Drive by Laser. No Really… LASERS

Not being dramatic. These laser headlights literally exist.

See – sticker proof.

It’s an all-new technology from Audi, making them 1st automaker to offer laser lights in production cars.

It will debut on the 2017 Audi R8.

How it Works:

There are 2 lasers installed into the headlight for use when the high-beams are engaged.

These 2 lasers replace the 37 LEDs found in the 2015 models.

The lasers emit a blue colour which is converted into a pure, white light that mimics daylight. And because a laser light is both brighter and more concentrated, it reduces driver fatigue and makes it easier to recognize contrast.

Best of all though, a laser high‑beam achieves twice the lighting range of an LED one.

It can be fine-tuned better than an LED. So the 2017 R8’s camera‑based sensor system will detect an oncoming vehicle, then actively adjust the light pattern to exclude it from the high-beam’s glare.

In the photo below, top is the light at the end of a track day, in the bright sun with my iPhone. Below is the press photo. Pretty eh.

Important – ONLY Canadian models
will offer this tech

The headlights on the 2017 American model will be the same LCDs as the outgoing one.

So US buyers – the cost of importing our model might be worth it, if only so you can say, “hi hi, my car has lasers.”

 

 

What the Tires are Doing When you’re Driving

The largest tire shows where the maximum tire contact, and load, is.

Do only 1 thing at a time :
brake, corner, or accelerate

Examples:

– when coming into a turn, complete all braking before initiating the turn. Then it’s off the brakes and start to turn the wheel

– yes you accelerate out of a turn, but only after the majority of the turn is complete, and the steering wheel is unwound to almost straight

From when I attended the Audi sportscar experience.

Blog tag = 2017 Audi R8

 

 

Trying to Define What Makes a Luxury Vehicle

At what point does a regular vehicle become a luxury one?

It’s tough to pin down! In trying to find one defining element, instead I came up with a bunch of what it’s not –

  • it’s not price,
  • nor number of units sold,
  • it’s not the type of gas it uses,
  • it’s not the number of features it’s equipped with,
  • nor the type of materials it’s finished with.

Plus! People’s benchmark of luxury can vary greatly.. what’s really nice to one may not to another, like – they’re happy with jewelry from People’s, I prefer Piaget.

Read it online at Autonet.

Favourite line:

The only argument that seems to hold is in regards to the one thing that can’t be held or touched – perception. Perhaps that’s it, then – luxury is defined by whoever’s advertising dollars are better at convincing us that something is high-end.

***

Back to ‘Keri on Driving’ – Index

 

 

My Dream Fleet

I have 2 – small and large.

Send me yours, let’s debate! Tweet, Facebook or email.

Specifically in my fleet – no convertibles, manual transmission when possible, black interiors and grey or black exterior with heavily tinted windows, and all are the highest trim but de-badged.

Small Fleet

Jaguar F-TYPE R

Audi RS 4 Avant

Large Fleet

Small Fleet plus:

Chevy Tahoe

Dodge Grand Caravan

Ford F-150

Jeep Wrangler

McLaren 650S

Mercedes E 63 AMG

Porsche Cayman S

Range Rover Sport

Subaru WRX STI

VW GTI

Plus the only old car I like – a 2006 BMW M3

And when I must be chauffeured, it’s a Security-trimmed Audi RS 7, or Jaguar XJL.

 

 

Testing BFGoodrich’s g-Force COMP-2 A/S Tires

BFGoodrich invited me to Mosport racetrack to test their all-new tire, the g-Force COMP-2 A/S.

But while listening to the morning’s press presentation my breath sucked in, “oh no, A/S stands for All-Season, how did I miss that?”

Okay I know exactly how – when reading the invite email, “Keri, we’d like to invite you to the track…” my eyes glazed over everything after “track”.

But this was a problem, because how can I endorse an All-Season tire when I’ve been putting them down for years, both here and at the paper?

Then the spokesman said 2 things that won me over:

1 – they said an All-Season tire really means 3 seasons, “it’s not a snow tire.” Agreed 100%
2 – before sending me out, they gave instructions on how to cheat a tire test

In the hundreds of press events I’ve attended it’s rare to hear such honesty. Day is off to a good start.

Test #1 – Braking

Floor it to 70 km/h, then stand on the brakes and measure which tire brought me to a stop in the shortest distance.

Super fun to do, super erratic results that tell me nothing. It’s not the tire’s performance, it’s because the driver (me) braked all over the place, so can’t rely on results when the tester was so inconsistent.

Test #2 – Wet Autocross

Toss 3 identical Audi A4s around a wet autocross course while riding on the 3 competitors – Continental, General and BFGoodrich.

Continental – didn’t hold the corners as well as BFGoodrich
General – the most fun because they slid all over the place; this is not a compliment
BFGoodrich – grippiest, and I executed my smoothest lap on these. Winner

Test #3 – Dry Autocross

Floored 2015 Ford Mustangs around a dry autocross course. Same set up as Test #2 – identical cars, around the same track, riding on 3 different brands.

And guys my skills are improving, I’m getting smoother!

Watch:

General – sliding around again but less funny than the wet track, these grip poorly
Continental – better than the Generals, but…
BFGoodrich – I was able to get back on the throttle the quickest with these because the grip was already there. Winner 

So BFGoodrich’s g-Force COMP-2 A/S won. And their price point is right in line with their competitors.

They come with a 70,000 km warranty, are on-sale now in 32 different sizes, then 52 sizes by Q1 of 2016.

I’ll leave you with the same thing I always tell you…

Don’t cheap out on the ONLY part
of your car that touches the road!