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Transportation

New Supercar Technology Does Away With Windshields (livemint.com) 114

Posted by EditorDavid from the trial-and-air-er dept.
The Wall Street Journal reports on a new technology being developed by McLaren Technology Centre for its "Elva," a multi-million dollar, 804-horsepower two-seat roadster.

It doesn't have a windshield... In place of a windscreen, Elva will debut a technology called Active Air Management System (AAMS). When engaged, it generates two air flows streaming over the cockpit: One glances off the low, curvaceous wind deflector rising out of the front bodywork, with an energy proportional to vehicle speed. The other airflow is scooped up in a low-mounted grille intake and turned 135 degrees. Now ducted up and slightly forward, this high pressure flow intercepts the deflected airflow, bending the combined flows over the cockpit. Meanwhile, streaming air clinging to the hood wants to be drawn down, below face level, following the Elva's curving scuttle and dash.

And so the Elva's historically unique, eye-of-the-hurricane gestalt: Driver and passenger motoring at highway speeds, talking at normal volume, as warm or as cool as desired and, looking out, seeing nothing... but scenery. No helmet limiting their peripheral vision as if looking through a well-padded porthole, stifling breath and sense of smell. And no heavy, roof-supporting "A" pillars either, which clumsily bracket existence in almost all modern cars. The Elva is the motoring equivalent of a horizonless pool.

Under the right conditions the Elva's system can billow precipitation out of the way, over the car, so the occupants stay dry. Heading up the mountain to Gstaad? With the AAMS active, falling snow will swirl past but never settle... What about bugs? I asked. Will they be deflected too? "It depends on the mass of the bug," said Andrew Kay, Elva project chief engineer, being completely serious. What about stones thrown up by trucks? Overtalk...inaudible... In any event, McLaren expects all occupants will be wearing helmets on piste and will only engage the AAMS bareheaded at moderate speeds...

At 60 mph, the wind was so still I could have lit a cigarette.
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New Supercar Technology Does Away With Windshields More

New Supercar Technology Does Away With Windshields

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  • WOW! (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Vegan Cyclist ( 1650427 ) on Sunday March 15, 2020 @05:40PM (#59833432) Homepage

    That's just awesome until you encounter an insect or rock or pretty much anything else.

    • Re:WOW! (Score:5, Insightful)

      by Austerity Empowers ( 669817 ) on Sunday March 15, 2020 @05:46PM (#59833448)

      Rock is what comes to mind. I can recall clearly at least two times in which a rock hit the windshield right in front of my face. I cannot imagine any deflector or air circulation system that would have saved me there.

      • I had a large bit of wood fall of a truck and bounce into my car once. I was going around 60Mph. Might knock someones head off.

        • Re:WOW! (Score:5, Insightful)

          by nonBORG ( 5254161 ) on Sunday March 15, 2020 @05:52PM (#59833478)
          Also great in the rain until you have to stop due to red light or traffic. I think you need the roof when raining.

          • Also great in the rain until you have to stop due to red light or traffic. I think you need the roof when raining.

            Nobody buys a supercar thinking about stop lights or traffic jams.

            • Re: WOW! (Score:2)

              by Malc ( 1751 )

              Thatâ(TM)s not true. There are a couple of McLarens I occasionally see as I cycle past them (as in: overtake) on my way home after work as they trundle along in traffic between Hyde Park Corner and Hammersmith in London.

          • I don't really know too many people who drive their supercars top down in miserable weather.

          • My thoughts too - it might be able to deflect a minor drizzle, but heavy rainfall? - not a chance.

            Maybe if they made it a convertible, with a retractable windshield coming out of the front?

          • If you think someone buys a multimillion dollar car as a daily driver, you should probably rethink that.

            Prospective buyers have a Bentley for those days.

        • I was once in the passenger seat going southbound during rush hour and about 50 yards ahead saw a giant tire fly over the median. It went to the right of our car by about 5 feet, level with my head, rolled about 20 yards, hit the front quarter of another car and flew about another 20 yars straight up. A couple gusts of air definitely wont stop something like that.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by MrKaos ( 858439 )

            It went to the right of our car by about 5 feet, level with my head,... A couple gusts of air definitely wont stop something like that.

