The UK Business Secretary Dr. Vince Cable today visited Jaguar Land Rover’s headquarters to experience first hand a selection of the latest Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles and hear about the company’s plans for environmental innovation.
During his visit Dr. Cable saw how Jaguar Land Rover – the UK’s largest investor in automotive environmental technologies – has utilised some of the £800m already committed to the development of technologies aimed specifically at reducing tailpipe CO2 emissions.
The Business Secretary met with members of Jaguar Land Rover’s Advanced Research team who are working on the development of sustainable technologies including hybrids and electrification. These technologies were demonstrated in the form of the Jaguar XJ-based Limo Green and the Range Rover Sport REHEV (Range Extended Hybrid Electric Vehicle) both of which are supported by Technology Strategy Board funding.
The Range Rover REHEV will run as a pure electric car for up to 12 miles in town and the diesel engine and electric motor will combine to drive all four wheels at higher speeds and when off-road. The target for its average emissions is 94 g/km CO2 and a zero emissions range up to 19 miles.
The ultra-efficient hybrid Jaguar Limo Green concept is a Range Extended Electric Vehicle developed in conjunction with Lotus Engineering, MIRA and Caparo Technologies. Based on the new, lightweight, XJ saloon launched in 2010, Limo Green features an advanced electric drive motor, battery pack and a small auxiliary power generator instead of the familiar Jaguar diesel and petrol engines. Limo-Green is targeting CO2 emissions of less than 120gm/km, fuel consumption bettering 57mpg and a top speed of 112mph. The overall range is 500 miles and in EV mode, an impressive 30 miles.
Dr Cable said: “The UK excels in making premium and niche cars and these are exported all over the world. A great example of the UK’s advanced research and development excellence is Jaguar’s Limo Green* ultra-low carbon technology project. An executive car that can do more than 50mpg with CO2 emissions from only 50g/km shows Britain’s premium car sector is more than capable of rising to the environmental challenges facing the car industry.”
Also on the agenda was the opportunity to view Land Rover’s much-anticipated new model, the Range Rover Evoque. This smaller, lighter, more fuel-efficient addition to the Range Rover line-up will represent a bold evolution of the brand when it goes on sale in 2011. The Evoque will be built at the company’s Halewood plant on Merseyside and creates 1000 new jobs – supported by a grant offer of £27 million from the Government.
Carl-Peter Forster, Managing Director and Group CEO of Tata Motors said. “Jaguar Land Rover has a central role in the UK’s automotive landscape supporting over 130,000 jobs and generating almost £6billion in export revenues alone. With annual investment in product creation set to top the £1billion mark Jaguar Land Rover is making a very clear statement of intent for its future and the critical role that manufacturing, engineering and R&D plays in ensuring the UK play its full part in a new low-carbon economy.”
Dr Cable met with the next generation of engineers and innovators undergoing training on the company’s industry-leading apprentice and graduate schemes. This year Jaguar Land Rover has recruited over 150 graduates and apprentices to work across its business, all with a common goal – to drive global competitiveness and respond to the very real challenges of climate change. As one of the country’s largest employers of engineering talent, Jaguar Land Rover is proud of the crucial role it plays in developing expertise in this area.
* Limo Green is a collaborative project funded by the Technology Strategy Board. Partners are MIRA, Caparo Technologies and Lotus Engineering
A limited run of just 20 New Zealand-designed and built Hulme CanAm supercars ensures extreme rarity value.
The developers of the eagerly-awaited 200+mph Hulme CanAm Supercar, named in honour of New Zealand racing legend and F1 World Champion, Denny Hulme, have announced an attractive proposition for those wishing to purchase an option to order one of an extremely limited production run.
The Auckland based Supercar developer-manufacturer, Hulme Supercars, has launched a package which is designed to guarantee rarity value by offering options to purchase the total production run of just 20 Hulme CanAm supercars, on a first-come, first-served basis.
