehicle save you money?➜ How will you charge your car?

Nissan certainly believes that the time has arrived for electric vehicle mobility in South Africa.

The company’s vice-president of prod-uct planning and zero emission business, Pierre Loing, told the 2011 Car Conference at the Johannesburg International Motor Show that the success of the multiple award-winning Nissan Leaf had paved the way for greater acceptance of EV technology.

According to Nissan, South Africa – which is preparing to beef up its climate policy – is poised to join a growing list of countries taking delivery of the Leaf, the first in a planned line-up of mass-produced 100 per cent EVs. Close to 100 partner-ships have already been signed with governments, private companies and other organisations in Europe, Japan and

North America to ensure the successful adoption of EVs.

Together with Alliance partner Renault, and a combined four-billion-euro invest-ment in EV and battery development, Nissan aims to put 1,5 million EVs on the world’s roads worldwide by 2016. The company believes 1 in every 10 new vehicles sales by 2020 will be an EV.

Nissan is specifically targeting people who undertake short-distance travel. Of the 61,8 million vehicles sold globally in 2009, an estimated 10 million are used primarily in urban areas with relatively

short driving distances. “The average EV range of around 160 km on a single charge is, therefore, sufficient for most daily trips,” Loing said.

The company’s vision of electric vehicles and environment-friendly towns envisages lifestyles changing in attractive ways. While they’ll be routinely charged at home, drivers will be able to take advantage of fast chargers at shopping centres and the like, topping up while they shop. With the spreading use of cleaner energy and construction of infrastructure like park-and-ride lots and non-contact charging stations, cities and towns and the lives of the people living in them will be richer and more attractive.

Potential lifestyle changes resulting from increased EV use include:● Park-and-ride systems. People use conventional cars or public transport to gather at a central point, where they switch to EVs.● Dedicated EV lanes.● Petrol/diesel-free areas.● Quick charging. Convenience stores and other small businesses will offer rapid-charging stands and contactless systems – “charge while you shop”.● Smart communities. Combining alternative energy sources such as solar and wind power – which can be intermit-tent – with rechargeable batteries and EVs for better, more consistent energy management.

On the chargePossibly the biggest obstacle to the up-take of EVs will be charging infrastructure.

Nissan is setting up charging infra-structure and access to charging points through partnerships with “electric mobility operators”.

Seven car manufacturers – Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche and Volkswagen – are collaborating on a joint approach to EV fast charging. They’ve agreed to support a harmonised single-port fast-charging approach for use on electric vehicles in Europe and the United States. The system is a com-bined charging approach that integrates all charging scenarios into one vehicle inlet/charging connector and uses identi-cal ways for the vehicle to communicate with the charging station:

The seven also agreed to use Home-Plug GreenPHY as the communication protocol. This approach will facilitate integration of the electric vehicle into future smart grid applications.

Standardisation, it’s said, will reduce build complexity for manufacturers, accelerate the installation of common systems internationally and, most impor-tantly, improve the ownership experience for EV drivers.

Besides the car manufacturers, others are getting in on the act in an effort to solve the problem of range and charg-ing. IBM recently announced that it had teamed with EKZ, the electricity util-ity provider of the Canton of Zurich in Switzerland, on a new pilot project that will allow consumers to conveniently charge electric vehicles and monitor their energy costs, using mobile devices. This near real-time information will also help

Ford Focus Electric owners will be provided with a suite of driver information systems designed to help them manage the recharge process, manage the most eco-friendly route onboard, monitor battery state of charge and maximise energy efficiency to optimise their driving range. Among these tools is a unique execution of MyFord Touch driver connect technology (below).

The three-seat Pivo 3, Nissan’s idea of a future commuter EV, is able to recharge and park itself autono-mously – and come when called by smartphone.

In under a decade, one in every 10 new vehicles sold will be an EV.

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utility providers better manage power grid loads during peak charging times – a challenge that is set to grow as more electric vehicles are on the road.