            Similar story. Talking at the side of the road with four of my mates, truck goes by at normal road speed (about 60-70kms/40-50mph), spare tire falls out at that moment and bounces off the road at an angle. We see the shadow and feel our hair move as the spare just clears our heads, bounces in my mates front yard, off the front off his house and back onto the road.

            The conversation stopped instantly and we just stood there silently gaping wide open mouthed watching it bounce around as the traffic stops an

          • Comment removed based on user account deletion
            • One of my clearest memories because it was so amazing: Following a motorcycle across 7th street bridge in KCK. That fed between a number of grain silos in the rail yards. There was always loose grain on the street at the end of the bridge (back in 90s). Cycle hit that and dropped to its side. GOING INTO A RED LIGHT. The guy rode that laid out bike across the street GOING UNDER A SEMI CROSSING IN FRONT OF HIM.

              Fucker just kicked it into upright and kept going. Everyone in my car burst out into appl

        • "Eat the rich."

      • Lasers.

      • Goose, duck, pheasant, even a sparrow. What are these people thinking? Definitely helmet.

        • A helmet will do fuck-all... (Score:5, Insightful)

          by BAReFO0t ( 6240524 ) on Sunday March 15, 2020 @06:17PM (#59833544)

          ... with a ton of steel lying on top of you when you flip the car.

          A roof and a roll cage are usually standard for a reason.

          • It certain,y didn’t help the drivers of race cars from the “Speed Racer” cartoons, either.

            I’d settle for the Mach V’s bubble room over this particular implementation as it was bulletproof and watertight when deployed at any speed.

          • Some convertibles now have flip-up roll bars which automatically deploy very rapidly if the vehicle is flipping over.

            A real concern is what happens when a rock or a goose or a deer comes at your face. A good windshield+frame can save your life in that situation.

            • If you hit a deer in your supercar you're dead anyway, people don't buy these to drive the speed limit.

              • "If you hit a deer in your supercar you're dead anyway,"

                You are not automatically dead if you hit a deer in a supercar OR on a motorcycle, but you're a lot less likely to die with more protection around you.

                Supercars have to meet crash standards too, unless they are kit cars, and they therefore have strong window frames like everything else. If the deer hits right in the middle of the windshield you're fucked, but if it also hits the frame you've got meaningful protection there.

                "people don't buy these to dr

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

            I assume that's why it has two giant humps behind the seats. Looks like a 1950s retro-future design.

            Probably won't be road legal in many places, track only. Ferrari do some cars like that, when you "buy" it Ferrari keep it for you and deliver it on a truck when you want to play.

      • Yeah, motorcyclists often wear faceshields for a reason, even when a windshield is present. When I was 16 with my future wife on the back of my motorcycle, I smacked a June bug with my eye, and damn near killed us both. It felt like I'd been hit hard by a big dude and everything went white for several seconds. I was merging onto a highway along a curved path when it happened, and it took everything I had to maintain. My sight was so blurred it made driving while on acid seem like a mild distraction in compa

    • "That's just awesome until you encounter an insect or rock or pretty much anything else."

      Like... traffic?

    • You would be amazed at how even raindrops will sting if they hit you at 60+mph. I have had windshields hit by 5/16-24 hex nuts that sounded like someone shot it with a rifle. I guarantee that you will not get the air controlled enough to deflect something like that. And, what happens when you stop? Just get rained on?

              Track-day special.

    • Re:WOW! (Score:5, Informative)

      by LynnwoodRooster ( 966895 ) on Sunday March 15, 2020 @06:04PM (#59833516) Journal
      Yep. I ride motorcycle, and the air management I have is really very good - it's a 3-5 MPH breeze behind the windscreen, even at 70 MPH. That said, I still wear a full face helmet, because a bug at 70 MPH is NOT pleasant to feel even through my mesh motorcycle jacket, and makes an ugly mess when it intercepts my helmet's visor.

