Cars? Thank God they don't make them like they used to ...

With most new cars coming with ABS brakes, air con, a sound system, electric windows and more than enough power to get the job done, it’s easy to wonder why anybody should bother going upmarket when shopping for new wheels. But what do you get for the extra money?

Probably the most expensive item on any car is the nameplate. Take the latest Mercedes-Benz sedan and slap a Kia badge on to it, and you wouldn’t be able to sell it for half the price. But that doesn’t mean that every expensive car is no better, really, than a cheap one. Leading-edge technology is expensive, so the first anti-skid ABS brake systems were pricey. Now everybody has them, but the systems used on entry-level cars are generations behind those fitted to top-end models.

Power, obviously is important, both for the sake of the driver’s ego and to enable his luxury car to lug around the extra weight imposed by all the built-in luxury. The Rolls-Royce Phantom weighs more than 2,5 tons, nearly twice as much as the average 1,6-litre family car, yet the type of person who buys one expects to be taken seriously by BMW M3 cowboys at the traffic lights. That’s why the Roller needs a 6,7-litre V12 engine under the bonnet. To paraphrase Jaguar, space and grace are nothing without pace.

The biggest advances in automotive technology over the past two decades have all resulted from the huge role played by computers in the modern world. Cars today are loaded to the gunwales with sensors, servos and processors that do everything from managing the engine’s output to monitoring surrounding traffic, or adjusting the suspension and headlights to suit prevailing conditions. Computers in upmarket cars study the drivers’ habits and programme the auto gearbox to change ratios at preferred engine speeds, and others change inlet tract lengths, modify ignition timing, adjust camshaft settings and alter fuel mixtures on demand to give the driver the characteristics he or she needs at the time.

Little black boxes full of electronic guardian angels monitor wheel speed, yaw and pitch, and then apply the brakes on individual wheels, or back off the throttle when a driver becomes too enthusiastic for his — or, occasionally, her — own good. And all of this usually goes on without the driver having the slightest inkling of just how close he or she was to disaster.

Expensive cars obviously offer many other perks, such as the leather-covered steering wheel that Bentley claims takes three days to hand-stitch, and the Breitling clock found in the same car, but most of the added value in upmarket cars comes from the improved performance, safety and comfort afforded by computer-controlled everything.

Mercedes-Benz has long led the field in terms of the technology built into its cars. Let’s take a look at just some of the features offered as standard in its new S-Class, and available as options in many of its other models.

Starting with safety, the S-Class comes with a so-called “Pre-Safe” system that senses via radar when a collision is imminent, warns the driver and, if he or she doesn’t respond appropriately, partially applies the brakes in an effort to reduce the inevitable impact. At the same time, the front passenger seat is moved into the most favourable position for survival, the seat belts tighten up, any open windows close, and the front seats’ side bolsters inflate to move their occupants as far as possible away from the anticipated point of impact.

ABS brakes are old-hat these days, and many cars today also have a system called “Brake Assist” that senses, when the driver stands hard on the brake pedal, that there’s some urgency involved and applies the brakes even harder, to effect fast stopping.

Mercedes-Benz has taken this one step further, with radar-assisted “Brake Assist Plus”. Cars fitted with this have two short-range, wide-angle radar sensors built into the front bumper, and an additional long-range sensor hidden behind the grille. The system keeps an eye (or three) on the traffic ahead, and if it considers the following distance too short or the closing speed too high, warns the driver and prepares the brake system to provide optimal stopping power for the circumstances. Should the driver apply the brakes, even lightly, the computer will decide how much speed needs to be scrubbed off and apply the brakes as hard as necessary to avoid an accident.

The new S-Class uses an upgraded version of Mercedes-Benz’s Distronic intelligent cruise control, called Distronic Plus, which is also available as a R17 200 option in the latest E-Class. Distronic Plus acts like a normal cruise control, but uses radar to monitor the road ahead, and backs off the throttle when there’s a slower vehicle in the way. Should the closing speed be too high, Distronic Plus also applies the brakes to maintain a safe following distance. When it’s prudent to overtake, the driver can change lanes to do so and the car, sensing a clear road ahead, will accelerate back to the programmed speed. Earlier versions of Distronic only worked above 60 km/h or so, and once the car slowed down to that speed would beep at the driver to let him or her know it was relinquishing control, but Distronic Plus can bring the car to a complete stop, allowing the driver to use it even in congested city conditions.