The pilot combines a Web-based app designed and developed by IBM scientists in Zurich and a data recording device created by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW). The device, roughly the size of a phonebook, was installed in several electric vehicles, including a Renault Twingo, to collect in-formation on the vehicle’s battery charge level, location and the power source. The device transmits the data via a cellular network to an IBM cloud. This monitoring capability not only benefits the user, but also provides utility providers with further insight into energy generation and consumption. 

The project has the potential to con-tribute to Switzerland’s energy policy goal of increasing the proportion of electricity produced from renewable energy by 5 400 gigawatt hours (GWh), or 10 per cent of the country’s present-day electricity consumption, by 2030.

“Electric vehicles can be used to buf-fer the irregular production of electricity from future renewable sources, which will contribute to the overall stability of the electrical network,” predicts Peter

Franken, head of the Energy Distribu-tion department of EKZ and executive management member. “With this project we can show how electric vehicles can create a balance between supply and demand for smarter energy grids.” 

The IBM app runs on most smart-phones, tablets and Web browsers, and provides an integration point between the vehicle, the utility provider and the driver. Using a simple four-button inter-face the app shows the vehicle’s battery level, range of travel distance, vehicle location, charge schedule and current energy costs in real time.  

Whether at home, in the office or thousands of kilometres away, electric vehicle owners can quickly consult their mobile device to check whether their car’s battery level is sufficient for its next use. Another advantage of the app is that it can be programmed to start bat-tery charging at a future point in time, for example when rates are lowest or when a trip is planned. 

The IBM app also allows vehicle owners to delegate the responsibility of recharging the battery to the utility provider, which can schedule charges based on the availability of renewable resources, such as sun and wind, allowing the utility to improve load balancing and prevent outages.

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IBM teamed up with Swiss electric utility EKZ to create a Web-based smartphone app that manages recharging – successfully demonstrated in a pilot project with a Renault Twingo – via the cloud.

Into the cloudMeanwhile, Ford is taking its quest for smart vehicles into the cloud. Research-ers and engineers have been working on technology designed to personalise the driving experience that is centred on three areas of cloud-based innovation: intelligent routing, intelligent driving and intelligent operation.

Ford’s commitment to the technology was further showcased when the Ford Evos Concept was introduced at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in Septem-ber. The Evos Concept explores the potential for connecting a vehicle to the cloud in order to tailor the driving experience based on variables such as personal tastes and moods of the driver.

 Existing Ford cloud-based services through the Ford SYNC system have been restricted to infotainment, naviga-tion and real-time traffic purposes. How-ever, this technology has the potential to empower vehicles to anticipate a driver’s needs for various reasons, such as opti-mising a vehicle’s powertrain efficiency, Ford claims – say, in a hybrid, switching automatically from petrol to all-electric mode when entering a low-emission zone.

Work is now under way to study the feasibility of incorporating variables such as driver style and habits into the optimi-sation process. ■

Sources: The Newsmarket, Nissan, Ford, IBM.

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anatomy of a

supercarBe still, our hearts

We have a question for one of McLaren’s people as we stroll around the company’s futuristic Technology Centre in Woking, England: what’s it like to work for (executive chairman) Ron Dennis?

He thinks for a moment before responding: “Well, he’s quite strong-willed, almost obsessive...”. Then he adds with a grin: “Nothing wrong with that.”

And therein lies a key element of the success story that is McLaren Automotive. The brand may have expanded from racing team to full-fledged manufacturer of high-performance sportscars in a remarkably short space of time, but it retains the mix of derring-do, technological wizardry and meticulous attention to detail (not to mention the dominant DNA of the company boss) that has elevated McLaren’s name to the pantheon of F1 superstars. Of course, it helps that some of the company’s investors have very deep pockets...

But it’s the wizardry bit that interests us. Specifically, the thinking and engineering skill behind the McLaren MP4-12C sportscar on which the company is pinning its hopes featured in last month’s issue of PM (visit our Web site at www.popularmechanics.co.za to check out the technically dodgy but dynamically authentic video captured during our recent outing with test driver Mat Jackson at Dunsfold Park aerodrome in England).

