Tests found adaptive...
Tests found adaptive cruise control and active steering - which are meant to make driving easier - cause "underloading", where motorists lose concentration. Researcher Dr Mark Young of Brunel University, Middx, said drivers were far better at avoiding a crash if they had some level of manual control; too little and the capacity to respond was reduced.
Against all the odds...
Against all the odds, the Channel Islander clinched the 2007 crown for BMW in Macau, but only after the pacesetting SEAT Leon TDI of main rival Yvan Muller was forced out with a fuel pump failure.
“SEAT and Chevrolet won most of the races this year, so it’s clear that the current regulations haven’t favoured BMW,” said Priaulx. “Tech÷nically, we’ve been on the back foot – we really had to win it from behind.” The Brit believes the authorities are increasingly keen to see another manufacturer win the championship. “There are energies around that want to see a new victor,” he claimed. “I can see on people’s faces that they didn’t want me to win, and they hate the fact that I have done it again. It happened with Michael Schumacher in F1, and you have to rise above it.”
In an effort to boost its competitiveness, BMW is working on its own turbodiesel engine – a move that has mixed appeal to Priaulx. “In terms of the rules, I will be pushing for a diesel, but unfortunately, we could see a series full of diesels. They make no noise and look slow – which is a shame for touring cars.”