AutoTap by Daniel Codd

AUTO

TAP

TRENDS ACROSS THE

PLANET V2.13

AUTO

TAP

TRENDS ACROSS THE

PLANET

Welcome to Auto TAP, where we’ve scoured the globe for all that’s new in the automative sector. In this edition we look at why Bentley is fitting their cars with hashtag licence plates (clever idea) and how Texas-based rental car company Silvercar is revolutionising the sector using Cloud tech profiles. Honda have gone music mad for their ‘Fit Twist’ launch - turning the car into one of the world’s largest DJ booths (you should see the size of the record turntable it’s driving on!). We look at vehicle designs of the future and how BMW are using iWindow technology to give us a glimpse of how showrooms might evolve. And finally, a couple of world firsts… Ford and Momentum use never before seen holographic technology to launch the Fiesta tech drive in Italy, and in Japan comes ‘Fit She’s’ from Honda – a car aimed at women that prevents wrinkles!! Genius. We’re off to don an avocado face mask and find more innovation for the next edition…Enjoy.

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Contents

Contents 01

BMW IWINDOW INSTALLATION

FORD TECH DRIVE

Getting In Touch

HONDA CONTROLS HUGE DJ BOOTH

05 TEXAS-BASED CAR RENTAL COMPANY WILL OFFER JUST A SINGLE MAKE, MODEL AND COLOUR

IN JAPAN, CAR TARGETED AT WOMEN HELPS PREVENT WRINKLES

FROM ELECTRIC POD CARS TO HAND CONTROLLED SNOWMOBILES

BENTLEY FITS CARS WITH HASHTAG LICENSE PLATES

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FORD TECH DRIVE

FORD TECH DRIVE The new Ford Fiesta builds on a 36-year heritage that has seen the model become Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best-selling small car. With sharp design, a strong focus on quality and an advanced range of safety, entertainment and fuel-saving technologies, Ford wanted to launch the Fiesta in an exclusive event that showcased this new technology and the broader Ford automotive innovation story. Italy was chosen as the location because this is one of the key markets for the Fiesta. Ford wants to be recognised in Europe as an innovator of automotive technology, so wanted a unique, temporary engagement for the new Ford Fiesta that gets cynical motoring journalists, bloggers and consumers from 32 European countries writing about the new Fiesta, and leave them impressed by how groundbreaking Ford is when it comes to technology. Momentum UK created a seamless integrated journey of Fordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s innovative tech through groundbreaking event tech - 150 pieces of print, bespoke digital pieces such as a responsive web app, evites, QR readers plus an interactive holographic system.

World firsts in event technology included a personalised, voice-activated hologram with Chromakey - turning the invitees into a hologram

right before their eyes, so they could see themselves in the driving seat of the new Fiesta.

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FORD TECH DRIVE

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BMW iWindow Installation

Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a cool execution from BMW. They came up with the idea of the BMW iWindow to show the world what the future of driving could look like in New York. Using digital projection and motion detection technology they projected concept cars in real-time on a giant window. The cars were made to look like

the real, future reflections of the cars passing by on 6th avenue, NY. In one week the window transformed 248,000 cars into BMWi concept cars which would be enough to save commuters over $493 million in fuel. Love this innovative way to showcase the cars of the future! View Video 03

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Honda controls huge DJ booth

Honda controls huge DJ booth In Brazil, the Honda Fit Twist is a street car, so to show how ‘hip’ it was, elements were wired into the vehicle to create a mixing deck — flipping on and off the windshield wipers controlled horn sounds, pulling down the visors controlled the vocals - so when the DJs combined all of these elements the car itself became the mixing board.

