Back in earlier years, car companies had only to worry about professional spy photographers capturing images of their next model. The occasions when ordinary members of the public happened to spot and know what they were seeing were few and usually, they saw but could not record anything. The cameraphone changed all that and with it also came social media which had an image up within seconds and seen around the world within minutes.
Furthermore, with sophisticated editing software, it was also possible to ‘strip away’ simple camouflage like the black tape that was commonly used. Even in earlier days, some of the pros would try to remove camouflage and then sell their pictures to magazines as ‘scoop pictures’.
More sophisticated camouflage created
So for the carmakers, especially those in the R&D department which had to conduct tests in public areas, camouflaging prototypes required even more sophisticated approaches. Working with the design studio, they have come up with wraps with mind-bending patterns, squiggles, and swirls which cover almost every part of the vehicle except things like the front and rear lights which must be visible to other road-users for safety reasons.
The aim of these patterns is to confuse the eye and prevent industry spies from being able to focus on the vehicle’s features. While a general idea of the shape may be discernible even with the camouflage, some key elements like the design of the grille or the actual shape of side windows are still hidden.
Ford’s latest camouflage, inspired by the block pattern on the Bronco R Baja racer as well as mountain ranges, uses hundreds of blue, black, and white blocks in a pixelated pattern to break up the appearance of the underlying shape of the vehicle while it’s still under development.
Optical illusion
The camouflage is being used on the next generation of the Ford Ranger at the moment. Designed by a team at Ford’s Design Centre in Melbourne, Australia, this camouflage pattern creates an optical illusion that makes it difficult to pick out exterior features in sunlight, while a reflective element helps hide the vehicle’s shape at night.
“We were asked to develop a camouflage that allowed you to clearly see that this is the new Ranger but not see it at the same time,” said Leigh Cosentino, Design Manager at Ford Australia. “The inspiration originally came from the Baja livery Ford has been using; as I’m a huge fan of motorsport it’s hard for me not to be obsessed with machinery like that,” added Lee Imrie, the Ford Australia designer who developed the successful pattern.
Not usual type of camouflage
According to Cosentino, the project was about more than just disguising key features in the sheet metal. “We wanted the design to be dynamic and exciting and build anticipation towards the reveal of next Ranger without looking like a derivative of military camouflage,” he said.
The design is dense at the bottom and then the pattern becomes scattered towards the roof. It ends up being a good camouflage, is visually exciting but also gives the pattern a sense of movement. It’s not the usual static type of camouflage.
“There’s no linework on this camo that aligns with anything on the exterior and that means you can’t see volume or shape or lines in the vehicle,” added Imrie. “My intention with this design was to scatter your eye so that you can’t focus on a specific line; and the colour patching adds to that effect.”
But there’s more to the pattern than just scattering your eye. While Imrie said he based the pattern on the Bronco R racer, he also took inspiration from the Next-Generation Ranger itself. “I started with squares rotated at 45 degrees, and scattered them throughout the page, attempting to make a reoccurring silhouette of a mountain top landscape which echoed the lifestyle orientation of the Next-Generation Ranger. When you stand back, it has a clear connection to a digitised military camouflage but with a connection to nature,” Imrie said.
The digitised pattern took the team 2 months to develop and test. It’s printed onto vinyl and applied in 2 stages taking up to two days to apply. The full-vehicle base layer contains the blue, black, and white blocks and is applied in the same way a regular wrap is. The second, reflective ‘layer’ consists of up to one hundred individual reflective elements hand placed on the vehicle.
If you’re wondering when the new Ranger will be seen without all the camouflage, Ford has confirmed that it will be this coming November 24.
We once took for granted the freedom of being able to drive wherever in the country we wanted to go, whether to balik kampung, have a holiday or just look for new eating places. And then came the Movement Control Order which stopped all interstate crossings as one measure to stop the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Then we realised how much we missed the freedom of travel.
Now that the restrictions are lifted and we can go everywhere again, Malaysians are starting to travel for leisure again. Seemingly to celebrate this, Shell Malaysia is offering its customers RM5 Shell e-vouchers for BonusLink Points collected at Shell stations nationwide in the months of November and December 2021.
The ‘Every Little Point Counts’ campaign, as it is known, applies not just to fuel purchases but for every purchase made at Shell station nationwide. Customers can accelerate their BonusLink Point collection by getting their must-have road trip necessities at Shell stations. Be it big or small, every transaction at a Shell station earns BonusLink Points.
