MONEY USA TODAY z THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2019 z 5B
AUTOS
A luxury feature that began as a
$2,500 option on luxury convertibles
just might boost the fuel economy or
electric range of your next car.
If making the world a better place
through lower emissions and petroleum
consumption doesn’t float your boat,
could I interest you in never again burn-
ing your legs on sunbaked leather up-
holsteryas you hop into a car that’s a
cool 72-degrees Fahrenheit compared
to 90 after sitting in a summer parking
lot?
How? The Suspended Particle De-
vice, which is the Star Trek-like name
for a film that turns vehicles’ sunroofs
and other glass from transparent to
opaque, blocking the infrared and ultra-
violet light that superheat interiors and
prematurely age leather and other ma-
terials.
“You can control the amount of heat
and glare coming into the cabin,” said
Joe Harary, CEO of Research Frontiers,
the Woodbury, New York, nanotechnol-
ogy research firm that developed the
film.
Microscopic particles line up when a
small electric current runs through the
film, effectively creating a window
shade that blocks up to 99.5% of light.
When the current stops, the particles
flip back to their unaligned positions,
returning the glass to transparency. The
film attaches to the inside of the sunroof
or window, as tinted films and noise-
dampening acoustic laminates do.
It looks like magic. Turn your car off
and the sunroof — or maybe every win-
dow as the film’s price falls — turns
black. Light and heat don’t get in, and
potential thieves can’t see valuables left
inside.
Turn the current on as you return to
the car and the windows clear.
It’s more than a parlor trick. Less
heat in the car could allow automakers
to shrink air conditioning compressors
up to 40%, reducing cost and weight. AC
compressors use a lot of energy, so a
cooler car will burn less fuel.
In an electric vehicle, that could
amount to a 5.5% increase in battery
range in hot weather.
“More power is going to drive the car,
less to cool it,” Harary said.
Mercedes and McLaren currently of-
fer SPD glass on a handful of expensive
cars including the Mercedes S-class se-dan and SL roadster.
The interior $411,000 McLaren 720S
Spyder convertible I drove this summer
was notably cooler and more pleasant
than a previous model with a roof of
normal tinted glass.
The film has been expensive until
now because only one company pro-
duced it for automotive use. Harary ex-
pects prices to fall significantly now
that a second supplier, Israel’s Gauzy
LC, has begun producing the film in two
factories.
“It’s coming to mass-market vehi-
cles,” Harary said. He expects the film’s
falling price and tougher fuel economyand emissions standards in Europe,
China and the U.S. will appeal to a grow-
ing number of automakers, particularly
when a more efficient vehicle could save
an automaker millions in fines for ex-
ceeding emissions limits.
Twenty-five upcoming vehicles –
most of them electric – have signed up
to use glass with the film.
A study by Bentley shows you could
save as much as 13 pounds by replacing
a motorized glass sunroof and shade
with a fixed piece of SPD glass, Harary
said.
The film also is used in glass for
buildings, executive jets and yachts.Luxury glass coming to new cars, trucks
Less heat in cabin will
boost fuel efficiency
Mark Phelan
Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY NETWORK
Mercedes S-class sedan with darkened SPD glass sunroof.RESEARCH FRONTIERSThe law of unintended consequences
doesn’t usually apply to pleasant sur-
prises, but the radically new 2020 Chev-
rolet Corvette Stingray comes with a
beauty.
The first Corvette ever with its engine
mounted behind the passengers – a mi-
dengined layout, in auto parlance – is
also the quietest and smoothest in the
history of the great American sports car.
Sub-3-second 0-60 mph time not-
withstanding, the new Corvette isn’t
just ready to run with exotic sports cars
from Ferrari and Lamborghini on track
and country roads. It’s also primed to
match the best from Mercedes AMG for
long-distance touring.
Based on a brief test, I wouldn’t hes-
itate to drop the Stingray into track
mode and set off cross-country.
Driving impressions
Improved handling and the ability to
use more power aren’t surprises in a mi-
dengined car.
But I didn’t expect the quietest and
most vibration-free cabin of any Cor-
vette I’ve driven. It’s not easy to keep en-
gine noise out of the cabin as the engine
pounds away 18 inches behind the driv-
er’s ears. Chevy engineers pulled the
trick off with traditional insulation and
active noise cancellation.
Add a very stiff chassis with springs
and bushings expertly tuned to lock out
road noise and vibration, and you’ve got
an interior that’s as peaceful as many
luxury sedans.
The steering is fast and direct, even
more responsive than the 2019 Vette,
thanks to the car’s lighter nose, a higher
ratio and new steering gear.
A new feature that will save owners
countless paint chips and minor repairs
allows the driver to raise the Corvette’s
nose for driveways and avoid parking
blocks. You can even tell GPS to remem-
ber frequently visited spots and raise
the nose automatically if you forget.
The engine announces its presence
when you hit the gas, of course. The
Vette leaps forward and the engine roars
to life. The suspension shifts smoothly
at light throttle, but hammers through
the gears when you nail it.
The new Corvette’s dynamics, design
and comfort have the makings of a hit.What’s new?Virtually everything about the Cor-
vette changed when Chevy decided to
move the engine from the nose to be-
tween the passenger compartment and
rear axle.
Putting the engine there means 60%
of the car’s weight is over its rear axle,
not coincidentally also Ferrari’s pre-
ferred ratio. It lends itself to better ac-
celeration, since the weight presses the
wheels down, putting more power to the
street without spinning them.Brace yourself for future Corvettes
that are even more powerful than the
2019 ZR1’s 755 horsepower, but the cur-
rent car’s 490 hp already delivers that 0-
60 mph in less than 3seconds.
A fast and smooth dual-clutch auto-
matic transmission connects engine
and rear wheels.Tailored to the driverThe interior fits like it’s tailored to the
driver. An 8-inch touchscreen angled
toward me as I sat behind the wheel. Be-
low it on the center console area com-
puter-style wrist rest, buttons and le-
vers to select gears, a dial for drive mode
and a wall of climate control buttons
and switches.
The midengine layout changed theCorvette’s basic proportions, shorten-
ing the hood and lengthening the rear
deck. Overall length increased 2.5 inch-
es. The height of the roof is virtually un-
changed, up 0.1 inch to 48.6.How much?Prices start at $58,900, a bargain for
a car with the Stingray’s looks and per-
formance. My test car was loaded with
features.
It stickered at $87,800. All prices ex-
clude destination charges.
The 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray
will go on sale late this year or early in
2020, depending on when production
resumes after General Motors’ strike
with the UAW is resolved. A convertible
will follow a few months later.2020 Chevrolet Corvette a surprise to drive
List price is $58,900, a
bargain for this beauty
Mark Phelan
Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY NETWORK
The 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray will go on sale late this year or early in 2020, depending on when production resumes
after General Motors’ strike with the UAW is resolved. A convertible will follow a few months later. MARK PHELAN