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At a recent symposium preceding the LA Auto Show, designer Ian Callum explicated the new Jaguar F-Type's sporty styling. But as much as we enjoy geeking out over design talk, what really caught our ear was chief program engineer Russ Varney's description of the F-Type's retractable HVAC vents, which operate with a little bit of art and a whole lot of science.
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The idea behind these moveable vents is mostly aesthetic, and about as obsessive as BMW's original intent with their iDrive system, which single-handedly sought to rid Bimmer dashboards of buttons. The clutter minimizing, face-level ventilation pod disappears a majority of the time because, according to Varney, cool air from the footwell vents is usually sufficiently capable of reducing cabin temperature-- plus, cold air on the face has a tendency to annoy passengers and dry their eyes. The crazy part? Just how many variables are assessed before an electric stepper motor lifts or lowers the assembly; Varney explained to Popular Mechanics that no fewer than six sensors detect humidity, airflow, fan speed, solar load, cabin temperature, and exterior ambient temperature while determining whether or not occupants will get air blown across their faces.
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At the end of the day, does this hinged HVAC setup add unnecessary mechanical complexity to the F-Type's otherwise cleanly designed interior? Perhaps. But in this climate (pun intended) of luxury automakers seeking to distinguish themselves with novel features, you can hardly blame Jaguar for trying.
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