To participate, customers simply need to swipe their BonusLink card or use the BLINK app with any purchase and receive BonusLink Points. Once they accumulate 200 standard points, a RM5 e-voucher will be sent to them on the BLINK app or to the email address which is registered with BonusLink. The e-voucher can be used immediately at any Shell station in Malaysia. It can be redeemed for purchases from as low as 100 points. The Shell voucher for 200 standard BonusLink Points is given once in the month of November and December, respectively
If you do not already have a BonusLink account, you can sign up for one at any Shell station or use the BLINK app that can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. First-time users will be rewarded with a RM4 Shell voucher and 100 BonusLink Points as a welcome offer.
The Perodua Myvi, Malaysia’s bestselling car, has received an upgrade with cosmetic changes, enhanced intelligent safety features, improved fuel economy, and a new colour as well. The prices will range from RM45,700 to RM58,800 (Peninsular Malaysia, without insurance) Sales tax will not be charged until June 30, 2022.
The variants available will be the 1.5 litre AV (Advance Variant), 1.5 litre H, a 1.5 litre X as well as two 1.3 litre G variants. All variants will now only be available with automatic transmission (probably CVT) as Perodua has discontinued the manual transmission from its line-up. This is probably due to demand for manual variants having diminished to the point that it is no longer commercially viable to assemble them as the volume is too small.
Though all Peroduas are pretty economical to run, being able to go further would be welcome by anyone, especially in these difficult times. The engineers at Perodua have been able to squeeze an extra kilometre per litre (based on tests with the 1.3-litre engine) to improve fuel consumption to 22.2 kms per litre from 21.1 kms/litre. Of course, how much you actually get will depend on driving style, traffic conditions, etc. But most people should be able to go at least 800 kms on a full tank.
The AV, H and X variants as well as one of the G variants will have the latest Perodua Smart Drive Assist (PSDA) system, designed with the safety of the driver and pedestrian in mind. After testing the Myvi AV, ASEAN NCAP awarded the maximum rating of 5 stars.
As for the new colour, this is known as Cranberry Red, and it is only available for the Myvi AV. Other colour choices are Ivory White, Glittering Silver, Lava Red (not available for the AV), Granite Grey, and Electric Blue.
“These changes represent our efforts to meet our customers’ growing expectations while at the same time offer greater value by introducing the Next Standard for Malaysia’s most accepted model, the Perodua Myvi,” said Perodua President & CEO, Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad.
Bookings are now accepted at all authorised Perodua outlets nationwide. For more information or to locate a showroom, visit www.perodua.com.my.
Vaccination does not make you immune to COVID-19 infection. You can still get infected and although you may not show symptoms, you could still spread the coronavirus to others. Do not stop taking protective measures such as wearing a facemask, washing hands frequently and social distancing.
With the continuing popularity of SUVs, a segment which has been growing since the 1990s, Goodyear Malaysia has added a new tyre to cater for SUVs in the middle range. Earlier, in 2017, the company had introduced the Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance SUV which was for the more expensive models from BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Now, with the new Assurance MaxGuard SUV, they cover models in a lower segment as prices start from RM375.
The Assurance line of tyres is developed more for modern SUVs, differentiating it from the older Wrangler line which could be considered more ‘hardcore’. The Wrangler has also been available but its construction philosophy has been oriented more towards pick-up trucks and the workhorse 4×4 SUVs.
The Assurance range, on the other hand, is comfort-oriented since SUVs today are used on the road more than off-road. They are also used more for personal transport than for hauling heavy cargo to sites in the jungle. So the requirements of customers will be different and Goodyear understand this.
Of course, the nature of a SUV still makes it possible for the vehicle to go off-road, although perhaps not on serious expeditions deep into the jungle. But many people who own such vehicles may also use them to go to the seaside or on trails to fishing ponds or for other types of recreation. Therefore, there is still a need for the tyre to be robust to cope with rocks and rough terrain. This is where the Assurance MaxGuard SUV tyre’s ‘2-in-1 protection’ comes in to provide a balance of grip and braking for road use, and durability when driving on rough roads.
With Goodyear’s ActiveGrip Technology, the tyre is claimed to be able to brake in shorter distances on wet roads and also provide good handling and stability. This is achieved by its tread design with an increased number of multi-biting edges and optimized distribution. Goodyear’s claims were made based on factory tests using a Honda CR-V and comparing to the Wrangler Triplemax.
The tyre also uses blended silica in its cap compound for reduced rolling resistance, which helps fuel economy. Further helping to extend mileage is the enhanced tyre footprint (squarish instead of circular), optimized tread depth distribution and cavity shape. These help the tyre to last longer, maximising the value for money spent by the motorist.