Located close to the McLaren Technology Centre, Dunsfold has proved a highly effective base for the 12C development programme. It is there that the car’s bespoke components – including the one-piece carbon MonoCell chassis, the unique proactive chassis control suspension system, the airbrake and the race-derived brake steer technology – were first tested and tuned in unison. In fact, the 12C was conceived, designed and developed under the same roof as McLaren Racing’s Formula 1 team, resulting in a car that the company punts as “faster, more efficient, more agile and more comfort-able than any other sportscar in the world”.

A critical step in its design and evolution was the early definition of its technical specs, accomplished with the aid of an advanced simulation programme – an approach taken by McLaren’s Formula 1 team each time it designs a race car. Their simulator, reportedly the most advanced in motorsport, was conceived by research director Dick Glover during his time with McLaren Racing, and it’s so important that we

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Above: A “chrome” version of the McLaren MP4-12C, courtesy of the company’s Special Operations team, which attempts to meet virtually any customer demand. Opposite page: The first production car takes shape. Left: A profile view of the car’s lightweight chassis shows how the “business end” bolts to the carbon-fibre MonoCell tub.

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weren’t allowed to even take a peek at it.Says Glover, one of many former

McLaren Racing experts who have joined the McLaren Automotive team: “Having the simulator at our disposal from the start of the 12C development programme has been a tremendous asset. We were able to accurately predict the dynamic performance of our very first concept-phase vehicle and ensure that it was suitable for extreme testing from day one. It would be incredibly difficult to achieve similar results if you were designing and building a car without simulation.”

He makes the point that they use pro-fessional racing drivers in their develop-ment team. “Throughout the real-world testing programme, we continually schedule time for them in the simulator to fine-tune the performance and driving characteristics of the 12C. This experi-ence is then validated back against real-world conditions at one of the test facilities we use around the world. It’s

an ongoing, dynamic, feedback process that mixes the best of technology with the best hands-on track work.”

Monocell moulded chassisImmensely strong and durable, the hollow one-piece moulded MonoCell chassis takes carbon innovation to a new level, packing the essential at-tributes of occupant safety, structural integrity, light weight and relatively low construction costs into a tub weighing just 75 kg – about 25 per cent lighter than a comparable aluminium chassis. It’s manufactured in one piece through a resin transfer moulding process and can be turned out in just four hours (against the 3 000 hours required by the carbon chassis of the legendary MacLaren F1 road car).

Some 25 per cent stiffer than an equivalent all-metal structure, it provides the 12C with a higher torsional stiffness-to-weight ratio than competitors. This

inherent rigidity means that the front sus-pension system, mounted directly on to the MonoCell, requires less compromise for the flexibility of the suspension itself, making it easier to develop a balance be-tween supple ride and precise handling.

Not surprisingly, McLaren’s designers and engineers worked long and hard on weight-saving measures. Among them:● The facia airbags, steering column and a significant number of interior compo-

The fundamental advantages for a sportscar lie in the physics of the moment of inertia, weight distribution, the division of steering and drive, grip, traction and handling. The mo-ment of inertia describes how easy or difficult it is to turn an object. In the case of a car, the more weight that is located near to the centre between the axles, rather than towards the front or rear, the easier it will be to change direction.

This reduces the polar moment of inertia, or the tendency of heavy items at the front or rear to act as a pendulum. In short, the polar moment of a car determines its agility; there-fore, weight distribution is crucial to balanced handling.

The natural starting point for weight distribution is 50:50 on the front and rear axles in order to have an equal weight acting on all four wheels, which in turn affects the level of grip each can provide. Determining a pre-ferred level of understeer or oversteer alters the 50:50 displacement and then gives a car its own personality.