    • Or stopped at a light in the rain.

    • That's just awesome until you encounter an insect or rock or pretty much anything else.

      Exactly right. I've had rocks, wood, and other debris impact my windshield many times. Worst was some drunk guys head when he staggered in front of my car on a dark street. Of course, there's deer and birds too. Anyone who thinks this is some kind of Star Trek force field will be in for surprise.

    • Sounds like Racer X's car,

    • And bird poop... where I live, my car gets bombarded by pigeon poop quite often...

      • Anything that can deflect rain drops should have no problem also deflecting bird poop or even moderately sized bugs.

        • A rain drop is 3mm or less. Bird shit rarely is. Many, many insects are larger (think flying grasshopper).

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by Greyfox ( 87712 )
            The rock a cement truck used to shatter my windshield a couple years back was several ounces (I'd estimate) and put a pretty nasty radial shatter pattern into the tempered glass. I wouldn't have wanted to catch that thing with a helmet much less on any unprotected body part.

    • It is fan-tastic isn't it ?

      Imagine how much fun this will be at a stoplight, or in a parking lot while it's RAINING.

      Or . . . wait for it. . . . when one of your active air streamers fails at 100kph. . . . . outstanding

    • I was a teenager riding my bike downhill with no shirt on when a big junebug hit me square in the chest, I was only going maybe 30mph, and it damn near took me off the bike, it left a red welt where it hit. Canâ(TM)t imagine one hitting my face at 70 mph or higher...

      • Knew of a cyclist who was taken off his bike backwards on the highway by a large flying grasshopper to the forehead.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Cito ( 1725214 )

      It's all cool and wicked fun until you get that fat bumblebee stuck in your teeth or nice crunchy cicada swarm you drive through.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by wv5k ( 771543 )
      Not a feature I would ever trust... I was on my Moto Guzzi up on the Interstate recently, and a fist-sized clay clod (flung from a gravel hauler's tire) hit me in the shoulder while riding at 80mph. Came within a gnat's ass of ripping me off the bike. It would take a hurricane force air blast to deflect something like that at any serious road speed.....

  • The idea is pretty sound, I've driven convertibles before in the rain and snow with the top down, and at speed you are pretty much not going to get wet with the airflow over the windshield sheltering you (now the back seat, if any...).

    The system says it delivers a proportional airflow to speed of travel, I am wondering if it boosts that at low speeds so the airflow is still enough to keep bugs or rocks from hitting you - and if so, how noisy that is...

    It seems like an awesome idea though, it would allow for

    • How is air flow going to keep a rock from hitting you?

      • Enough airflow can easily deflect a rock. High pressure air can have tremendous force but you do run into a limiting factor where at some point a strong enough force field would become a danger if you accidentally touched it.

        • Also, don't tailgate dump trucks that can drop most significant rocks.

        • Your trust in a wind stream deflecting rocks @ 65mph is endearing. Would a loose lug nut qualify as a rock that can be "easily deflected"?

          • If the question is "Can you deflect a 1cm rock traveling at 65 MPH toward your head sufficiently to make it miss with a stream of air?" then the answer is obviously going to be an unequivocal yes. High enough pressure and flow will do that, no question.

            If the question is "Can this system do that?" then that's a vastly different question. My guess would be something along the lines of "Sure, it'll deflect it, very slightly. Probably not enough to keep it from hitting your head." But that's an uneducated

    • it would allow for magnificent views on something like a canyon or forest drive.

      So would getting out of your car and actually taking it in.

    • Or you could just stop, get out and enjoy a care-free look about.

  • I guess they don't have hail around there? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by bobstreo ( 1320787 ) on Sunday March 15, 2020 @05:51PM (#59833470)

    And as to:

    "In any event, McLaren expects all occupants will be wearing helmets on piste and will only engage the AAMS bareheaded at moderate speeds"

    I'd rather have a windshield than have to wear a helmet in a car.

