BMW Full-Colour Head Up Display

The recently unveiled 2012 BMW 3 Series touted the Head Up display as one its premium features, for this segment. BMW was the first European car builder to adapt head-up display technology – a system initially deployed in aviation and constantly further developed over several decades – for use in volume-production vehicles. The system has been available on the 5 Series since January 2004 and having evolved into a full colour display, takes its place in the 2012 BMW 3 Series.

In terms of graphic representation, functionality and flexibility, the unique new Head-Up Display feature makes a significant contribution towards active safety by displaying driver-relevant information in high-quality resolution within the driver’s direct field of vision, so that he or she does not have to take their eyes off the road. BMW says the crucial gain is in terms of safety. A normal driver takes a whole second to read the speed indicator in the instrument panel or to glance at the navigation device and in that second the vehicle covers a distance of around 14 metres when travelling in urban areas at a speed of 50 km/h.

BMW Full-Colour Head Up Display : Closer Look

With the Head-Up Display, the time required by the driver to assimilate information is reduced by more than a half, the system making a decisive contribution towards concentrated and focused driving. The virtual image projected onto the windscreen is perceived as “hovering” at eye level above the bonnet and is visible only to the driver.

This method of displaying information to the driver is less tiring to the eyes since the eye does not have to constantly change between close-range and remote vision. Moreover the brightness of the image adjusts perfectly to the surroundings, so that the eye does not have to readapt each time.

The reproduction of data is effected by means of an intense light source, which is located inside the instrument panel and shines through a translucent TFT (Thin Film Transistor) display, the image being transferred to the windscreen via specially shaped mirrors. Owing to the convex shape and the physical properties of glass, using the windscreen as a reflector is an extremely complex process. In a windscreen, the light path is normally refracted, resulting in double images.

BMW tackles this physical phenomenon with the aid of a wafer-thin foil, which is integrated into the windscreen, ensuring the superimposition of the projected images and, as a result, flawless, undistorted representation. Full-colour Head-Up Display offers the driver a tremendous increase in reading comfort. The complete colour spectrum facilitates a realistic and thus more intuitive display of images and symbols. These speak for themselves, are perceived even faster and do not have to be decoded or interpreted.

Eurofighter test pilot Robert Hierl was highly impressed: “Our monochrome head-up display technology is unable to offer such a brilliant display quality.”

 

Complete coverage of the Renault Pulse event here.

In what was probably expected by all, Sebastian Vettel took a lights to flag victory in the Formula1 Grand Prix of India at the Buddh International Circuit near Delhi.  Vettel drove flawlessly to become the first ever winner of the Formula1 GP of India and also recorded the fastest lap of the race.  Vettel has now become the driver who has led the most number of laps in a season as well.  Second place went to the hard charging Jenson Button in the McLaren while the gritty Fernando Alonso drove his under performing Ferrari to a fine third place.  Fourth place was taken by Vettel’s Red Bull Racing teammate Mark Webber while fifth and sixth places were taken by the Mercedes drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg respectively.  Lewis Hamilton’s race was compromised by an accident involving Felipe Massa’s Ferrari and Hamilton could only finish seventh while eighth place went to Jaime Alguersuari in the Toro Rosso while Adrian Sutil in the Sahara Force India took 9th in the race and the tenth and final point scoring position went to Sergio Perez in the Sauber F1 car.  Felipe Massa banged the kerbs hard and retired from the race while the second Sahara Force India car of Paul Di Resta finished in the thirteenth position.  Narain Karthikeyan in possibly his last Grand Prix appearance drove to seventeenth position ahead of his teammate Daniel Ricciardo in the HRT and Jarno Trulli in the Team Lotus car.

Many automobile websites are carrying news that on the 7th of November, 2011, a new variant of the Fiesta will be launched.  Most are speculating that this is the automatic tranny version.  A couple of websites believe that this could be the Figo getting some updates.  We like will you wait and see.

It has emerged that the bookings for the Honda Jazz and the Brio have been suspended due to the fact that Honda is unable to match the demand.  Before you start thinking that they are selling in the millions here is the reason.  As it is the tsunami in March led to production line problems as some components of the cars are still made in Japan.  Now the floods in Thailand have meant that Honda’s plant there is also not functioning fully and therefore production of parts that come from Thailand also has been hit.  It is for this reason that Honda is not very keen on taking fresh bookings.  It is estimated that the Brio will be freely available from January, 2012 but the Jazz will only be on from March, 2012.

