EngineNoise
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BMW's Active Sound Design is like putting your head under the hood of the new M5
We know EVs of the future will lose their ability to silently kill, but how about replicating engine noise for the enjoyment of bonafide petrolheads? Eagle-eyed readers will note that's a promised feature of the upcoming (but ever-delayed) Fisker Karma, but here beating it to market is BMW's upcoming M5 -- sort of. München's implementation coined "Active Sound Design," won't blast engine machinations on the outside, but instead internally overlays the harmonic soundtrack of the twin turbo V8 over internal speakers as you drive. That audial racket is based on throttle position, engine revs and speed, and gets even louder when the car is set in Sport or Sport+ modes. No word on if you'll be able to customize with other soundtracks (a la Karma), but there's nothing a little enthusiast hackery can't fix...
Nissan's Leaf EV will sound like a Blade Runner spinner, get better mileage
One of the major disadvantages of electric vehicles, for petrolheads at least, is the lack of engine noise. How can you be proud of your beastly motor if it doesn't roar? There are mundane considerations like pedestrian safety too, but that's beside the point. Nissan seems to have uncovered an old copy of Blade Runner in its toolshed and decided that, yes, it might be a good idea for the Leaf EV to emit a whooshing sound inspired by the Philip K. Dick adaptation. If implemented, this will raise the car's price somewhat, but wouldn't you pay a premium to have your auto sound like a jet taking off? The Leaf is expected to arrive in the US in 2010, replete with its reputed 367 miles per gallon efficiency. [Via Autoblog Green]
Lotus' Safe and Sound technology gives hybrids a voice
Okay, so maybe it's not a huge deal if your Civic Hybrid only hums around town, but when behind the wheel of say, a Lightning GT, you're going to want that bad boy to make some serious racket. Lotus is taking a somewhat fresh concept and kicking out an idea of its own in order to give some grunt back to battery-filled whips. Currently, the auto maker is utilizing a Prius (what, couldn't net an Elise loaner?) in order to show off its "Safe and Sound" technology (video after the break), which integrates a speaker setup just behind the front bumper in order to alert pedestrians just before they're mangled by an ultra-green, eco-friendly vehicle. Wonder if we'll ever be able to purchase new exhaust tones from our in-dash navigation system -- '69 Shelby GT500, anyone?[Via Wired]