    And how many people are going to actually wear helmets? Most of the people who are paying this much for a car probably won't even consider it.

  • Just don't stop moving if it is raining (Score:4, Interesting)

    by aegl ( 1041528 ) on Sunday March 15, 2020 @05:51PM (#59833476)

    Does that air-flow keep the rain out at 0mph?

    • Indeed. This car is definitely not for Seattle's rich, but Mountain View on the other hand might be nice, unless of course this setup does nothing for sound or exhaust of the diesel truck next you when your going zero on the 101.

    • Maybe an aftermarket company will sell an automatic umbrella that takes over when it's raining out, and the car is not moving.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      Reminds me of that Kickstarter scam for an "air powered" umbrella that was supposed to deflect rain using airflow alone. Of course it never worked and never had any chance of working. Aside from anything else if you built a system that could shift that much air it would be require ear defenders to use.

    • Do rich people go joy riding their ludicrously expensive supercars in the rain?

    • You need to stay above 50 mph.
    • The article brags about how it's so silent when driving at 65mph.... Of course they don't have any plans for when the car stops in the rain.... but I'd like to imagine they attempt to do something about it and it results in a stopped car sounding like a fucking hurricane.

  • I knew a guy a few years back who was doing 70mph while wearing an open face helmet on a bike in Arizona. I don't remember the name of the insect he ran into, but it killed him instantly. Deer or other large animals can also be an issue that a windshield can help you survive. But not always.

    I'd also prefer to have a windshield with a frame for better rollover protection. Granted, a roll bar behind you will do more, but having a windshield frame in front can't hurt.

    Plus there has to be times when a sudde

  • Alternatively (Score:4, Interesting)

    by theurge14 ( 820596 ) on Sunday March 15, 2020 @06:09PM (#59833524)

    Alternatively you could completely encase the cockpit area with the body of the vehicle, and then line the interior with a 360 degree coverage of AR-enchanced display.

  • Doesn't sound like five star crash ratings ... (Score:3)

    by BAReFO0t ( 6240524 ) on Sunday March 15, 2020 @06:14PM (#59833536)

    And more like head-splat with a side of heavy grinding! (Mmmmhhh.... *Homer noises*)

    According to my Top Gear studies, drivers of fast cars aren't exactly know for careful and safe driving.

  • I guess ... (Score:5, Funny)

    by PPH ( 736903 ) on Sunday March 15, 2020 @06:24PM (#59833564)

    ... I'e been driving a supercar [maydaygarage.com] for years and didn't even know it.

    • I gotta admit, I grew up driving something like this [jeepwavers.com]. No roll bar or anything like that. I would drive it at night sometimes with the windshield down (you didn't need a special tool to put the windshield down like modern jeeps). It was really weird to not have a windshield...

      Of course, it's top speed was about 40 MPH. Not much of a "supercar", but I loved it.

  • El v a car.

  • I guess if you're rich enough to afford it (Score:4, Funny)

    by 93 Escort Wagon ( 326346 ) on Sunday March 15, 2020 @07:10PM (#59833656)

    You're rich enough to not stop at red lights or stop signs. And the rocks kicked up by other cars would never, EVER dare come towards you.

    • Actually if you're rich enough to afford this you're unlikely to drive it unless it's perfect weather for it. These things are lesuire toys not cars.

    • Q: How do you spot the happy motorcyclist?

      A: By the bugshit in his teeth.

      Old joke time (but /. lost it the first time).

  • Why would you drive it in the rain anyway? (Score:3)

    by joe_frisch ( 1366229 ) on Sunday March 15, 2020 @07:14PM (#59833662)

    Its clearly not your only car, or even your only sports car. If you have one of these, you presumably have a set of cars optimized for different driving conditions.

    Mostly I expect you drive it slowly in town so people can see you in it.

  • Will it stop baseball sized hail that often plagues the midwestern United States? I'd would also like a bit of a barrier between me and a baseball bat weilding maniac during a road rage incident so I have a few seconds at least to get oitnof there before my skull gets caved in.

