How would you like your car to sound like a V12 even if it was only a four-cylinder? Or maybe some sort of spaceship? The technology exists to do it, and will be appearing on an unnamed production car within 12 months. I spent some time last week with bosses from audio firm Harman, who are behind high-end brand names such as Harman Kardon and Mark Levinson. They’ve developed a project with Lotus – it’s called HALOsonic after the two companies – which can synthesise sounds for cars. And it’s not just for fun, so your Renaultsport Clio can sound like Dr Who’s Tardis. It’s serious technology for use with hybrids and electric vehicles when they’re in low-speed ‘silent running’ mode. Harman has got it in a Toyota Prius at the moment (above), and it’s very clever. A speaker in the nearside front bumper projects a sound – and it can be whatever you want – for pedestrians to hear. The evidence is that people simply don’t notice these cars and tend to step out in front of them. Many of the big-name vehicle manufacturers have seen the HALOsonic demo and are impressed. The big question they have is what noise it should make. Should it reflect their current line-up of petrol and diesel cars, or go in a new direction – a bit more like the Tardis. Time will tell what they decide.
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