DuraGuard Technology, used in many other Goodyear tyres, makes the tyre carcass robust and that is important for withstanding cuts and punctures. The durability comes from having 2-ply construction and a strong steel belt layer that is resistant to penetration.
Because the SUVs are used more on roads and daily commuting, noise levels need to be lower. The earlier Wrangler tyres tended to be noisy because those who drove trucks were not bothered. But today’s SUVs are quieter, like passenger cars, so the tyres need to also run with less noise. Goodyear’s engineers have made sure that Assurance MaxGuard SUV meets this expectation with a carefully designed tread pattern with an angled block design that traps noise, noise reduction ribs and narrower grooves.
Sizes available for the Malaysian market. Prices are dependent on the size and start from RM375.
The new Assurance MaxGuard SUV is made in Goodyear factories in China, Malaysia and Thailand in a wide range of sizes for popular SUV models in Malaysia, including those from Malaysian brands such as Perodua and Proton. They are available for 16, 17, 18 and 19-inch rim sizes so quite a large portion of the SUV market is covered.
As with most Goodyear tyres sold in Malaysia, the Assurance MaxGuard SUV comes with the brand’s Worry-Free Assurance program where a customers can get free replacement tyres in the event of road hazard damage (potholes or punctures from nails) that is beyond repair (within the first 6 months of use, terms and conditions apply). Additionally, there is also a 5-year factory warranty that covers manufacturing defects.
Car-buyers and Mitsubishi owners in the Klang Valley, specifically the Kota Damansara area, now have a new Mitsubishi 3S centre to serve then. Authorized dealer Millennium Autohaus Sdn Bhd recently opened a new 3S Centre which will offer sales, aftersales services and spare parts in the growing township. The new outlet joins the Mitsubishi Motors network which now numbers 15 throughout Malaysia.
The facility, which is easily accessible via the NKVE Highway, has a built-up area of 12,370 square feet. As a 3S centre, all services are on one site, so it is convenient for both customers and owners. For those interested in buying a new Mitsubishi vehicle, there is a spacious showroom to view the latest models while, for owners, the fully-equipped service centre has 5 bays for efficient daily throughput.
“Congratulations to Millennium Autohaus for opening a Mitsubishi Motors showroom here in the Klang Valley. As business operations have restored nationwide, Mitsubishi Motors is placing a lot of emphasis on enhancing our network development such as establishing more dealerships and upgrading our facility, as well as digitally advancing our platforms to provide our customers with the best shopping experience,” said Shinya Ikeda, CEO of Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia.
“MMM achieved a new record in October with 2,041 units of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles sold. We are appreciative of the government’s effort to extend the sales tax exemption until June 2022. This move will certainly help more Malaysians to purchase cars with extra savings and, at the same time, boost the nation’s economy through the automotive sector. We would also like to thank our customers for their great support and patience towards the Mitsubishi Motors brand. We will continue to enrich our customer’s touchpoints, providing them with more convenience and only the best,” he added.
The Triton pick-up and XPANDER MPV (below) are popular Mitsubishi models available at every authorised dealership.
It was a disastrous start for Valtteri Bottas as he seemed to get a good start but as three cars – with Verstappen having also stayed alongside the two Mercedes cars, – went into the first tune, he was hit and went into a spin. The chaos also knocked out other cars, among them Yuki Tsunoda and Mick Schumacher, while Daniel Ricciardo had a damaged front wing. Out came the Safety Car as Verstappen was pulling ahead in the lead.
While Scuderia AlphaTauri and Haas F1 had one car retire before even the first lap, McLaren’s Ricciardo and Bottas came into the pits for quick repairs and rejoined the race. For Bottas, a pole position was wasted as he was near the back of the field.
The Safety Car circulated for 3 laps and then freed the convoy to resume racing. Verstappen was in the lead and took off, followed by Hamilton and Sergio Perez, with Pierre Gasly in fourth. The chaotic start had seen some of the drivers at the back gaining a few positions up, with Antonio Giovanazzi having gone from 11th to 6th, but Carlos Sainz then passed him for the position.
10 laps into the 71-lap race, the Red Bull in the lead was steadily opening up the gap and had an almost 2-second lead over Hamilton, who had to keep and eye on the other Red Bull behind. Bottas was somewhere down in 16th, stuck in traffic. His position was originally George Russell’s on the starting grid but the Williams driver had moved up to 11th and was busy duelling with Alpine’s Fernando Alonso.