In the case of the MP4-12C, how-ever, a 43:57 ratio was chosen in the interests of better traction and a neutral balance. The 12C keeps as much weight as close to the road as possible in order to lower the centre of gravity. As McLaren’s designers tell it, rear-wheel drive allows the front axle to concentrate on steering without being “polluted” by torque. – McLaren

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10 Clever cars Clever cars 11

nents all mount to a one-piece die-cast magnesium beam that offers the same density as plastic and is 75 per cent lighter than steel. Structural analysis and casting simulation has delivered a com-plex part capable of carrying all loads without additional brackets or fixings.● The close position of the driver and passenger allows for a narrower, lighter body while giving improved visibility with a clearer perception of the car’s extremities. Having tried it for ourselves, we’re happy to report that this doesn’t bring driver and passenger into intimate contact. And yes, the view is surprisingly good.● The compact V8 engine, coupled to a similarly compact gearbox, is extremely light and also quite short, keeping the car’s length to a minimum.● The 12C’s standard brakes, incorporat-ing a forged aluminium housing that at-taches to the cast iron brake disc, reduce overall vehicle- and unsprung mass. (Carbon ceramic brakes with cooling

ducts will be available as an option.)● Lightweight exhaust pipes exit straight from the rear of the car to minimise their length and weight.● Significant weight was pared from the alloy wheels through finite element analysis.● The engine cooling radiators are mid-mounted, as close to the engine as possible, to minimise the pipework, the fluids contained within them, and there-fore weight.● Lighter hexagonal wiring saves almost 4 kg over conventional wiring.● A new lithium-ion battery saves more than half the weight (over 10 kg) of a traditional lead-acid unit.

Personal experience confirms that the 12C delivers on its aim of making the driver comfortable, mostly by employing a cockpit design – featuring a fair degree of seat and steering wheel adjustment – that works for occupants other than the lean and hungry type.

The there are the switches, knobs and stuff. “P” changes throttle response and acoustics, gearbox strategy, shift times and impulse (that is, how much you can “feel” gear changes); the coaxial “Manual” button controls manual gearbox functions; “H” changes stability control, steering weight, suspension firmness and roll stiffness; the “Aero” button allows you to deploy the airbrake to a 15-degree downforce position.

Ron Dennis has the last word (by all accounts, this is not unusual): “We have long held the dream of building a range of innovative McLaren sportscars… sportscars that take the raw elements of Formula 1 principles, processes and per-formance and forge them into a unique package that adds the requirements of quality, efficiency, comfort and reliability – traditionally opposing goals that I know we can deliver.”

The MP4-12C is an excellent start. We await the next one with great interest. ■

spOrtscar physIcs 101

McLaren’s advanced driving simulator plays a critical role in the development of the company’s road and track cars.

Below: An exploded view of the “bespoke” MP4-12C, showing the fire-breathing twin-turbo V8 behind the driver. Every component was conceived and designed by McLaren.

Encapsulating Ford’s Kinetic Design styling, the Focus exudes a dynamic presence that’s matched by an unforgettable agility, power and precision. From the driver-orientated cockpit to the responsiveness of the steering, throttle and brakes, and the feel of the switches and controls, this car makes you feel part of it.

But it’s what you don’t immediately see that adds up to a truly remarkable drive experience. Dynamics benefit from the acclaimed Torque Vectoring Control, while you’ll enjoy unparallelled convenience thanks to features such as EasyFuel capless refuelling, Bluetooth with Voice Control, Sony radio/CD with 65-mm multi-functional display and MP3 connection, Power Start button and automatic wipers and headlights. But there are two technologies highlighted in the new range that are justifiably deserving of more attention: planet-friendly EcoMode and sporty yet convenient PowerShift.

PowerShift: convenient meets sporty Combining the convenience of an automatic and the performance normally associated with a manual, Ford PowerShift is a new 6-speed automatic transmission designed for lightning-fast gear changes, with no disruption to the flow of power. But it’s more economical, too, compared with a conven-tional automatic. A manual mode allows you to switch gears at the flick of the shifter.

Like a manual, PowerShift has layshafts and input shafts, but actually consists of two transmissions working in parallel, each with its own automatic wet clutch. In practice, the system selects the next gear in advance; when it does change up or down, there’s no delay. Most importantly, the changes are seamless, even at full power.

Operating Ford’s PowerShift transmission is pretty much like operating a conventional automatic transmission. A standard automatic gear lever in the centre console offers P, R, N and D settings.