Renault Pulse Unveiled in India

Renault unveiled the Pulse today in the vicinity of the Buddh International Circuit with the dust yet to settle from the qualifying. The Pulse, will feature the K9K family of engines, developed by the Renault Nissan Alliance and better known to us as the 1.5-litre dCi turbocharged common rail diesel, that does duty in Nissan’s Micra, Note, Tiida , Qashqai,  NP200 and also the Renault Kangoo/Nissan Kubistar van range. The Pulse is part of Renault’s plans in India to deliver five products by the end of 2012.

The Renault Pulse has a 2+2 Year Extended Warranty, color schemes differentiating it from the Micra and in the opinion of this correspondent, a better looking front end. We do wonder though, did Renault miss the opportunity to give us what could have been a diesel hatch with universal appeal? Maybe, but that isn’t the point. The Pulse seems to be the next logical step, taking into consideration how the Renault-Nissan Alliance works. Reduced lead times, reduced development costs and the ticket into what seems to the most promising segment of the car market in India, that of the diesel hatch.

Renault Pulse India Unveiled

Red Bull Racing’s Mark Webber and Karun Chandhok were the surprise guests of the evening, fielding questions from the media and signing on the hoods of the special editions of the Pulse on display.

Mark Webber and Karun Chandhok at the unveiling of the Renault Pulse in India

Mark Webber, Karun Chandhok at the Renault Pulse UnveilingMark Webber, Karun Chandhok at the Renault Pulse UnveilingMark Webber, Karun Chandhok at the Renault Pulse UnveilingMark Webber, Karun Chandhok at the Renault Pulse Unveiling

The hatch goes on sale in January 2012 and will be launched at the AutoExpo. The pricing has not yet been revealed. Renault was not willing to comment on whether the Pulse will be more expensive than the Micra, but we believe it would be on the higher side. Renault also confirmed that the Pulse is not for the export market. A petrol engine for the Pulse is not out of question, said Marc Nassif, MD Renault India. The dynamics of the market are obvious, and diesel seems to be the customer’s preference.

The Pulse was designed by Renault’s Design Center in Mumbai and will be manufactured in the Alliance’s plant in Chennai, which will also manufacture the engine.

Renault Pulse India : RearRenault Pulse India : Rear
Renault Pulse India : HeadlampRenault Pulse India

Keyless entry, power windows at the front and the rear, electrically adjustable and auto folding ORVMs seem to be the highlights. The alloys on the sporty editions of the car were stunning.

Renault Pulse India : AlloysRenault Pulse India : Badging
Renault Pulse : Special EditionRenault Pulse : Special Edition

Interiors

Renault Pulse : Interiors
Renault Pulse : InteriorsRenault Pulse : Seat Fabric

Renault Pulse, the special edition : Interiors
Renault Pulse, the special edition : Interiors Renault Pulse, the special edition : Interiors

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Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel took pole position in the qualifying for tomorrow’s inaugural Formula1 Grand Prix of India.  In qualifying second fastest was Lewis Hamilton but the McLaren driver will be demoted to fifth on the grid because of the three place penalty handed over to him yesterday by race direction owing to his not slowing down during a yellow flag period in free practice one.  Pastor Maldonado was also handed the same penalty for the same reason.

This means that Mark Webber who actually qualified in third position will line up in second alongside his teammate Vettel.

Third place on the grid goes to Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso (after the Hamilton penalty) and fourth to Jenson Button in the other McLaren.

Sixth place was cemented by Felipe Massa in the second of the Ferrari’s while seventh and eighth went to Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes and Adrian Sutil in the Sahara Force India respectively.

Sebastian Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari in the two Toro Rosso cars were ninth and tenth.  The second Sahara Force India car of Paul Di Resta could only qualify 13th and India’s Narain Karthikeyan in the Team HRT car qualified in 21st position ahead of his teammate Daniel Ricciardo.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF ZAYN KHAN

It was Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel’s turn to set the fastest time at the Buddh International Circuit near Delhi after Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa set the fastest times in free practice 1 and 2.

Second place went to McLaren’s Jenson Button and third to Red Bull Racing’s Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton in his McLaren finished fourth on the timing sheets.

The Ferraris of  Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa rounded out the top six in free practice.

Seventh place went to Sahara Force India driver Paul Di Resta while Adrian Sutil in the other Sahara Force India finished ninth on the timing sheets in the final free practice session.

ALL PICTURES COURTESY; ZAYN KHAN