When the traffic moves on, the driver needs just touch the Distronic control or place a foot lightly on the accelerator pedal to follow suit — all that’s left to do is steer, and satellite-navigation systems linked to radar will probably remove even that responsibility within a decade or so.

Another Mercedes-Benz technological masterpiece is the company’s Intelligent Light System. Many lesser cars now use headlights that use data about the steering-wheel angle and speed of the vehicle to alter the direction of their beams, illuminating the appropriate side of the road as the car turns. Mercedes has taken this a step further, with headlights that adjust their intensity and focus to suit the type of road and speed involved. At speeds of less than 40km/h, the appropriate front fog lights also switch on to illuminate the kerb when the driver turns the steering wheel or activates an indicator light. The cherry on top, for Mercedes-Benz, is the “Night View Assist” system that projects infrared beams way beyond the range of the headlights and displays everything it picks up on a screen in the cabin.

Most upmarket manufacturers offer loads of technology in their top models — rear-view cameras that display an image on to a dashboard monitor to help drivers reverse; Volvo’s blind-spot information system that uses cameras to warn of other vehicles stationed where the rear-view mirrors can’t see; satellite navigation with television and DVD; heated, air-conditioned seats to cope with the coldest and warmest weather; seats that can be programmed to massage at various levels of intensity; voice-operated controls; solar-powered air con that can cool the cabin down before the driver’s anticipated return from the shopping mall; onboard tyre-pressure monitors; keyless access that recognises a transponder in the owner’s hand or purse and allows nobody else to enter or start the vehicle; and built-in cooler boxes are just a few of the features available in various models.

The car that probably offers the most for the money is the Lexus LS 460, which matches Mercedes-Benz for opulence and safety, and can even park itself — just stop the car near a parking slot or garage, and indicate on a touch screen where you want it parked. From then on, the Lexus does all the work, using sensors to steer and power itself into the desired area. This feature is not currently available in South Africa, because the radio frequencies used by the system have yet to be approved for use in this country.

The long-wheelbase version of the Lexus, which is thus far built only in left-hand drive, is possibly the finest luxury limousine money can buy, yet it costs substantially less than a Rolls Royce or Bentley. The car features electrically cooled and heated massaging seats, individually adjustable climate control for all passengers, a drop-down large-screen television and DVD player for rear-seat passengers, a rear-view camera, self-closing rear doors, a radar speed control and braking system similar to that of Mercedes-Benz (not yet approved in South Africa because of radio licence considerations).

The car also boasts active headlights, a rear cool box, electric sunshades, an electrically operated boot lid, an eight-speed automatic transmission, voice command for the climate control, sound system, satellite navigation and car phone, and the entire alphabet soup of electronic driving aids such as ABS, BAS, VSC, EBD and TRC. The Lexus oozes quality — the factory even hired a takumi, or “feeling master”, to ensure that every switch and electric motor fitted emits a sound that suggests quality. On top of all that, its 280kW V8 takes it to 100km/h in just 5,4 seconds, on its way to an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h.

Many of the features found in the cream of motorcars are available standard or as options in vehicles costing a fraction of the price, but few cheaper offerings provide the lot. The accompanying table lists just some of the mod cons available to the modern motorist.

OLD HAT
ABS brakes
Electric windows
Air con
Airbags
Traction control
Radio/CD player sound system
On-board computer showing fuel consumption, remaining fuel range and other info

FAIRLY COMMONPLACE
Satellite navigation
Electronically adjustable heated seats
Rain sensing windscreen wipers
Automatic headlights triggered by light sensors
Active headlights
Individually adjustable climate control
Keyless entry and start-up
Parking distance sensors and proximity alarms

TOP DRAWER
Active suspension with sports, standard and comfort modes
Collision avoidance through cruise control and brakes linked to radar
Infrared headlights and monitor
Voice activated controls
Rear TV/DVD player
Massaging seats with heating and cooling
Rear view video display for reversing
Auto-parking facility

First published in Fancourt magazine, winter 2007