Dubai Police continue to remind the world of having the fastest police car fleet in the world through a new breathtaking video.
The video shows a night chase carried out by the Dubai police cars on public roads, before the main task, namely to add a distinctive landmark on the city visited by millions of tourists from all over the world every year. It is noteworthy that the Dubai police began to form an ultra fleet with the superior Italian car Ferrari FF followed later on by each of the Lamborghini Aventador, the Bentley Continental GT, Mercedes SLS, Aston Martin One 77, Audi R8 and Nissan GT ATR, BMW M6 Gran Coupe, Camaro SS, Ford Mustang, Mercedes G Class Brabus, Mercedes DSL, the Bugatti Veyron, McLaren and lowpass 4-12 C and the Chevrolet Impala.
One of the latest cars that joined the Dubai Police are the Lexus RC F and the Toyota Land Cruiser.
Worthersee has never been home to the gentlest outpouring of subtlety, but even by its standards this is something different: it’s a Volkswagen Golf GTI that’s quicker than a Ferrari FF.
You saw it last week as a teaser, now here’s the real thing. It’s Volkswagen’s take on Gran Turismo’s ‘Vision GT’ series – following in the footsteps of BMW’s and Mercedes’ efforts – and follows up last year’s ‘Design Vision GTI’ concept we drove in LA. But rather than just leave it as a digital offering for the gaming community, VW decided to make a proper one.
And the headline of course, is that engine. It’s a 3.0-litre, twin-turbo V6 TSI (out of the Touareg) producing a whopping 500bhp and 413lb ft of torque, complete with a seven speed DSG gearbox and VW’s ‘4MOTION’ all-wheel-drive system.
Because it only has to propel a kerbweight of 1420kg, the GTI Roadster is capable of accelerating from 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds (an FF will do it in 3.7s), and top out at 192mph. Better wear a helmet, because you may have noticed there is no roof.
As with the Design Vision concept we saw last year, this GTI Roadster shows a glimpse of where the road-going GTI’s design will venture in the future. This being a concept car of course, means it’s shorter, lower and wider than both the road car and last year’s DV concept.
It’s been optimised for aero, this GTI Roadster, with that monster rear wing creating lots of downforce, while the C-pillars have been formed into a rollover protection bar. Another schoolboy-cool element is the doors that swivel upwards to open, framed by huge side sills and flanked by flared wheel arches.
There are 20in wheels. There are monster 380mm ceramic discs up front (356mm at the back). There are LED daytime running lights. There is a carbon monocoque interior with two ‘race-shell’ seats partitioned by a central bar. The instrument display is on a V-shaped wing on top of the steering column, itself longer, like a racing car.
“When Sony asked us if we would develop a Vision GT vehicle exclusively for the game to mark the 15th anniversary of Gran Turismo we didn’t hesitate for a moment,” said Klaus Bischoff, Head of Design at Volkswagen. And for good reason: GT creator Kazunori Yamauchi used to own a Golf GTI, so he’s a fan.
Michael Schumacher’s management have dampened reports the Formula 1 star is breathing independently.
Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport has claimed, without citing official sources, the German, 45, is recovering without ‘respiratory assistance’.
But his management team said he remains in ‘the wake-up phase’ and anything published without official confirmation should be regarded as invalid.
The seven-times world champion has been in an artificial coma at Grenoble Hospital since suffering severe head injuries in a skiing accident in the French Alps on December 29.
It was confirmed on January 30 that doctors had begun reducing his sedation in a bid to start the ‘waking-up process’.
Gazzetta dello Sport has also claimed Schumacher is regularly visited by Ross Brawn, former technical director of Ferrari, and Jean Todt, FIA president. The latter reportedly speaks to Schumacher in English about their shared past.
But Schumacher’s management said in a statement: “Michael is still in the wake up phase.
“The situation has not changed. Any medical information published which is not confirmed by the team of doctors treating Michael or his management has to be considered as not valid.”
Apple has launched its CarPlay feature to give drivers a “smarter, safer, and more fun” way to use iPhones in cars. It’s clear that Apple intends for the iPhone to be the center of car electronics. And to do that, it has to own your dashboard.
Premiering at the Geneva International Motor Show later this week, CarPlay lets you make calls, use maps, listen to music, and access messages with just a spoken word or a single touch on a touchscreen. You can use the car’s native interface or push-and-hold the voice control button on a steering wheel to activate the Siri voice-driven artificial intelligence on an iPhone. That helps reduce distractions when you’re driving.