The only production road car to bear the name of a F1 World Champion,
The Hulme CanAm is an ultra high-performance, mid-engined roadster. Created for both road and track use, the car blends the raw flavour and appeal of a Formula racing car with dramatic design, superb craftsmanship, exceptional performance and a thrilling and achievable driving experience.
An order for the CanAm will be secured by the deposit of £10,000 which, as Jock Freemantle, Hulme Managing Director, explains, is fully-refundable if the option is not converted to an order.
“Deposits will be held in a Trust account”, he confirms, “pending a private viewing and driving experience of the car at or before the 2011 Goodwood
Festival of Speed for those who have purchased an option to order. Following that, if anyone does not wish to proceed, the terms on which the deposit is paid will provide a guarantee that their total deposit will be returned immediately.”
The 20 customer cars will be coach-built and equipped to customer order, with delivery commencing in the UK in the Autumn of 2011 and into 2012, the 20th anniversary of Denny Hulme’s death.
Those who proceed to purchase are promised an experience as unique as the Hulme CanAm itself. Having determined the specification of their car, Hulme customers will enjoy two Air New Zealand Business Premier (Full flat bed) return tickets to Auckland, New Zealand, with one-week luxury accommodation, for their final fitting in the car and further road and circuit driving, before the car is shipped to their chosen destination.
All production cars will be numbered, with a guaranteed certificate of authenticity, and a 1/8 scale exact replica, finished in the same livery and specification, plus a full photographed dossier of the car’s build.
For Freemantle, the purchase offer is a significant milestone in the development of the Hulme CanAm:
“The concept car, in coupe form, was first revealed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2006. Such was the interest that we conducted extensive research to assess demand, culminating in the decision to initially offer an open-top CanAm version, celebrating Hulme’s victories of the “Can Am Championship” in 1968 and 1970,” he said.
Development of the ultra-sleek F1-inspired CanAm car continued, with a finished prototype extensively tested on both road and track before the decision was made to accept orders.
Designed and hand-built by the Hulme Supercars technology team in New Zealand – including members who were responsible for the nation’s America’s Cup triumphs – the road-legal “Hulme CanAm” features an ultra-lightweight carbon composite tub and bodywork, and race-orientated chassis, suspension and braking.
To honour Denny’s CanAm Championship wins in McLaren CanAm cars powered by Chevrolet V8’s, the Hulme CanAm is powered by a 7-litre (427cu.in) Chevrolet LS7 V8 developing 600bhp and 600Nm torque, fed through a close-ratio, six-speed CIMA manual gearbox (Paddles or Sequential shift will be options available). As a consequence of its lightweight construction, the Hulme CanAm weighs in at less than 1,000kg. This combination promises a sub-three and a half second sprint to 100kph, and top speed in excess of 200mph.
Despite its ultra-performance and emphatic race car credentials, the Hulme Supercars’ design and development focus has been on driveability, with power delivery and handling dynamics optimised for maximum driving enjoyment on track and on the road.
For Greeta Hulme, the widow of Denny – who passed away in 1992 – the announcement of the Hulme CanAm’s production is warmly welcomed: “Jock Freemantle’s desire to honour Denny’s life with this unique car has been matched by his irrepressible enthusiasm and passion to create it. I am both proud and immensely impressed with what he and the Hulme Supercars team have achieved.”
The purchase price of the Hulme CanAm will be fixed at £295,000 (plus local taxes) on receipt of an order, including delivery worldwide.
To purchase one of only 20 options available, e-mail Jock Freemantle at jock.f@hulmesupercars.com or write to Hulme Supercars Limited, P.O.Box97853,ManukauCity2241,Manukau,New Zealand.
The final vehicle specification, customer options included in the sale price, and details of the order and payment terms, will be confirmed before the options are converted to an order. Development specifications are available now from Hulme Supercars by e-mail to jock.f@hulmesupercars.com or from Hulme Supercars Limited, P.O.Box97853,ManukauCity2241,Manukau,New Zealand. and from the website. www.hulmesupercars.com.
