Robert Vasquez: Frickin’ Fractal: Peugeot’s Newest Concept Features Big Audio Dynamite

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Frickin’ Fractal: Peugeot’s Newest Concept Features Big Audio Dynamite

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Peugeot’s pushing its i-Cockpit infotainment system with the Fractal concept, but since we haven’t had Peugeots in the United States since before “infotainment” was a word, it’s a little lost on us. Regardless, the thing the system is wrapped in is pretty neat-looking—sort of an alt-Cooper Convertible with a hint of Gallic menace in place of Mini’s wide-eyed Anglo-whatsitness.

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Powered by a 40-kWh battery pack pushing 101-hp electric motors at each axle, Peugeot claims the Fractal has a range of 280 miles. To maximize efficiency, it runs on narrow wheels, à la BMW i3. In an effort to cut down on wind noise, said wheels are 3D printed—the company says that the required design would be impossible to produce by conventional means.

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The Fractal also is equipped with some manner of auditory walker/biker-warning system. We like to imagine it silently rolling up behind somebody and then parping out “La Marseillaise” via a demented calliope. Unfortunately, the reality is probably something more, um, pedestrian. To keep its owner in the loop, the Factal communicates with your Samsung Gear S smartwatch. We’re trying to think if we’ve ever met anybody wearing a Samsung Gear S smartwatch. We don’t think we have. Maybe they all went to Burning Man. Perhaps they’re now covered in weird desert bugs. Maybe the Gear S can help. We’re not sure.

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Inside, the interior features black oak and copper trim, a holographic HUD, and Peugeot’s party piece, the Fractal’s 9.1.2 sound system. Developed in conjunction with Brazilian electronic musician Amon Tobin, the small car is packed with 13 speakers “featuring tactile bass systems” built into the back of each seat. PSA claims that “9.1.2 makes driving more instinctive by enriching information through the use of acoustics,” via “spacialization” and “dynamization” of sound. We were getting a little tired of the German penchant for “dynamism”, so we’re pleased to see the French bring “dynamization” into the lexicon in time for the Frankfurt auto show, where the Fractal will be unveiled.

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