In addition to D (Drive) fully automatic mode, there’s also a manual setting. Moving the gear lever to the right activates sequential shifting: change up or down by nudging the gear lever forwards or backwards.

The advantages don’t end there. One of the bugbears of traditional autoboxes has been the tendency for cars to creep forwards when stationary and in gear. PowerShift gets around that problem with a built-in “Neutral idle control” that helps to keep the vehicle motionless with the gear lever in the D posi-tion when the brakes are applied.

But possibly the biggest overall advantage of PowerShift is that, because there are no torque converters or planetary gear sets, there’s very little mechanical drag compared with power-sapping conventional autos.

Thanks to this superior efficiency, PowerShift offers excellent fuel economy, performance and shift quality. Measured against conventional autos, it achieves fuel consumption and CO2 emissions savings

Feel the difference

Drivers who score 95 per cent in EcoMode earn an “Eco Champion” accolade – but more importantly they will be saving fuel and reducing emissions.

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of between 4 to 12 per cent. It delivers outstanding driving smoothness per-formance with a minimum of clutch slip during the entire speed range. As a result, overtaking is safer than with a traditional automatic transmission.

The system is very flexible and can be easily calibrated to suit various applica-tions. It is tough, too, having been tested in extreme ambient temperatures to ensure robustness, reliability and performance. The wet clutches, in particular, have been designed to withstand tremendous abuse and can handle torque loads well in excess of the Focus’s output.

PowerShift is available on Trend models in the 4-door body style only and is avail-able with either 2.0TDCi (diesel) and 2.0GDi (petrol) engines.

EcoMode: an attitude thingEconomy only starts with fuel-efficient technologies. In fact, driving attitude and style can have an even greater impact on economy.

But driving economically can be a drag. That’s why EcoMode puts the fun back into driving “green”.

Essentially, it’s a driver analysis techno-logy that helps get more from a tankful by fine-tuning driving style. This eco-friendly

feature really does pay dividends at the pumps – and it’s fun, with an engag-ing computer-game approach that helps you keep speed down, drive smoothly, and change gear early to minimise fuel consumption and reduce harmful CO2 emis-sions. Ford estimates potential savings of at least 5 per cent.

EcoMode is a software-based feature that uses algorithms developed from a database of “eco-driving” techniques to help motorists achieve maximum real-world fuel economy.

The system is incorporated in the car’s instrument cluster within the trip com-puter menu. It monitors parameters such as vehicle speed, engine revs, engine torque and engine temperatures, and the position of clutch, accelerator and gear lever. It even calculates the percentage of fuel-gobbling cold-engine short trips made and flashes up messages such as “early shifting saves fuel”, or “smooth driving saves fuel”.

When EcoMode is accessed, three flower icons with five petals show up in

the instrument cluster. The first flower represents gearshifting behaviour, the second flower represents driver anticipa-tion or how smoothly the vehicle is being driven, and the third and final flower repre-sents speed. If you drive economically, you are rewarded with illuminated petals on the flowers. The more efficiently you drive, the more petals you light up.

EcoMode scores driving performance on a cumulative basis, but the system can be zeroed by resetting the average fuel con-sumption trip meter. When this happens drivers start with two petals in each index. Motorists who score more than 75 per cent efficiency will be rewarded with an advanced ECO Driver graphic in the clus-ter. Should they hit 95 per cent they’ll be crowned ECO Champion.

The potential is significant: Ford offers eco driver training through its Driving Skills for Life (DSFL) programme and participants have shown significant improvement.

Although EcoMode is not a game, it can be very rewarding to achieve a high score. If people want to use it to improve their driving style they can. If people believe they are driving well anyway, they always have a reference.

Ford EcoMode is available on Trend PowerShift and Sport models. ■

Sound system features a 65 mm multi-function display.

Ford EcoMode

Very Good!ECO Champion

Ford EcoMode

PowerShift is as easy to operate as a conventional automatic transmission, with manual sequential shifts also available at a flick of the lever.

Bluetooth with voice control operated by satellite switches.