By lap 17, more than half the field had come into the pits and changed to hard tyres but the leaders were still out and seemed to be managing their tyres well. They were still on mediums but would likely switch to hards eventually and try to make it all the way. That had been the case in the last race in 2019.
By lap 21, the frontrunners were starting to come up behind the backrunners. Verstappen was pushing hard and almost 7 seconds ahead of Hamilton, who was tailed by Perez just 2 to 3 seconds behind. The second Red Bull driver was in a safe position as Gasly was some 15 seconds further back so he played it safe and kept the pressure on Hamilton.
Bottas was taking a while to get past Ricciardo and was stuck in 12th place on lap 28, trying to get past the McLaren’s Aussie driver and at the same time, having to avoid letting Alfa Romeo’s Giovanazzi slip past. Meanwhile, up at the front, the leaders were resisting coming in for new tyres.
Hamilton finally came in on lap 30 and after a 2.4-second stop, he rejoined in fifth behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Gasly. But then the Ferrari pulled out to pit so Hamilton moved up one position. Just after that happened, Verstappen came in and Perez took over the lead, much to the delight of the home crowd.
Hamilton got past Gasly and moved up to 3rd but Verstappen was in an out fast enough to maintain the Red Bull 1-2. It was a 7-second gap for the reigning champion to close and he was working hard. Just over a third of the race was completed.
On lap 40, Ricciardo finally pitted and Bottas was able to move up and came up behind Fernando Alonso. Interestingly, the McLaren driver got medium tyres rather than hards, which only a few teams had chosen to use.
Bottas came in on lap 43 and disaster struck the Finn driver for the second time in the day as a front wheel was stuck and took a while to loosen, stretching his stop to an agonising 11 seconds. When he rejoined, he had dropped to 14th. But his team mate had inherited second place as Perez finally came in and though his stop was the usual quick one, he was already 7 seconds behind Hamilton when he rejoined. However, he had a comfortable 10-second gap with Gasly so he could focus on catching up and hassling the Mercedes driver.
Lando Norris had done 46 laps on his first set of tyres before he came in to switch to hards. He managed to rejoin in 10th place and would have to spend the remainder of the race trying to keep in the point-paying group.
On lap 58, with traffic slowing Hamilton down, Perez had come right up into his mirrors. The Mexican driver was going to keep the pressure on so that his team mate could safely collect the 25 points and pull away into a strong championship lead.
With 10 laps left – plus tyres wearing out – Hamilton had to be very careful how hard he wanted to push. A second place might disappoint but would be way better than not finishing.
Bottas was in 14th place and 2 laps behind the leaders and eventually came up to Verstappen. Both drivers were cautious about not causing any incident as less than 10 laps remained, and Verstappen stayed well away as the Finn tried to go for a very fast lap. And with one lap left, he again came into the pits to switch tyres and try one last time to get that precious 1 point for fastest lap (which he did achieve but as he was not in the top 10, it did not count).
But it was still Verstappen’s race as he crossed the finishing line comfortably ahead of Hamilton, his ninth win of 2021 securing a stronger championship lead. Perez gave it all he had but couldn’t make it to 2nd in time. Nevertheless, it was a proud moment for his countrymen as it was the first time a Mexican driver was on the podium of the Mexican GP.
Even before flying cars are dotting the sky as commercialised production vehicles, such vehicles are already being developed for future motorsport. It will be an entirely new kind of motorsport, with competitors racing each other high above the ground. Known as Airspeeder, the competition combines the format of Formula E (the all-electric single-seater series), the thrills of air racing and the glamour of F1.
The company that aims to develop this aerial grand prix is Alauda Racing, an Australian start-up with the long-term ambition to use its technology to develop a world-beating flying sportscar for sale to the public. Like Extreme E, an off-road series for all-electric SUVs, the first machines will be similar and supplied by Alauda. The Mk. IV octocopter, as the flying racing cars are called, can hit speeds of 200 km/h and offer a power-to-weight ratio superior to an F-18 fighter jet!
Teams from a broad range of industries will be provided with the Speeders but given technical and tactical freedom to approach gaining competitive edge in the series as they see fit. This will ensure close motorsport based on pilot skill and race management.
Because flying car racing does not require the same physical infrastructure as legacy motorsport, this presents a sport built from the ground-up with sensitivity to the global requirement to race with minimal ecological impact. Fans from around the world will watch via global broadcasts with coverage enhanced by technology that communicates the virtual tracks and race telemetry data projected directly to pilots through augmented reality.
