EVER HEARD OF THE SHEPARD TONE? THE AURAL illusion of a note that never stops rising - a sort of audio equivalent of a barber shop's spinning pole - it overlaps ascending scales on top of one another in such a way as to be impossible to tell when one is fading in and another fading out. The resultant ever-rising glissando has been used by everyone from The Beatles to Taylor Swift and forms the sonic bedrock to the 2017 film Dunkirk, building intensity throughout the movie.
That nugget of trivia crosses my mind behind the Ariel Hipercar prototype's wheel because the chorus of its four electric motors seems never to stop rising or gaining intensity. It sounds a bit like a London Underground train, only much higher pitched, more frenzied - and at a frequency that just keeps going up and up. As, indeed, does the sense of acceleration. The speed readout on the race carstyle digital display behind the wheel changes digits almost faster than my eyes can follow, if they weren't already focused far down the road. I don't know at what speed that ascending tone finally levels out-self preservation kicks in before road runs out, and I back off.
The thing about the acceleration,' says engineer Tom McLaren, 'is that in a combustion-engined car it eventually tails off. In this it just keeps going...' I see what he means.
This is one of the first times anyone outside of the Ariel Motor Company has driven the all-electric Hipercar on the road. It's very much a prototype - the completed production car will arrive in late 2024 or perhaps the first half of 2025. But as it stands it's already a fascinating piece of kit. Another reason all that Shepard Tone stuff is randomly on my mind is that the science behind the Ariel Hipercar is both interesting and quite a lot to take in.
Denne historien er fra August 2023-utgaven av Evo UK.
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Denne historien er fra August 2023-utgaven av Evo UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Cupra Formentor Abt
It's farewell to the original Cupra Formentor with an Abt-tuned run-out package. It's a quietly excellent car; just a shame about the price...
Renault Sport Clio 200 Turbo
This misguided departure from the French brand's hot hatch heritage saw the Clio fall from grace
REBIRTH OF AN ICON
The Kalmar 9X9 is a modernday reinterpretation of Porsche's game-changing 959 supercar, with a carbon body and up to 917bhp. And evo is helping to develop it
Volkswagen Golf GTI
The underachieving Mk8 GTI gets a shot at redemption with the new, revised Mk8.5 version. Is it the leap forward it needs to be?
BEST BUYS
FAST FORDS FROM THE CORTINA TO THE ESCORT AND THE FIESTA, Ford is responsible for some of the most popular cars in British history. But alongside these everyday machines it has also produced a stream of desirable driver's cars.
HY AND DRY
The switch to electric power means an early exit for Hyundai N's brilliant ICE hot hatch duo. We go for a farewell drive in the 120 N
SEXY BEAST
The Vanquish name is back for Aston Martin's latest seriesproduction flagship, with a stunning new look and simply brutal performance from an 824bhp twin-turbo V12
THE JOY OF DRIVING
From mastering the everyday commute to unlocking the full potential of your performance car, our new series will help you become safer, more confident and ultimately more skilled behind the wheel
TINY DANCER
You haven't seen a Mini dance like this before, but then you haven't seen a Mini with a 4-litre M Power V8 under the bonnet and rear-wheel drive. Introducing Vini...
LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO
Grandaddy to the Temerario and the car that transformed Lamborghini was the brilliant, V10-engined Gallardo. We get reacquainted with a Lambo legend