Cars from Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo will premiere CarPlay to their drivers this week. Others working on CarPlay features in the future include BMW Group, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai Motor, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia Motors, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan Motor Company, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Subaru, Suzuki, and Toyota Motor.
“CarPlay has been designed from the ground up to provide drivers with an incredible experience using their iPhone in the car,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of iPhone and iOS Product Marketing. “iPhone users always want their content at their fingertips, and CarPlay lets drivers use their iPhone in the car with minimized distraction. We have an amazing lineup of auto partners rolling out CarPlay, and we’re thrilled it will make its debut this week in Geneva.”
When an iPhone is connected to a vehicle with CarPlay integration, Siri can help you easily access your contacts, make calls, return missed calls, or listen to voicemails. When incoming messages or notifications arrive, Siri will be able to provide an eyes-free experience by responding to requests through voice commands, by reading drivers’ messages and letting them dictate responses or simply make a call.
CarPlay can also make driving directions more intuitive using Apple Maps. It can anticipate destinations based on recent trips via contacts, emails, or texts, and it provides routing instructions, traffic conditions, and estimated time of arrival. You can also ask Siri for spoken turn-by-turn directions, along with Maps, which will appear on your car’s built-in display. You can also access music, podcasts, audiobooks, and iTunes Radio via CarPlay.
CarPlay is available as an update to iOS 7 and works with Lightning-enabled iPhones, including iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, and iPhone 5. It will debut in select cars in 2014.
Car maker Volvo was quick to post a video showing it off in action. Not to be outdone by Volvo, rival Mercedes-Benz has now shared additional tidbits pertaining to how it plans to integrate CarPlay into an upcoming C-Class.
And just like Volvo, Mercedes-Benz is keeping its options open by not pledging exclusive support for CarPlay. In addition to its own in-car entertainment system, the company is going to support not only Apple’s CarPlay, but also Android-based in-car infotainment system when it launches later this year. Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty…
According to Mercedes’s press release, Prof. Dr Thomas Weber, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG, responsible for Group Research & Mercedes-Benz Cars Development, made it clear that his company will pursue a multi-platform approach.
Specifically, Mercedes-Benz intends to continue to offer its existing solutions such as Drive Kit Plus, Digital DriveStyle App, COMAND Online and Mercedes-Benz apps, all putting the power of smartphone apps at drivers’ disposal.
The company showed off CarPlay integration in a new C-Class at the Geneva Motor Show. Like Volvo, Mercedes-Benz will also allow drivers to use both its own and Apple’s solution simultaneously.
Support for Android-based smartphones will be available from the middle of the year, as soon as Google brings its own in-car infotainment system to market.
Back in January, Google announced the Open Automotive Alliance, an in-car Android integration initiative which aims to replicate Google’s success with Android on mobile devices, only in your car.
Update:
Ferrari shows off CarPlay integration with last-century resistive touchscreen tech
Nearly a year after its introduction, it looks like Apple is finally ready to launch iOS in the Car. The Financial Times is reporting that the company plans to introduce the new feature next week with 3 major launch partners: Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo.
Oddly enough, the Times doesn’t mention the project by name, but says that drivers will be able to use Apple’s ‘in-car operating system’ to use Apple Maps, watch movies, listen to music, make phone calls and send messages using the vehicle’s in-dash display…
Here’s more from The Financial Times:
First the mobile phone, now the car. Having revolutionised personal communication Apple now wants to change the way we drive. The technology group will next week launch its first in-car operating system with Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo as it attempts to take the lead in a fierce race to dominate tomorrow’s smart cars. […]
The deal marks the first time that Apple is embedding its software in devices other than its own branded products. The choice of the Ferrari, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz is seen to be in keeping with the US tech group’s high-end phones.”
The outlet goes on to say that the official announcement of the launch will be made at next week’s Geneva Motor Show. And a number of other manufacturers are expected to incorporate iOS in the Car into their 2014 models including Audi, Honda, Acura and BMW.
Last fall, Tim Cook called iOS in the Car “an important part of Apple’s ecosystem,” and the company continues to show interest in the automobile space. SVP Eddy Cue sits on Ferrari’s board, and Tim Cook reportedly met with Tesla last year to discuss a possible buyout.
In March of 2013, Bloomberg reported that Ferrari would be broadening its relationship with Apple.
Elie Chahine 