A landmark moment in the future motorsport recently took place in the deserts of South Australia as a pre-season test concluded with the first-ever timed electric flying car drag-race. The race was part of a key testing session for EXA, Airspeeder’s first electric flying car racing season, created by Alauda Aeronautics.
Remote pilots were able to show the dynamic potential of the world’s first electric flying racing cars. The pilots had the freedom to plot their own flightpath to victory. The drag-race format was chosen as a pure demonstration of the performance and safety technologies that underpin the sport. In particular is the ‘Virtual Forcefield’ suite of LiDAR and RADAR-powered safety systems that delivers close but ultimately safe racing that can help avoid collisions.
This first drag-race represented the culmination of intense internal competition between two sides of the Alauda Aeronautics technical team. The result was a tense and visually enthralling encounter with the internal teams forced to adapt strategy in line with wind and dust conditions in the selected desert location. As races will be run in varying conditions – over ice, over sea, deserts and even forest locations – mastery of external factors add a compelling tactical layer to the sport.
The women and men who will participate will be drawn from the very elite of motorsport, eSports and civil, military and acrobatic aviation. They will play the same role pioneer racing drivers did at the genesis of the automotive and aviation eras in accelerating a new mobility revolution. For them, situational awareness will not be just on the horizontal plane around them but also above and below their machine.
With the successful completion of this drag-race, Alauda will soon announce the world’s first electric flying car Grand Prix calendar under the banner of the EXA Series. These remotely piloted races will serve as a vital feeder series for the forthcoming crewed Airspeeder GPs. In addition to developing the technology that underpins the sport, it will be a breeding ground for the elite pilots that will pioneer the dawn of the electric flying car racing era.
Race starts at 1 pm in Mexico/3 am (Monday) in Malaysia
While the racing teams are on the west side of the Atlantic Ocean, they have 3 races in the hemisphere – after the US Grand Prix in Texas, this weekend sees the second one in Mexico City. The event has been known as the Mexican Grand Prix for the 20 times in has been held since 1963 (last year, it was cancelled due to the pandemic) but this year, it will become known as the Mexico City Grand Prix.
An event special to Honda
The Mexican Grand Prix has been held at the same circuit which was originally named the Magdalena Mixiuhca Circuit but renamed to Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in honour of the country’s racing drivers, Ricardo and Pedro Rodriguez. This circuit in particular is special to Honda because it was the first Japanese team to win a Formula 1 race in the 1965 event. While it did not participate as a factory team later on, it was an engine supplier and contributed to the victories of Williams (1987) and McLaren (1988-1989) in the Mexican rounds of the championship.
Honda RA272 winning the 1965 Mexican GP – the first F1 win by a team from Japan.
5 times higher than Petronas Twin Towers
The 4.3-km circuit set within a sports park has always presented a unique challenge for the engineers. At 2,385 metres above sea level, it is situated at the highest altitude of any circuit and that’s 5 times higher than the height of the Petronas Twin Towers. This means the air is thinner (by about 25%) so the operating conditions are unlike other tracks. This is where forced induction is vital to avoid the loss that naturally-aspirated engines suffer due to less air being available.
There are also has implications on aerodynamics and the racing cars will be set up with maximum downforce. But because the air is thin, resistance is less so the cars will be able to hit very high speeds of around 350 km/h too.
The drivers will have to be alert for cooling problems with the brakes and the turbochargers will also have to work harder, so there is a risk of the Power Unit failing. Cooling the car appropriately is probably the biggest challenge in Mexico. For the Power Unit, the lack of mass flow of air limits the cooling potential, which requires careful management to ensure reliability.
Red Bull Racing or Mercedes-AMG?
Going into the final quarter of the championship, the battles for the Drivers and Constructors titles are still tight. The lead has alternated between Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS and Red Bull Racing and after the US Grand Prix, Max Verstappen has a lead of just 12 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton 275.5 points. Running in third is Valtteri Bottas with 185 points and he will be starting from pole position for the race after a surprise qualifying run to beat his teammate by 0.145 second. 35 points behind him is Sergio Perez who will be in fourth place on the grid, alongside his teammate, Verstappen.
Historically, the Mexican Grand Prix has been one of the races where the Drivers championship has been decided but in those years when Hamilton was confirmed champion (2017 and 2018), the event was the 19th round of a 20-race calendar.