Allan McNish gave himself a good warm-up to next month’s Le Mans 24 Hours when the Scotsman’s diesel-engined Audi finished third in an abnormal 1,000km sportscar endurance race at Spa-Francorchamps today (SUN).
Dumfries-born McNish, 40, started his Audi R15 TDI from sixth place on the 49-car grid and along with co-drivers Dindo Capello (Italy) and Tom Kristensen (Denmark) led convincingly before first a power cut and then rain returned to thwart Audi’s bid for victory in a bizarre Le Mans Series race.
“Rain fell just before the start and being on dry weather ‘slicks’, made it extremely difficult on the slippery surface,” reflected McNish. “The Audi team then made a good strategy call to pit me under a safety car period and I led at the end of my stint.
“But then a power cut brought the race to a temporary stop, something I’ve never previously experienced in my career, and then a further rain shower late in the race prompted us to bring Tom [Kristensen] in to change onto intermediate [part-treaded] tyres with 30mins remaining.
“Unfortunately it stopped raining soon afterwards, the track dried and we lost second place with just four minutes to run. But in terms of the performance, Audi can be pleased looking ahead to Le Mans which is why we ran our cars in Le Mans specification unlike Peugeot who chose to run in a higher downforce set-up more beneficial for Spa.”
The McNish/Capello/Kristensen Audi ultimately finished 86.215secs behind the winning Peugeot of Sébastien Bourdais/Simon Pagenaud/Pedro Lamy which had started from pole-position.
The Audi R15 TDI sportscar of Timo Bernhard (D)/Romain Dumas (F)/Mike Rockenfeller (D) started from the front row and finished fifth. The third “factory” Audi of Marcel Fässler (CH)/André Lotterer (D)/Benoît Treluyer (F) had been due to begin the race from fifth position but lost eight laps having repairs made in the pits after Lotterer spun off on the warm-up lap after drizzle made the track surface treacherously slippery. They recovered to finish 12th.
Innovative Beverage Group Holdings, Inc. (OTC.PK: IBGH) today announced that the company has entered into an agreement with non alcoholic beverage-carrying Folsom Distributing to bring the company’s signature relaxation beverage, drank(TM), to the St. Louis metropolitan area and outlying areas.
For more than 45 years, Folsom Distributing has been providing premier non-alcoholic beverages to a variety of retail outlets both Illinois and Missouri. Folsom prides itself on outstanding customer service and unique product line that reflects the constantly-changing beverage industry. They currently distribute household names including Cadbury®, Mistic®, Nantucket Nectars®, YooHoo®, and AriZona Tea®.
“Market analysis indicates strong growth potential for functional beverages,” said Jim Folsom, President of Folsom Distributing. “We put our reputation on the line with every product we select for our portfolio, and with the introduction of relaxation beverages into the market we chose to go straight to the market-leader and innovator, drank(TM), as it is a terrific addition to our lineup of premium beverages. We are excited to help propel the brand in the region.”
“We strive to form partnerships with the strongest distributors in every region drank(TM) enters, and with Folsom Distributing we know the resources we need are in place to strengthen our position in the beverage industry in Illinois and Missouri,” said Peter Bianchi, CEO of Innovative Beverage Group. “This agreement firmly supports our business strategy to expand our iconic brand and make the product more broadly available in new and existing markets.”
With a slogan of “slow your roll(TM),” drank(TM) is the antithesis of the herd of energy drinks crowding the functional beverage sector. Since launching in select markets in early 2008, drank(TM) has quickly become the go-to beverage for people looking to relax their mind and body with a calming blend of melatonin, rose hips and valerian root.
Folsom Distributing joins an extensive and growing roster of regional distributors that have added drank(TM) to their New Age beverage lineup. For more information about drank(TM), please visit: www.drankbeverage.com, call 877-DRANK-02 or follow the brand on Twitter – www.twitter.com/slowyourroll. To reach Folsom Distributing, please call 618-254-0427.
T3 Motion, Inc. proudly announces their partnership with Target for the nationwide deployment of T3 Series personal mobility vehicles at more than 100 Target stores. Target Assets Protection team members will leverage these vehicles to help provide safe and secure parking lots at their stores throughout the U.S.