Sensory overload can be a real problem in the driving seat. Given the masses of traffic, environment and vehicle information our brains have to process, even at low speed

it’s hardly surprising that we either simply don’t see certain things or misinterpret them… often with unpleasant conse-quences. Now, imagine if you had something that could see on your behalf – and interpret what it sees.

Many premium vehicles feature technologies that are able to adjust lighting to suit driving conditions, to distinguish between pedestrians and other obstacles, and to slow automatically (some can even brake the car to a complete stop).

And those technologies are now coming to an everyday average car near you. Netherlands-based Mobileye, the tech-nology leader in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), is steadily rolling out its product to the aftermarket. Mobileye has developed a unique vision-based platform that is integrated into the vehicles of a growing number of manufacturers includ-ing Volvo, BMW, Renault trucks, Hyundai and GM. It can be installed as a retrofit product as well.

Driven by proprietary chipset and algorithms, Mobileye’s technology provides what the company refers to as a “third eye” to mitigate and reduce the risk of collision.

The collision prevention technology has been refined over more than a decade. It’s now adopted as a stan-dard core safety feature. High-intensity, colour-coded visual icons and audible alerts are designed to reinforce safe driving habits such as indicator use, proper following distance and situational awareness.

The company’s existing driver aids include Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Head-way Monitoring and Warning and Pedestrian Collision.

How does it work? A smart camera, mounted on the vehicle’s windscreen, constantly monitors the road ahead. The camera utilises vehicle, lane and pedestrian detec-tion technologies to measure the distance to other vehicles, lane markings and pedestrians. It provides real-time audiovisual alerts to the driver if a collision with a vehicle, pedestrian, cyclist

or motorcycle is imminent. The idea is to prevent unintended lane departures, rear-end collisions with cars and motorcycles in highway and urban environments, and collisions with pedes-trians and cyclists.

Its latest update, announced at the Frankfurt Motor Show, features these industry-first aftermarket technologies:Intelligent High-Beam Control. IHC automatically turns on high beam, switching from low beam on dark roads with no nearby traffic. IHC also automatically turns off the brights when oncoming cars approach, keeping other drivers from being blinded. (Studies have found that, when exposed to glare, drivers consistently altered their driving behaviour, notably their speed and position in the lane).Speed Limit Indication. SLI, based on Mobileye’s artificial

vision technology, recognises speed limit and supple-mentary signs, “reads” the speed limit and com-

municates it via the dedicated CAN channel for telematics and third-party integrators.

Additionally, depending on the model, the system can be enhanced to

support third-party add-on applica-tions, such as intelligent Event Data Recording (EDR), vehicle tracking via GPS integration, Fleet Manage-ment System (FMS) integration, in-tegration with black box solutions and connectivity with external displays. Combining event data with other driver and vehicle per-

formance data can provide a rich set of information to fleet customers

aiming to manage exceptions and identify poor driving trends. US company Dart Transit is one of the

latest to adopt Mobileye technology for its

Looking ahEad

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‘Third eye’ tech can alert you to a collision – before it happens

Mobileye’s latest aftermarket unit is able to distinguish between pedestrians and traffic up ahead, to warn whether the driver has strayed over the lane markings, and to switch the main beams on and off automatically.

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fleet. “We found Mobileye’s techno-logy gave our independent contractors the tools to take safe driving to the next level,” says Gary Volkman, Dart’s vice-president of safety compli-ance. “We believe Mobileye will help our drivers leave a safe following distance, maintain lane position and avoid distractions, making the roads safer for every driver as we

provide our customers with reliable service.” And there’s more to come: at Frankfurt, Mobileye CEO Isaac Litman promised a technology roadmap featuring additional innovative break-through technologies that would revolutionise the ADAS industry in early 2012.