In the Constructors championship, the positions are reversed and it is the German team that is ahead of Red Bull Racing by 23 points. The fight for the title will be confined to these two teams, while third will be fought by McLaren and Scuderia Ferrari which are just 3.5 points apart with 5 rounds remaining.
There is a scientific theory that a ‘Big Bang’ occurred at the beginning of the universe. Likewise, it was many ‘bangs’ which were at the beginning of a development in the automobile’s history which would save thousands of lives. These were the tests conducted by the engineers at Mercedes-Benz in the 1960s to develop the airbag system which almost every car sold today must have.
“We used missile technology,” Helmut Patzelt, one of the founding fathers of the airbag and an expert in pyrotechnics, remembered. “A missile receives its thrust from discharged gas, and we applied this very principle. The only difference is that we trapped the gas – inside an airbag.”
At the moment of a frontal collision, the airbag starts to inflate at over 300 km/h and immediately after it is fully inflated, the pressure is released to have an absorbing effect. The entire process takes place in the blink of an eye and is certainly much quicker than what this animation shows.
It was with this type of triggering test that Mercedes-Benz began to develop the idea of the airbag in 1967, prompted by two developments which affected automobile design: the rapidly spiralling number of accidents during the 1960s and a resultant series of new laws in the USA, one of which required an ‘automatic occupant protection system’ for every car in the USA from 1969 onwards. “We can no longer tolerate unsafe automobiles,” declared Lyndon B. Johnson, the President of the USA then.
And so it was that previously ignored inventions – for which patent applications had been submitted by German Walter Linderer and American John W. Hedrik as early as 1953 – suddenly took on a whole new meaning. “A folded, deployable receptacle which inflates automatically in the event of danger” was a fascinating idea; yet, at that time, the technology required to make it happen simply did not exist. This was the cue for the automotive engineers to commence their explosive experiments.
By 1970, the pressure on the developers increased when the newly-formed US highway safety authority (NHTSA) stipulated that driver airbags would be a legal requirement for all new cars – starting as early as January 1, 1973. No sooner had it been made a requirement than the airbag became the subject of a long-running dispute. “The airbag will kill more people than it saves,” claimed critical voices that joined the debate in the USA.
As a consequence, the introduction date was changed to 1976. And even after that, the production launch had to be postponed on several other occasions. Alarmist statements and uncertainties had people wondering if the airbag was just ‘a lot of hot air’. Hansjurgen Scholz, who was then project manager for passive restraint systems at Mercedes-Benz, remembered that period only too well: “When a fatal accident involving an airbag occurred in the USA in 1974, most of those involved deserted the project like a sinking ship!” All of a sudden, the development team at Mercedes-Benz found that they were left on their own, without any outside support. Other German manufacturers also failed to see the potential of the life-saving airbag at the time.
But the team of engineers was not ready to give up. “We had recognised the enormous potential of the air cushion. And we were not going to throw away our trump card,” said Professor Guntram Huber, a former director of development for passenger car bodywork at the German carmaker. He would later be awarded the ‘Safety Trophy’ by the American Department of Transportation for his role in the introduction of the airbag.
The inside of a steering wheel with an airbag system. The white section is the folded airbag and below it are the pellets which reaction to generate a gas that inflates the airbag at very high speed – like the firing of a rocket exhaust.
And so it was that, in 1974, Mercedes-Benz decided to go ahead and put the airbag into production, regardless of the seeming negative sentiment in the US market concerning airbags. What’s more, the idea was to offer the safety device in the world market and not just the US alone.
The technological challenges that had to be overcome when developing this innovation, which finally led to the unveiling of the world’s first driver airbag in December 1980, were immense. A new product had to be created entirely from scratch. Problems that required solutions included the sensor-triggered deployment mechanism, the gas generation process, the tear-resistance of the airbag fabric, the effects on health and hearing, functional reliability and the crucial issue of how to prevent unintentional activation. Given the intrepid test methods employed – they were, after all, based on missile technology – the authorities were quick to offer resistance, at first putting the triggering mechanism used to inflate the airbag in the same category as fireworks. In Malaysia too, early perception of airbag systems by the authorities was similar and required companies to have rooms akin to bomb shelters to store airbag systems! For this reason, all those involved in the development of the airbag had to attend an explosives course. Following initial tests with liquid gas cylinders, the breakthrough was finally achieved by using a solid fuel for firing the airbag.
Toxicologists also had their say, querying the emissions left behind inside the car after deployment of the airbag. But the developers were able to allay these fears as well, since the solid fuel pressed into tablet form – consisting of sodium azide, calcium nitrate and sand – left behind predominantly non-hazardous nitrogen gas and small quantities of hydrogen and oxygen. It did, however, get smoky inside the cabin, leading people to sometimes fear that a fire had started.