The all-electric T3 Series vehicles are extremely cost effective, produce zero gas emissions and are solely designed for professional security and public safety applications.
The dynamic relationship between Target and T3 Motion, Inc. also includes mutual strategic sponsorships of the national “Safe City” Foundation, which creates partnerships among law enforcement, business and community organizations to proactively reduce crime.
“We are tremendously excited to partner with Target for the deployment of our T3 Series vehicles for parking lot patrols and to join them in the ‘Safe City’ program,” said Brian Buccella, V.P. of Sales and Marketing for T3 Motion, Inc.
“We are proud of this partnership,” said Cory Birkemeyer, Director of Assets Protection for Target. “Target’s priority is the safety and security of our guests and team members. T3 technology increases our visibility as we patrol store parking lots across the country and is well-received by our guests. Additionally, the Safe City program strengthens our communities while reducing common crimes.”
About the T3 Series:
Reaching speeds up to 25 m.p.h. and designed with the input of law enforcement and security industry professionals, the T3 Series features a zero-degree turning radius and compact design–perfect for maneuvering through crowds and tight spaces. Also unique to the T3 Series is the most user-friendly, intuitive operation of its kind, giving the rider a sense of superior stability.
The quiet, environmentally-friendly, zero gas emission vehicles include an integrated LED lighting system and an incomparable low cost of operation. The T3 runs for less than 10 cents per shift and never requires any down time due to the T3′s two rechargeable, lightweight batteries that can be easily swapped out while in use for continual deployment and an unlimited range.
T3 Series Features:
* High-performance vehicle with a zero-degree turning radius for improved maneuverability in crowds and tight spaces
* Two rechargeable and interchangeable lightweight power modules for constant use without down time
* Capable of reaching speeds up to 25 m.p.h. for the quickest response possible without officer or personnel fatigue
* An instinctive vehicle with easy-to-operate controls and responsive steering that allows officers and security personnel to focus on response to the situation
* A 9-inch raised platform providing a superior vantage point but still allowing for interaction with the community
* Robust cargo capacity of 450 pounds (rider + equipment) includes the ability to tow personnel and equipment/cargo trailers
* External cargo/equipment rack with hard cases to transport an additional 200 pounds of cargo/equipment
Additional T3 Series Features Specific to Law Enforcement and Security:
* Integrated LED lighting system
* Fully-compliant headlights, brake lights and running lights
* Sirens
* Secure glove box for storage
* Optional GPS-enabled tracking system
Some of the funniest guys around. Sounds like the Lambo actually broke a wing on this one. The exhaust note on the Lambo as it drove away was the coolest part though.
Stuttgart – The evidence is now clear: drivers of Mercedes vehicles are safer on the road than drivers of other car brands. This is the result of a study of Mercedes accident research based on official, anonymous data samples from the Federal Office of Statistics. Having looked at 18,748 accidents resulting in personal injury during the period from 2003 to 2007, the study found that the risk of being seriously or fatally injured as the driver of a E‑Class, is 10.4 percent lower than for comparable vehicles of other brands.
The study did not even allow for the fact that Mercedes-Benz vehicles are involved in accidents less frequently than the vehicles of other brands – primarily because, among other reasons, Mercedes-Benz was the first manufacturer to introduce ESP® across the board. The study of accident severity only took into account accidents resulting in personal injury. The criteria were initial registration from 2002 onwards, as well as a performance and weight class corresponding to the E‑Class.
The result represents clear evidence of the contribution made by the passive safety systems of Mercedes-Benz to reducing the consequences of an accident. Thanks to adaptive front airbags and belt-force limiters, which can adapt to the severity of an impact, rollover sensors, windowbags as standard and an intelligently designed body structure which provides occupants with excellent protection even in the event of severe collisions, at the time of its world premiere in 2002 the E-Class became the new benchmark for passenger car safety in the luxury class.