DJ duo N.A.S.A. (Squeak E. Clean and DJ Zegon) were given control of the “Drivemixer” and created an exclusive music track called ‘Overdrive’. Altering different parts of the car, anything from pressing the gas pedal to putting it in gear, changed elements of the beat. View Video

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Texas-based car rental company will offer just a single make, model and coloUr

Texas-based car rental company will offer just a single make, model and coloUr Silvercar plans to rent out the silver 2013 Audi A4 and use mobile technologies to take the hassle out of the rental process. We’ve seen plenty of car-rental innovations over the years, including FlightCar, which rents out vehicles left in airport parking lots. More recently, however, we came across Silvercar. In a nutshell, the Texas based company plans to rent out just a single colour, make and model of car – the silver 2013 Audi A4 – and use mobile technologies to take the hassle out of the rental process. Now gearing up for an end-of-year launch, Silvercar’s goal is to “reinvent the airport car rental experience by addressing critical friction points with advances in Web, wireless, mobile and vehicle technologies,” in the company’s own words. What that translates into is not just removing the variability in the car models offered – focusing exclusively instead on the premium-minded 2013 Audi A4 in silver – but also basing its service on streamlined operations and a seamless smartphone user interface. No check-in lines or traditional counters will exist at Silvercar locations.

Rather, a Silvercar app will serve as a booking platform and manage personalised vehicle settings and preferences via a cloud-based profile for each customer. Those using the service will select and unlock their Silvercar at their travel destination by scanning the vehicle with their smartphone. Then, preferences previously stored in the customer’s profile – reportedly including not just payment and contact details but also favorite satellite radio

stations and hotel locations, for example – will automatically push to Audi’s in-dash multimedia interface. “Ultimately, this evergrowing set of preferences and customisations means Silvercar’s Audi A4 becomes the traveller’s own vehicle, whenever and wherever they drive it,” the company explains. Costs, meanwhile, will be comparable to those of standard or full-size cars from other rental companies, it says.

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In Japan, car targeted at women helps prevent wrinkles

In Japan, car targeted at women helps prevent wrinkles Auto manufacturer Honda has launched the Fit ‘She’s’ model, which has been created to appeal to the female driver. Honda has highlighted a number of features that may attract female customers. Firstly, the windscreen blocks 99% of ultraviolet rays, which have been found to be bad for wrinkles. The air conditioning system also features ‘Plasmacluster’ climate control technology, which the company claims helps improve the skin of passengers. The driver’s seat has its own heating and the manufacturers have paid particular attention to safety features. Although the model’s flagship color is pink – both the exterior and interiors use the shade as a predominant theme – the vehicle also comes in brown, white and black. The vehicle is priced between JPY 1,400,000 and JPY 1,575,600 and is currently only available in Japan. The Fit She’s features could of course appeal to many men, but marketing the car to women specifically could well reap rewards.

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From Electric Pod Cars to Hand Controlled Snowmobiles

From Electric Pod Cars to Hand Controlled Snowmobiles Design meets green in these awesome futuristic, eco-friendly vehicles, many of which are coming soon to highways, bike paths, air strips and dirt roads near you. Vehicular design is fluid and constantly changing and evolving. The biggest buzz words in vehicular design these days are ones like ‘eco’, ‘environmentally friendly’, ‘green’, ‘efficient’ and so on. With that in mind, these eco-friendly vehicles of the future give a stunning glimpse into the designs of the future. From incredibly efficient pod cars to pedal powered sports cars, there’s a ton of imagination on display from these designers. You may not see all of these going through the local drive-thru, but the concepts are fascinating to explore regardless.With these eco-friendly vehicles on the horizon, the future looks very green for both the environment and these designers’ wallets.

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BENTLEY FITS CARS WITH HASHTAG LICENSE PLATES

BENTLEY FITS CARS WITH HASHTAG LICENSE PLATES WE ♥ THIS!

Social Media is a well established part of auto shows these days. Bentley’s stand at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit included a clever

detail aiming to aid the public in getting the word out on their favorite model. Each of the three cars on display sported custom license plates printed with the hashtag of that model. It is a subtle application, but fitting coming from a luxury automaker.

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Getting In Touch

Getting in touch

email us your news & views

tap@momentumww.com http://blog.momentumww.com/blogs/wwtap/

Sources: Digital Buzz, PSFK, Springwise, Trend Hunter.