In their efforts to overcome the technical hurdles before them, many of the ideas the engineers came up with were highly unconventional. Since the sound of the deploying airbag was above the pain barrier but only lasted for 10 milliseconds, the effect on the eardrums could not be clearly ascertained at first. The engineers therefore installed a cage containing 15 canaries in a test car to determine the harmful effects of the noise, gas emissions and air pressure during deployment of the airbag. Not only did all the canaries survive the test, they also remained their usual lively selves…
Testing airbags under development in 1969.
Some 250 crash tests on complete vehicles, around 2,500 sled tests and thousands of component tests provided the airbag pioneers with invaluable knowledge to help the airbag on its way to full series production. The primary concern in all the tests was stopping the car airbag from deploying unintentionally – a horror scenario for the developers. In early tests, the airbag would sometimes go off even when the vehicle was at a standstill, meaning that the engineers also had to develop the electronic system from scratch. The sensor only had a few milliseconds in which to deploy the airbag – still very much a fanciful idea in those days. As if that were not enough, the sensor had to be able to function reliably for several years at extremely low or very high temperatures with constant fluctuations in humidity, depending on the country.
Some 600 test cars took part in road tests, off-road trials and rally events, clocking up in excess of 7 million kilometres, in order to ensure that the sensor could perform its vital, life-saving function. In addition, the engineers, technical experts and office staff had to literally put themselves in the firing line. They sat at the steering wheel to gauge the effects of the airbag as it deployed in an emergency, all under the watchful eye of the project team who recorded the results.
Last but not least, another issue which had to be resolved before the first airbag was allowed to be installed a production car in December 1980. Even 40 years ago, Mercedes-Benz was thinking of the environment and had to consider disposal of airbags; in other words what to do with the airbag when the car reached the end of its life or after it actually did its life-saving work.
Following the world premiere of the driver’s airbag in a W126 S-Class in 1980 (above), the specialists in the safety development department set about building upon their lead, using their know-how to further develop the safety system. This led to the installing a second airbag for the front passenger which was introduced in 1988. Then, in 1992, all Mercedes-Benz models were fitted with a driver’s airbag as standard globally, with the passenger airbag eventually becoming standard as well in 1994.
A further milestone in passenger car safety was achieved in 1995 when the side airbag made its debut in the E-Class following a development period of around 10 years. The side airbag against each front door presented new challenges for the developers as it only had 20 milliseconds in which to deploy following a crash. In contrast, the front airbag enjoyed the comparative ‘luxury’ of around 40 milliseconds (a millisecond is one-thousandth of a second… quicker than even a blink of an eye).
Today, most Mercedes-Benz models have multiple airbags systems around the cabin to provide maximum protection during an accident, even from collisions against the sides.
The next milestone in airbag history – the windowbag – came in 1998. In the event of a side impact, it inflates across the side windows to form a curtain, its large dimensions providing a wide area to protect the heads of both the front occupants and the rear passengers. Windowbags can prevent the head from hitting the side window, roof pillars or roof frame and are also capable of catching any fragments of glass or other objects propelled into the interior following a collision or subsequent roll-over, which constitute an additional injury hazard. They can also prevent people from being ejected during a violent impact.
An early concern was the presence of a childseat on the front seat – a very dangerous situation which manufacturers warn drivers of. The powerful impact of a deploying airbag can force the childseat against the backrest and cause serious injury to the child in it and it will be lethal if the child is facing forward. For this reason, Mercedes-Benz engineers developed automatic child-seat and front-passenger recognition systems which enable the ideal airbag response given the situation in hand. Similarly, the front airbag, sidebag and belt tensioner on the front passenger side are deactivated when the seat is not occupied.
The development of airbag systems has not stopped at Mercedes-Benz. On the contrary, new technologies have improved performance and functions. Today, the airbag has evolved into a highly complex and sensitive electronic system – a high-tech product that adapts to suit the seat occupant and the accident situation, responding accordingly before the driver has even had time to fully register any precarious accident situation. This lightning-fast reaction time is down to electronic triggering sensors and gas generators which allow the front airbags to deploy in stages, depending on the severity of the accident.
The life-saving air cushion will continue to be a vital component at the heart of the safety equipment package for all Mercedes-Benz vehicles. And apart from regulatory requirements, which Mercedes-Benz has always met or exceeded, many future features and improvements will also be guided by what happens in real-life accidents. For the engineers, this means making airbags effective enough to cover a wide range of accident scenarios and ensuring that they can be deployed in accordance with the severity of the accident.