In the course of a facelift of the E-Class in the spring of 2006, the Mercedes engineers continued to achieve further substantial advances in the field of high-level safety, equipping the E-Class with safety systems which no other passenger car in this class was able to offer. At the time PRE-SAFE® was introduced, the interlinking of systems for accident prevention with occupant protection marked the start of a new era in this vehicle class. This Mercedes invention takes advantage of the time between detecting an accident-prone situation and possible accident damage for occupant protection. With the new E-Class, Mercedes-Benz has continued to build on the advances being made in the field of safety. Around a dozen new or enhanced driver assistance systems contribute to preventing accidents and reducing the severity of an impact. These include the ATTENTION ASSIST drowsiness detection system, as well as the optional DISTRONIC PLUS proximity control system and PRE-SAFE® Brakes with autonomous emergency braking. For the first time, PRE-SAFE® can also make use of information from the short-range radar sensors in the front bumper to tighten the front seat belts in the very last split second before an unavoidable accident, thus helping to reduce the loads suffered by the driver and front passenger in a crash.
With nine airbags as standard, four seat-belt tensioners and belt-force limiters as well as crash-responsive NECK-PRO head restraints for driver and front passenger, the new E-Class provides an even more comprehensive level of safety equipment than its predecessor. As well as the air cushions, which can be activated in milliseconds in the event of an accident, there are also two adaptive airbags for the driver and front passenger, a kneebag for the driver, two sidebags in the front seat backrests, and also two generously sized windowbags which span the area from the A to the C-pillar in the event of a side impact. For the first time, pelvisbags have also been incorporated for the front seat occupants. These can also help to reduce loads in the upper body and pelvic areas in the event of a side collision. Sidebags are also available as an optional extra for the rear passengers, while another safety innovation includes automatic adaptive belt-force limiters in the rear, now available for the first time as an option from Mercedes-Benz. These adjust automatically to the size and weight of the passengers.
• Each language has its own voice
• Professional speakers as dialogue partners and guides
• The Mercedes voices can also be heard on TV and radio
Around one dozen female speakers – and one male – guide Mercedes drivers to their destinations. Their voices are heard from the loudspeakers during dialogues with the voice-operated control system, and when the navigation system gives its route instructions. Every major language has its own voice at Mercedes-Benz — and English even has two, to distinguish between British and American pronunciation.
Turkey is another exception. Though Mercedes customers almost everywhere
in the world are happy to receive their route instructions from a female voice, Turkish drivers prefer the voice to be male. Selçuk Birdal studied drama as well as training as a speaker, therefore he is not only employed as a radio presenter in his home country, but also for synchronised cinema films and TV series. At first he was surprised to be the only male in the Mercedes voice team, but he certainly has no objection. On the contrary: “Having so many nice female colleagues is a lot of fun.”
Cristina Mambretti is a young Italian with a really great voice. As a trained singer, she is currently making a name for herself in the Italian classical music and jazz scene. She sings with Eric van Aro, the son of Caterina Valente, on the new album “Desert Motel”, has appeared at the Montreux Jazz Festival with the Swiss artist Marco Cortesi, and recently showed on regional TV in northern Italy that she not only has a voice, but also acting talent. Around four years ago she was selected as a speaker for the Mercedes navigation system and the voice-operated control system of the S-Class. “I took part in the auditions and was chosen from a large number of applicants – according to the motto: “Italy is looking for the Mercedes voice”, she recalls.
Spanish: Zoraya López speaks two languages and teaches oriental dance
In addition to her profession as a speaker, Zoraya López has two great passions: drama and dance. When she is not sitting at the microphone in a sound studio recording voiceovers for films or safety announcements for airline companies, she works as a dance teacher. Born in Spain, she has even taken specialist training as a teacher of oriental dance, and is therefore an expert bellydancer.
Zoraya López came to Germany 30 years ago, and now lives in Berlin. Which is why she has a special language talent: in addition to perfect German she is able to deliver German with a Spanish accent or Spanish with a German accent. She has already demonstrated this versatility on TV, playing a role in the long-running “Lindenstraße” series. She is also the synchronised speaker for one of the stars
in the American series “Navy CIS”.
