Friday 27th November 2009

Hybrids Get V8 Soundtrack From Lotus

Video: Lotus pedestrian alert makes V8 and spaceship sounds

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'Would Sir like a V12 with that?'

Moments after the pixels had dried on yesterday's post about the potential annoyance of 'beeping' pedestrian safety alerts for electric and hybrid cars, Lotus had popped into our in-box reminding us about its own HALOsonic system.

Developed in partnership with Harman International, HALOsonic is a production-ready package that wraps up all the work Lotus has been doing in active noise suppression and such, with a view to offering it to manufacturers for OEM installation on their vehicles. Apparently we can expect an announcement on the first production car to get the system within the next few weeks.

Work in this field originally centred on the active suppression of road and engine noise, but the HALOsonic package now includes things like artificial sounds for central locking systems (yawn...) and creating synthetic V8, V12 and fantasy spaceship 'engine noises' for electric and hybrid cars. (What?!!!)

That's right folks, Chevy's boffins can stick their beeps right back where they belong, because thanks to Lotus the prospect of driving a V12 or warp-drive powered eco-car is no longer a flight of fancy - and here's the video to prove it!

[Mafioso]

What a dull video. The V12 sounded a bit... wrong?

[Mr Gear]

Ha! The old at 1:10 with the suitcase gets the shock of his life!

On a serious note, the "futuristic" sounds are the best, because they sound very "directional" like a siren is supposed to. The flat 6 sounded OK too.

[Stig]

Interesting. I had an idea to make this sort of thing a few years back, but the patent was all wrapped up. Wonder how Lotus/HK have got around that!

[jains15]

Not a problem at all as long as I could download Millenium Falcon sounds for it

[tvrman]

I remember Lotus looking into sound technology in the early 80's. I remember is being presented on Tomorrow World. They were using it to create opposite waves to reduce the amount of sound a car produces. They must have kept the sound department open.....

[vdubbin]

The only other option I would add would be a turbine whine, just like Knight Rider!

[anonymous-user]

Stig said:

Interesting. I had an idea to make this sort of thing a few years back, but the patent was all wrapped up. Wonder how Lotus/HK have got around that!

i think they own the patent, lotus.

the 'engine' noise sounds like a speccy computer game..

[ian_c_uk]

Stig said:

Interesting. I had an idea to make this sort of thing a few years back, but the patent was all wrapped up. Wonder how Lotus/HK have got around that!

I remember Lotus had a Citroen AX with internal sounds of various engines in the early 90's, so I would guess they hold most of them?

[CDP]

How about the sound of a chariot being pulled by a pride of lions?

[Carl_Spackler]

Need to get it to do skidding noises on the bends too.

Errrrrrrrtt, broom broom!!

80's film tastic

[Ivanhoe Trousers]

Could they make my car sound like an ice cream van? It's a Honda Jazz and that would be far better!

[johno_VR6]

The futuristic sounds do sound like they're straight out of HALO itself...I can understand the logic behind it, but can't help think it's tainted with the same brush as the "Pimp my Ride" clan are.

Pretty sure they fitted a similar system to a people carrier to make it sound like an Aston V12 or a Mustang etc, with far more realistic results than that.

...Not that I watch it of course...

[TVRWannabee]

Years ago, a mate of mine got hold of a recording of a Spitfire. We put it in the stereo of my old Lancia and blatted down the road with it on full volume - so I was there way before.

Do they do requests? A Merlin engine?

A thought strikes me. If you have one of those futuristic (1960's) sounds, how many pedestrians would look up rather than at the car?

[Chris71]

Maybe it's not a very flattering video, but it strikes me that the engine noises on your average computer game are better than that! If GT Legends can have a Griffith that actually sounds like a Griffith, why can't this box?

[Oddball RS]

This is not going to contribute much but how w*nk was that video? and the sounds,

[Belfast Boy]

I would have this one installed, because that sums it all up really!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yjy-fnsmWR4

[AJT283]

Liked the futuristic sounds but my god going to the shops is bad enough without having to listen to 20 different cars all trying to reverse at the same time!!!!

• Beep* *Beep**Beep**Beep**Beep**Beep**Beep**Beep*BEEP BEEP BEEP* ARGHARGHARGH!!!!!!

[BlueMR2]

It sounded crap and will be on everyone's pet peeves list once you've heard a coupe of them reversing.

However, notice that the so called V12 engine noise in the video also had what looked like loads of smoke out the back .

I'd like the sound of an american v8 only running on 7 with a faulty ignition wire and plenty of smoke out the back lol.

[graham22]

AJT283 said:

Liked the futuristic sounds but my god going to the shops is bad enough without having to listen to 20 different cars all trying to reverse at the same time!!!!

• Beep* *Beep**Beep**Beep**Beep**Beep**Beep**Beep*BEEP BEEP BEEP* ARGHARGHARGH!!!!!!

Not to mention the poor blind bloke crossing the road.

[aarondrs]

What an absolutely brilliant waste of time and effort. I think I'd have the futuristic noises. My cars so damn quiet it needs something!!