Motoring’s worst tech flops

DIGITAL REVELATIONS The Nissan Maxima (main) and Austin Maestro (above) could talk back to you

An eighties car that talked back

THESE days, talking to tech such as Google Nest, Siri and Alexa has become second nature. But turn the clock back 40 years or so to the early eighties, and Nissan’s idea of a car that spoke to you seemed like something out of a sci-fi movie.

The model in question was the US-market Maxima saloon, and it introduced a voice warning system that relayed a range of messages advising of potential problems, such as doors remaining open and lights left on.

When compared with the intelligent assistants we are accustomed to now, the tech that delivered this seems basic; a phonograph and three-inch plastic record were used, featuring a handful of alerts.

One or two other makers followed Nissan’s lead and launched ‘talking cars’ , including most famously here in Britain, the Austin Maestro with its digital dashboard. However, the idea always felt like something of a gimmick and never properly captured the imagination of the public.

GONE FISSION Ford explored the idea of a nuclearpowered car but in the end risks were deemed too great

A motorcycle with a roof

THE rationale behind BMW’s C1 of 2000 was simple. As the brand’s heritage website explains, it tried to answer the question: “Why not combine the merits of a motorcycle with those of a car?”

Great in theory, but in reality, the C1 was a frustrating mishmash of ideas – a scooter with a roof (courtesy of an aluminium cell that was intended to afford additional crash protection), which required riders to wear a seatbelt, but not a helmet. A 125cc four-valve engine seemed powerful enough on paper, but the C1 was heavy, which meant performance was sluggish. Also on the weighty side was a price of around £4,000, which meant sales were slow. Arguably the biggest problem with the C1, though, was the fact that such an ungainly machine delivered next to no street cred. Innovative it may have been, but with desirability in short supply, the axe fell in 2004.

A car powered by nuclear reaction

SPOILER alert: this didn’t actually come to fruition. While the thought of a car featuring a nuclear reactor now seems thoroughly outlandish, in the fifties it was considered viable enough that Ford produced a scale model to showcase how one might look.

The idea behind the Nucleon was that a reactor, located at the rear of the car, would use uranium fission to heat a generator that would convert stored water into steam, driving a set of turbines. These would power the car and an electrical generator.

The benefits Ford envisaged were near-zero emissions and superb ‘fuel efficiency’ , with uranium top-ups required only every 5,000 miles or so.

While it sounded an interesting concept, numerous concerns – including the size of the reactor, what to do with waste and the potential consequences of crashes – ensured that the Nucleon never progressed beyond being a talking point.

“The Pluriel’s roof was fiddly, the two arches weighed a hefty 12kg each, and if it rained, you got wet”

A car with switchable cabin and bodywork

CONFESSION time: we love the idea of the modular car, as showcased in 1982 by the Italdesign Capsula, a concept created by Giorgetto Giugiaro (designer of such classic machines as the DMC DeLorean and BMW M1).

The thinking behind it was simple: a modular chassis on to which different capsule cabins could be applied. So if you wanted to turn a passenger car into a van or ambulance, no problem. All you needed to do was remove one capsule and replace it with another (with some assistance, presumably).

The platform contained all the key elements, including a front-mounted Alfa Romeo engine, gearbox, suspension, fuel tank and more, with everything under the feet of the passengers sitting in whatever capsule was applied.

The problem was the potential price, so the Capsula never progressed beyond concept status. But as an example of ambitious innovation, it deserves some respect.

A car powered by gas turbines

IN the 1950s, a number of companies explored the potential of gas-turbine cars, but it was Chrysler that became most closely associated with the concept.

To manufacturers, turbine engines seemed an attractive option, due to the fact they had fewer moving parts than piston units and offered the ability to run on different fuels. Over the course of a decade, Chrysler developed a series of prototypes before the moment of truth arrived in 1962 with the launch of the Chrysler Turbine Car, which was largely an exercise in market research.

Fifty examples were made and distributed to potential customers who would provide feedback. Among the issues they encountered were poor acceleration, awful fuel economy, an irritating engine noise – similar to a jet – and deposits on the turbine blades when leaded fuel was used.

This ensured that work on turbines went no further, and their fate was sealed – although Chrysler did maintain a research lab for some years.

Suspension from an audio company

“STICK to audio” might have been the natural first reaction on hearing that Bose was working onon hi-techhi-tech carcar suspensionsuspension inin thethe earlyearly eight .eighties.

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