German: Gabriele Libbach is a female detective in “CSI New York”
Ornella Muti and Lara Croft are two famous names in the biography of Gabriele Libbach. Now living in Hamburg, she has given both screen heroines their German voices on several occasions. Today Gabriele Libbach is mainly to be heard in the TV series “CSI New York”, where she does the voiceover for detective Stella Bonasera.
Since the market launch of the C-Class in 2007, the pleasant, friendly voice of Gabriele Libbach has been heard on board all new Mercedes passenger cars equipped with an ex factory navigation system. This means that day-after-day, many hundreds of thousands of drivers trust her to guide them to their destinations. In the voice-operated control system which Mercedes-Benz includes as standard with the current Audio 50 APS and COMAND APS systems, German-speaking drivers likewise ‘chat’ with Gabriele Libbach.
Hanover-born Gabriele Libbach already began her career as a professional speaker as a teenager. “I was twelve years old, and mainly did synchronised voiceovers for boys’ voices – somehow that suited me well.” Later she was commissioned for classic radio plays such as “Hanni and Nanni“” or “Commander Perkins”, and also synchronised a supporting role in the cult TV series “Starship Enterprise”.
Compared to roles like this, navigation instructions such as “Left turn ahead” or “Please take the centre lane” are a complete linguistic contrast for this trained teacher. “But that is what I like about this profession – there are always new and interesting jobs to do”, she says.
Danish: Jette Sieversten, the Shakespearean actress
Jette Sophie Sievertsen from Copenhagen beat more than 20 other candidates in the auditions, and was chosen as the Mercedes speaker for Danish. Until the mid-80s she performed in plays by Shakespeare and Molière, then appeared in various films and TV series. She is now the principal lady in a cabaret show with satirical scripts by the author Poul Henningsen.
She has also demonstrated her acting and linguistic versatility in the synchronisation studio, where she has lent her voice to well-known cartoon films such as “The Lion King” or “Chicken Run”. A recent job for an advertising film by a famous hair-care brand was equally interesting: “I was asked to synchronise Penelope Cruz.”
Dutch: Constanze Kamps guides visitors through museums and exhibitions
“Zegt de plaats en de straat.” A driver hearing this request from the loudspeakers of the S-Class, and entering the desired destination, is talking to Constanze Kamps. She comes from the Netherlands, but worked in Cologne for many years in the editorial offices of “Deutschlandfunk” and “Deutsche Welle”, which also broadcast programmes in Dutch until the end of the 90s. Today Constanze Kamps is a sought-after speaker for advertising and industrial films by well-known companies, and also records for the audio-guides used by visitors to museums and exhibitions. “A very interesting job”, she says. “I learn an awful lot when doing this.”
Portuguese: Fátima de Oliveira Baptista used to present TV shows
Radio was also the professional home of Maria de Fátima de Oliveira Baptista.
She presented her own shows on Portuguese radio for around 17 years, and also appeared in TV shows as a presenter. She is now self-employed, has homes in Lisbon and Washington and organizes PR events and shows on behalf of her clients. She was discovered as a Mercedes voice via the Internet: her website has a number of sample speech clips which the developers of the navigation system found particularly attractive. So she was invited to Stuttgart to speak the Portuguese texts for the COMAND system.
Russian: Margarita Kalz broadcasts on short wave
Anybody wanting to hear Margarita Kalz must switch to short wave and tune
in to the Russian programme broadcast by Deutsche Welle. This is where she presents news programmes, music and lifestyle magazines which are popular in Russia, White Russia and the Caucasus region. “We present information about Germany”, says Moscow-born Margarita Kalz. “We broadcast news and background reports in Russian, report on the German showbusiness and celebrity scene, and play current popular music. This means 14 hours of programmes every day.”