    And how will this keep animals, vandals, and the weather out when the car is parked?

    • Will it stop baseball sized hail that often plagues the midwestern United States?

      Why on earth would you drive it in the hail? People rich enough to own one aren't road warriors or using this for a daily commute.

      I'd would also like a bit of a barrier between me and a baseball bat weilding maniac during a road rage incident so I have a few seconds at least to get oitnof there before my skull gets caved in.

      Your men in the car behind will deal with that lout.

      And how will this keep animals, vandals, and the weat

  • Nice (Score:2)

    by Dunbal ( 464142 ) *
    I can imagine being parked at a red light in the rain will be thrilling.
  • And what happens when it's parked at Walmart while u buy toilet paper? Magical force fields?

  • Useless (Score:3)

    by DontBeAMoran ( 4843879 ) on Sunday March 15, 2020 @08:54PM (#59833796)

    I've never heard of something so useless in my entire life.

    One word: winter.

    • You are rich enough to buy an impractical supercar costing millions and are worried about driving in winter? Your chauffeur can take you where you need to go in the Rolls when the weather is a problem.

  • Bird poop. Bees. Rocks... (Score:3)

    by Fly Swatter ( 30498 ) on Sunday March 15, 2020 @09:01PM (#59833818) Homepage
    I prefer to keep my eyes and face, so no thanks.

  • I doubt it would block out sound, really heavy rain/hail, or worse, random objects like rocks or road debris.

    Sounds cool, but I'll pass.

  • I once hit a deer in the early morning hours (~2AM) as I was coming home from work.

    Several (five or six) deer ran across the freeway right in front of me -- nowhere to go because it was deer to the left, deer to the right, and deer straight ahead. I hit the brakes, but must have still been going 40 or 50 MPH at impact. After cratering the hood, one deer slide up my windshield and (apparently) got some upward momentum and then crashed back down on my roof (cratering it) a fraction of a second later before it

  • with no real world application in the marketingspace they are placing it.

    However, Iâ(TM)m sure there will be other uses for an invisible air shield

  • The Renault Sport Spider [drivetribe.com] in the 1990's had no windscreen and seems to have been based on a similar principle.
  • So their engineers invented motorcycle fairing. Small rocks, most bugs and quite a bit of precipitation are deflected quite well at or above a certain speed. Going below that speed and the bugs and rocks are not much of a problem. But the rain comes down.

  • You mean new technology like the Renault Sport Spider from 1996, where after 2 years, they added a version with the windshield (for a reason)?

  • cheap & reliable (Score:3)

    by sad_ ( 7868 ) on Monday March 16, 2020 @07:53AM (#59834854) Homepage

    you know what actual windshields provide; they're cheap & reliable.
    which this airflow system is none of those.

  • While I admit that the whole "driving at 60 with no windshield" thing is genuinely cool engineering - that's great in wind-tunnel perfect conditions but what about
    a) thermal control? IDGAF if the neato engineering is keeping the snowflakes out of your hair, I have to expect it would be cold AF if it's cold AF outside. As clever as they've directed the laminar airflow, I can't imagine that would do much to RETAIN needed heat in the vehicle when that is necessary?
    b) non-perfectly-aligned winds? Last time I

  • No head when you roll over.

  • Already with the April Fools' pranks [vox.com]

  • Just goes to demonstrate that just because you CAN do something does not automatically makes it a great idea...
  • This is a really cool feature, but having an actual roof, and things like roll bars, is really helpful. Like many others here, I'm also skeptical that this would handle gravel/other rocks thrown up, or really heavy rain.

  • Otherwise, whether you're on the road in a traffic jam, because half of all Americans utterly freak out when, say, crossing a bridge or there is the slightest precipitation, or you're at a stoplight, and it's raining/sleeting/hailing, you're going to get wet.

    I still remember walking across a street in downtown Chicago 20 years ago, on my way into work, and the Ferrari stopped at the traffic light....

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