To find out more, visit mobileye.com and mixtelematics.com

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The Mobileye C2-Series is able to identify pedestrians and bicyclists during daytime: the camera recognises and tracks pedestrians (right), de-tects if they are on a collision path with a car or truck and alerts the driver with visual and audio warnings before a possible collision, thus giving him enough time to react.● Lane Departure Warn-ing (LDW) detects the lane markings on the road and measures the position of the vehicle relative to those markings. Mobileye’s Lane Departure Warning warns the driver when a car or truck is leaving its lane uninten-tionally, for example, when

the driver falls asleep or is distracted. The application detects all types of lane markings and additionally in-creases the driving safety by an adjustable warning time.● Forward Collision Warning (FCW) detects the motion dynamics between the vehicle and the car, motorcycle or truck ahead of it, and issues a warning for any impending rear-end col-lisions. Taking the distance between the two vehicles and the relative travel speed into account, the sophisticat-ed algorithm calculates the time to collision and warns the driver up to 2,7 seconds before a possible impact.

According to Mobileye, nearly 80 per cent of crashes are due to distracted driving three seconds before an accident.● Headway Monitor-ing (HWM) assists drivers

in keeping a safe driving distance. It continuously cal-culates the headway to the closest in-path vehicle and displays it to the driver, thus reducing the probability of an accident. ■

BMW is one of the manufacturers to integrate pedestrian-sensing technology with its vehicles.

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The 2012 Dakar Rally, which starts in Mar del Plata in Argentina on 1 January, is a charismatic sporting event up there with the Tour de France cycle race and the Le Mans 24 Hours. For the first two weeks of every January it attracts millions of spectators along its 9 000-kilometre route – and millions more television viewers around the world.

This year’s 33rd running of the world’s longest and toughest motor race will feature a number of South Africans and, notably, uniquely South African vehicles.

Imperial toyota hilux V8Two Imperial Toyota Hilux V8 double cabs pickups, designed and built for the Dakar by Kyalami-based Hallspeed, will be driven by South Africa’s only Dakar Rally winner and Red Bull athlete Giniel de Villiers, paired with German co-driver and fellow Red Bull athlete Dirk von Zitzewitz, and four-times SA off-road champion Duncan Vos with co-driver Rob Howie.

The Hiluxes are based on the production version and utilise standard components wherever possible, modified where necessary to cope

With vehicles designed and built in South Africa, and pedigreed local crew, these teams have reason to fancy their chances By PETEr BurroughEs

Dakar, Here We CoMe

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Top left: Standard steel Hilux body gets spaceframe chassis, composite panels and V8 engine. Left: Custom-designed exhaust is handmade.

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torp

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with the extreme conditions. Speaking of extreme, because of the 170 degrees under-bonnet tempera-tures, the highest spec aeronautical cable and heat shielding are used for the engine management har-ness. Eight handmade separate sub-harnesses make up the wiring system and in total there are 450 metres of wire and 37 separate electrical connectors.

Apart from the Group N engine, which is Toyota’s latest production 4,6-litre all-aluminium variable quad-cam V8 fitted with a 35 mm restrictor to meet Dakar regulations, and the French-built SADEV six-speed sequential gearbox, built to Toyota Motorsport’s speci-fications, almost all the other components have been built in South Africa. The specially designed exhaust system is handmade.

“A new feature is a rear-mounted radiator which we fabricated using two production Toyota Land Cruiser cores,” says Hallspeed’s Glyn Hall. “The braking system was specially made for us locally by Power Brake and has 320 x 32 mm ventilated discs all round and 6-piston callipers front and rear.”

The standard steel Hilux body gets front and rear panels and bonnet locally made from lightweight com-

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posite materials. The safety roll cage and space frame chassis were designed and built in-house and incorporate more than 100 metres of various-diameter, German-made chrome-moly tubing.

The suspension and live axle were designed and custom-made in South Africa, with Reiger shock absorbers from Holland giving the vehicle a regulation 300 mm of wheel travel at the rear and 250 mm at the front. Ground clearance is 300 mm and the vehicle conforms to the 1 937 kg weight class with two spare wheels fitted at the back. Its special Rally Raid competition tyres are made by BF Goodrich. Incidentally, it is left-hand drive to conform to overseas export market requirements.

century racing cr4Mark Corbett will drive a spaceframe special CR4 with Francois Jordaan (who previously co-drove Giniel de Villiers to seventh overall in 2004 in a Hallspeed-built Nissan Hardbody).