Margarita Kalz was no stranger to the studio even before moving to Cologne, as she used to work as a news presenter for a Russian TV station and was on-screen almost every day. She has a simple explanation for the success of Mercedes-Benz in her home country, and she presents it with typical Russian humour: “Those are all my fans and friends. They buy the cars because they want to hear my voice again.”
Chinese: Zhang Danhong works for the radio
At Deutsche Welle, Margarita Kalz practically works next door to Zhang Danhong, who is likewise employed there as an editor. Zhang Danhong studied German in Beijing, and came to Germany 20 years ago to continue her studies at the University of Cologne. Deutsche Welle was looking for China specialists, so her career as a radio journalist began.
Today the 43 year-old is the Mercedes voice that guides Chinese drivers to their destinations. “We made the first recordings for the navigation system just over three years ago”, recalls Zhang Danhong, who was pleased to be given the task. “Previously there were only English-language instructions in navigation systems. The fact that Mercedes has developed a separate version for China shows how important this market has become.”
French: Christine Ott was a dancer at the “Lido” in Paris
Christine Ott has a lot to tell when talking about her life and professional career. The latter began in 1977, at the world-famous “Lido” and “Moulin Rouge” variety theatres in Paris, where she spent five years appearing on-stage twice each day. “As a go-go girl with a feather boa, straps and stockings”, says French-born Christine Ott. “A tough job, and very good training.” In 1982 this helped her to secure a position in the famous Reinhild Hoffmann dance theatre, which initially performed in Bremen, then in Bochum until 1995. This was where her voice was also discovered, and Christine Ott began a second career as a speaker which led her to Mercedes-Benz in 1999.
“I enjoy working in the sound studio, although it is often harder than one thinks because the texts always have to be spoken and repeated with the same intonation. This takes a lot of discipline – and this is where my dance and drama training stands me in good stead”, says the Paris-born Mercedes voice, who now lives in the Ruhr region where she works as an ergotherapist. Last year she once again showed her acting talent in the play “nacht.poème” directed by Claudia Lichtblau. The performance was at the “Kokerei Zollverein” in Essen.
English: Claire Ashworth works for a bank in the City of London
Claire Ashworth is the “natural talent” among the voices of the S-Class. She has no training as a speaker, and has never been an actress or radio presenter. In fact this Englishwoman comes from a quite different sector, as a she is a team leader for a large bank in the City of London. A banker with a beautiful voice? “Well, I suppose so,” she says. “At any rate I was chosen from quite a number of other candidates, and offered this interesting part-time job.”
Two to three times each year, Claire Ashworth leaves her workplace by the Thames for a few days and flies to Stuttgart to record new takes for the navigation and voice-operated control system. “My parents always insisted that I speak clearly, with no regional accent. Now this is obviously paying off”, says Claire Ashworth, though she admits that making the recordings can sometimes be very tiring. “Everything must always be said in an absolutely neutral way, with as little emphasis as possible – completely ‘undressed’.”
Sound technology: driving to the sound of beautiful voices
These and many other subtleties during the recording sessions for LINGUATRONIC and the navigation system are watched over by sound engineer Peter Hardt from Jankowski Soundfabrik in Esslingen. He has done this job for Mercedes-Benz for many years, and knows exactly what is required. “The most important rule is to speak with the same intonation all the time, for in the car the system almost instantly assembles the individual words, phrases, letters or numbers into the route guidance instructions and information”, Peter Hardt explains.
During the recording work, each of the thousands of “takes” is individually saved and encoded, so that the COMAND system’s computer is rapidly able to access the relevant command rapidly as the situation requires, adding other information to it if necessary. Peter Hardt: “The end result has to sound immediate and natural – as if the speaker were sitting in the car, next to the driver.”
No your eyes didn’t fool you, some guy traded in his 1985 Maserati under the cash for clunkers program. According to the dealership owner the Maserati only had a little over 18,000 miles!! He also said that the owner complained that car was not reliable so he decided to trade it in for his $3500 cash for clunkers voucher. Wow, must say we never thought that CFC’s program would have an effect on the luxury & exotic market too!!