In future, the Porsche you drive could have an invisible ‘twin’ in the digital world. No, it’s not something to do with science fiction and parallel worlds but a possibility being explored by researchers at the German sportscar company. With continuously improving performance of integrated sensors, networking and data processing capabilities, it may become possible to create a virtual copy of an existing object – like a car. This will allow data-driven analysis, monitoring and diagnostics without the challenges and constraints of real-world tests.
The digital twin of a vehicle comprises not only the operating data it collects but also any related data, such as information collected during planned maintenance work and unexpected repairs. Elements of this digital twin already exist in control unit memories and in the databases maintained at Porsche Centres.
Centralised intelligence system
The main advantage of digital twins is the fact that they can be networked and the data combined with a centralised intelligence system. Conclusions that benefit every single vehicle and therefore every individual customer can be drawn from data relevant to an entire field. For example, an algorithm can compare big data against sensor data from a specific vehicle’s powertrain and chassis to identify a customer’s driving style.
The algorithm can then recommend not only the optimal time for service work on the vehicle but also the required scope of that work. This data makes it possible to customise service intervals and allow servicing for specific components as needed, based on how the customer uses their vehicle.
For instance, with this approach, the hardworking suspension bushes of a sportscar that spends most of its time on a racetrack could be replaced at exactly the right time. By contrast, service work on the engine is more important for vehicles predominantly driven for long distances on motorways. Another even more important benefit of this approach is the fact that potential component wear and even faults can be identified before they have actually occurred, which is a significant advantage from a safety perspective.
For the past 3 years or so, software specialists at Porsche have been working on a digital twin concept that focuses on the chassis, known as a ‘chassis twin’. This project is now being managed by CARIAD, the standalone automotive software company within the Volkswagen Group. In addition to data from Porsche vehicles, the project now has access to data from all Volkswagen Group vehicles, which increases the data pool by a factor of 20.
High importance of the chassis
The reason for focusing on chassis components is clear. On a Porsche, the chassis is subjected to the highest loads, particularly when the vehicle is used on racing circuits. Sensor technology in the vehicle and the intelligent neural algorithms used for centralised analysis allow the load on the chassis to be detected within the vehicle and conveyed to the driver. This intelligent use of data makes the vehicle safer for its passengers because any specific faults are identified immediately, even before the driver or the workshop notices a problem signified by noise or vibration.
The digital chassis is already being used for its first practical testing scenario: monitoring the components in the air suspension of the Taycan EV. This project is primarily for collecting data about body acceleration in this initial stage. The data is evaluated and transferred via Porsche Connect to the central backend system.
This system continuously compares the data from each vehicle against the fleet data. The algorithm calculates thresholds based on this comparison and, if these are exceeded, the customer is notified via the onboard Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system that the chassis may need to be inspected at a Porsche Centre. While this approach ensures that wear does not go beyond specified limits, early repairs also help to prevent consequential damage.
Artificial intelligence with data privacy
Artificial intelligence within the vehicle and within the centralised intelligence system continuously improves contingency planning and the accuracy of the algorithms. Data privacy during the testing phase and after the model’s launch is the top priority so customers are prompted via the PCM to provide their consent to data being collected anonymously. Around half of all Taycan customers have agreed to take part in this pilot project, which has pleased Porsche.
The first version of the digital twin will be launched next year and only sensor data directly from mechatronic components will be evaluated. Other functionality will be added in the future, such as functions that allow wear on specific components to be calculated without the need for physical gauges to be used. For example, if multiple vehicles require adjustments to their wheel alignment or a track rod replacement and multiple sensors have already detected corresponding deviations, this information can indicate a pattern. If the same data is then identified on a further vehicle, the driver will accordingly be told to visit a Porsche Centre.
Early diagnostics in this format can prevent consequential damage which, in this example, would be worn tyres caused by track misalignment. The fault-finding process at the workshop will be faster, because the specific components responsible for a fault can be replaced, thereby reducing throughput times in the workshop and lowering costs for customers.
The digital twin offers other benefits for customers beyond operation of their vehicle. Digital vehicle records can be used to show the residual value of a vehicle, making the process of buying and selling used vehicles more transparent. In addition, manufacturers could consider offering an extended approved warranty based on seamless documentation of component status updates, and even a certificate with a price recommendation for selling on the vehicle.