Designed and built locally under the direction of Julien Hardy, the CR4 is the third incarnation of the original CR1 and breaks new ground in local off-road racing with its innovative construction and layout. It was the first four-wheel drive vehicle to compete in the top special vehicle category in the SA championship and boasts around 85 per cent local content.

The same production Group N 4,6-litre all-aluminium V8 Toyota engine as the Hilux is used, fitted with a 35 mm restrictor required for the two-wheel drive T1.3 class. Peak power is 220 kW and peak torque is 535 N.m.

The 240 kg chassis, made of tubular aircraft-type high tensile steel chrome-moly aircraft-spec tubing, is clad with a glass fibre/carbon fibre/Kevlar body. In full race trim with two spare wheels onboard it weighs just 1 360 kg.

Like the Toyota Hilux, the CR4 also features onboard jacking and tyre inflation systems, the latter to allow for tyre inflation or deflation on the move, essential for maintaining momentum in soft sand.

The French SADEV six-speed sequential gearbox, with integrated oil pump, limited slip-differential and positive lockup mechanism was developed with the team’s input specifically for Dakar conditions.

Unique to the CR4 is its double wishbone all-round suspension. It is the only two-wheel drive car in South Africa (and probably in the Dakar) not to have a trailing arm rear suspension. ■

CR4 undergoes testing on the eve of Dakar; engineering drawings show CR4 rear upright and Toyota V8 engine assembly.

Toyota suspension was designed and custom-made locally, with Reiger shocks giving 300 mm wheel travel rear and 250 mm front. Ground clearance is 300 mm.

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NIssaN JukEDoubling upThe spunky little Nissan Juke crossover – introduced to the local market recently – has more than just striking looks on its side. Under the bonnet is what the manufacturer says is the world’s first mass-produced 1,5-litre engine with dual injectors.

Fair enough, but what’s the point?It’s this: through the use of two injectors, the

HR15DE in-line four-cylinder stabilises com-bustion by reducing the size of the particles sprayed in the form of a mist by approximately 60 per cent.

Reducing fuel droplet diameter has long been seen as a way of improving combustion stability. The dual injector system, which uses two narrow injectors per cylinder and mounts close to the intake valve, has smaller-bore nozzle holes that facilitate a wide spray cone angle.

Besides this, there’s also improved thermal efficiency and reduced inhalation resistance through combining the injectors with Continu-ously Variable valve Timing Control. CVTC continuously changes the opening/closing timing of the inlet and exhaust valves.

As a result, fuel economy has been improved by approximately 4 per cent compared to Nissan’s conventional engines in the same class. In addition to the fuel saving, more efficient burning helps to control the hydrocar-bons in the exhaust gas. That means less need for noble metals used in exhaust purification. ■

Power play

some might say that the internal combustion engine is as close to optimum as current techno-logy allows – but that doesn’t stop people trying. Nissan and audi take related approaches to extracting more bang from our fuel-bill buck by getting the flammable wet stuff into the big metal lump more efficiently.

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audI 1.8 tFsIsafe playAudi pioneered the combination of direct injection and turbocharging in 2006. The two technologies are perfect complements; turbos stuff more air into an engine, and directly injecting fuel into the combustion chamber means more controlled ignition and lower fuel consumption.

Audi’s 1,8-litre turbo motor has upped the game with several new features. First, in addition to the primary direct-injection system, there’s a parallel fuel-injection circuit, which comes into play when the engine isn’t under heavy throttle. It delivers fuel just ahead of the intake valves to maximise atomisation in the turbulent airflow, improving combustion efficiency and thus fuel economy. In addition, a two-stage valve-lift mechanism has been added to enhance exhaust removal. Altering the valve lift and the cam timing ensures optimum airflow over a wide range of engine speeds and loads.

An electrically powered dual-circuit coolant system enables optimisation of engine oil temperatures to reduce friction while keeping the vital top-end components cool. Bottom line: the engine delivers a stout 320 N.m of torque at 1 400 r/min, yet burns 21 per cent less fuel.

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