I must start this week’s column with a correction. In a previous column I stated the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye was capable of sub-10-second quarter mile runs. It should have been sub-11-second runs.
The Dodge Demon was the only production Challenger to run sub 10 second quarter mile runs. I apologize to all Challenger fans for the error.
At this year’s Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada announced the winners of the innovation awards.
The best technical innovation award goes to Mercedes-Benz for their Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX). This electronic system uses artificial intelligence to create a personal connection between the vehicle and its occupants.
Offered on the new A-Class platform, MBUX allows passengers to interact with the vehicle through a high resolution widescreen touch display, hands-on controls on the steering wheel or console mounted touch pad and intelligent natural voice recognition. The voice recognition software doesn’t require special commands. Instead it uses the artificial intelligence to interpret complex sentences and operate the features.
The artificial intelligence is also adaptive, so the vehicle learns your preferences. For example, if you call someone every day while driving using the phone interface, MBUX will learn and automatically suggest it is time to make the call as a reminder. Activating MBUX doesn’t require any buttons — just simply say “Hey Mercedes.”
The award for best safety Innovation goes to Subaru Canada for DriverFocus. DriverFocus uses a rear facing camera angles at the driver’s face to monitor driver attention.
It tracks the driver’s eyes to monitor the amount of time they are closed such as slowness of blinking or when the driver’s eyes are looking away from the road. If it detects these for about three to four seconds, the system warns the driver.
Operating in conjunction with Subaru’s forward-facing Eyesight cameras, DriverFocus can also notify the driver of oncoming traffic if the driver is not looking at the road.
Another feature of DriverFocus can be used to personalize the settings for outside mirrors position, A/C control settings and driver’s seat. This can be done for up to five different drivers.
The facial recognition software stores a digital map of the faces rather than a picture and this map is stored only on the vehicle. The memory can be deleted if desired for security safety.
The best green innovation award goes to Infiniti for their VC-Turbo engine on the Infiniti Q50. More than 20 years in development, modern computing power for simulation and manufacturing enables the production of the world’s first production — ready variable compression ratio engine.
The engine’s compression ratio can be varied by the engine computer automatically to meet driver demands. A ratio as low as 8:1 is used when power is needed and it can vary to 14:1 for best fuel economy.
To vary the compression ratio, the conventional connecting rod in the engine has been replaced by a bellcrank assembly that bolts onto the engine crankshaft.
One end of the bellcrank is connected to the piston with a link similar to a connecting rod, while the other end of the bellcrank is connected by another link to an eccentric shaft in the bottom of the engine.
By changing the position of the eccentric shaft, it changes the position of the bellcrank assembly and thus the height of the piston travel in the cylinder. Infiniti calls this design a multi-link assembly.
This concept might be hard to grasp when put into words but it works well in the engine and its simplicity is deceiving because it takes modern manufacturing technologies to enable its construction.
Just like computerized engine controls in the ’80s, variable camshaft timing in the ’90s and direct fuel injection in the past decade, the variable compression engine design revolutionizes the operation of gasoline engines and brings to the consumer the advantages of fuel economy, superior performance and low emissions.
Jim Kerr is a master automobile mechanic and retired teacher of automotive technology. Send your questions for Jim via email or mail them to: Herald Wheels, 2717 Joseph Howe Drive, P.O. Box 610, Halifax, N.S. B3J 2T2
