Latest news with #LamborghiniHuracan
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Straits Times
What's in a fob? The surprising complexity of designing car keys
The key fob for Bentley vehicles is likened to a business card for the luxury car brand. With 905 horsepower and a 0-100kmh sprint time under three seconds, the Lotus Eletre is more powerful than a Lamborghini Huracan and faster than a Porsche 911 Carrera. The US $230,000 (S$296,000) sport utility vehicle (SUV) is also the foundation of Lotus' plan to electrify its line-up. So, designing the right key fob for it was… well, key. It is an interesting subject – the fob. The way a consumer first interacts with a car is also one of the least relevant details of the driving experience. Yet, it serves as a handshake: A good design will communicate brand values, even status. A lot more thought goes into creating a fob than drivers may realise. 'We didn't want an over-featured key that becomes a big, bulky thing,' says Mr Mat Hill, head of interior design at Lotus. BMW's oversized 'display key' from 2015 was a cautionary tale: A US$670 option with so many functions that it required a touchscreen, the gadget was discontinued in 2022 because of low consumer interest. 'It's not about technology for technology's sake,' Mr Hill says. 'It's about, 'Does it actually make my life better?' ' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. 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It is ingeniously simple, handsome and – crucially, at less than 7.6cm across – small. 'If you've got a nice suit on, it doesn't spoil the line when it's in your pocket,' Mr Hill says. That less-is-more sensibility is a rarity in the automotive world. Fobs can now start a car as you approach; unlock the front door (and rear, separately, if you want); open the boot to varying heights; adjust the temperature; tell you if the windows are up; and give you the battery life and fuel range. With the rise of push-button ignitions, fobs are also functionally the keys too. Things have come a long way since Cadillac introduced a radio-based keyless entry for the Allante in the 1980s. A modern fob generally consists of an electronic circuit board, a battery and a switch pack that receives signals from sensors. Sometimes, a metal emergency key is hidden inside. The key fob of the BMW 750Li xDrive (2015) came with a display. PHOTO: BMW The design can speak volumes. Porsche 911 fobs evoke the silhouette of the cars themselves. So do the soft lines of the Mercedes-Benz smart keys that unlock E-classes. Volvo's rectangular fobs recall the brand's historically brick-shaped fleet. And at Audi, Ford, Subaru and Toyota, they have merged into a softly rounded coffin-like shape. Still, others denote serious status, such as the ovoid disks from Bentley. The company spent two years and €1.5 million (S$2.37 million) developing the Continental GT's fob to feel like the interior of the car. The key has a knurling pattern along its edges, just like the interior controls, and shiny chrome accents. 'We see the key fob like a business card for Bentley,' says Mr Darren Day, head of interior design. The brand's 'B' badging went on the top of the key because that is how people see it when it is left on a table or a bar. 'It's that first impression,' he adds. A key that does not match the excellence of the vehicle works against it. In 2025 , when Cadillac premiered its Rolls-Royce competitor, the US$360,000 Celestiq, it included the same plastic fob found across the General Motors line-up, albeit in a leather sheath with stitches like a baseball mitt. Compared with the slinky lines of the hatchback itself, it was woefully incongruous. Conversely, while the credit card-like 'keys' for Rivian Automotive's R1T and Tesla's Cybertruck may repel Luddites, they match the high-tech feel of those electric vehicles. They also signal an inflection point. 'In the future, the key fob will be obsolete,' says Ms Rebecca Lindland, managing director of automotive at Allison Worldwide, a marketing consulting firm. Hyundai put fingerprint sensors in its SUVs as far back as 2019, while Ford is developing facial recognition. Ms Lindland operates her Alfa Romeo Stelvio almost exclusively via the smartphone app. 'The whole ecosystem needs to feel like an extension of my phone,' she says. A low battery does not faze her the way losing an actual key does. It is always easier, quicker and cheaper to charge a dead mobile phone than to order a new fob. 'At least with the app, there's a support system,' Ms Lindland says. In fact, Lotus' Mr Hill says half of Eletre buyers do not even care how cool the pebble looks. 'Early adopters are heavy users of the app,' he says. 'A key can be a nuisance.' His father-in-law, however, still wants to feel something in his pocket when he leaves the car. 'It's that bit of cognitive recognition,' Mr Hill says. And the pebble holds one clear advantage over his phone: With its tough ceramic shell, it will fare better if he drops it. Bloomberg
Mint
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Viral video: Stray dog blocks Lamborghini in Mumbai, internet calls it the ‘real boss of the road'
A video showing a stray dog blocking a Lamborghini Huracan on a street in Mumbai has gone viral on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), leaving viewers both amused and intrigued. The clip, shared on July 15, shows the bright orange luxury car slowing down as the dog stands firmly in its path. When the driver tries to steer around, the dog follows closely, barking occasionally at the vehicle. After a short standoff, the Lamborghini finally speeds off, only to be chased by the determined stray until it disappears from sight. The post was captioned, 'Kalesh b/w Sir Dogesh and Lamborghini.' In the comments, users hailed the dog as the 'real boss of the road.' The viral moment sparked a wave of memes, video edits, and humorous soundtracks, all celebrating the dog's fearless attitude. One user joked, 'Dogesh bhai itne bade logo se lafde Q kar raha hai (Dogesh Bhai, why are you getting in trouble with such big individuals).' Another wrote, 'Gazab ki dadagiri hai doggy raja ki. Lamborghini ki sitti pitti gum ho gai aur wo bhaag khadi hui (What bullying by the Dog, the Lamborghini fled away).' 'Bro literally bullied the lambo,' read another popular comment. This isn't the first time a stray dog has caught the internet's attention. Last year, a clip from a tech festival at IIT Kanpur showed a dog playfully interacting with a robotic dog. The real dog circled the robot curiously before attempting to play with it, prompting a similar response from the machine. Other strays also joined in, inspecting the mechanical intruder in their territory.
NDTV
6 days ago
- NDTV
How Can India Resolve Its Stray Dog Crisis? Lessons From Netherlands
New Delhi: A video of a street dog blocking the path of a Lamborghini Huracan supercar on a Mumbai street is going viral on social media, amusing many people who have dubbed the canine "Dogesh" and calling him the "real boss of the roads." But, underneath the amusement lies a real issue of street dogs versus humans conflict that plagues Indian streets and makes them unsafe for pedestrians, especially children and the elderly. India has approximately 6.2 crore stray dogs, according to the State of Pet Homelessness Index of India, 2023. Between 2019 and 2022, a staggering 1.6 crore dog bite cases were reported in the country. The number remained alarmingly high in 2023 (30 lakh cases) and 2024 (21.95 lakh cases) as well, prompting anger and concern among citizens. India also accounts for 36 per cent of global rabies deaths, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) data, with the country witnessing 18,000-20,000 such cases annually. The increasingly escalating street dog menace has given an ironic turn to the old journalism maxim, "If a dog bites a man, it is not news; but if a man bites a dog, it is", with cases of canines muling both children and adults dominating the headlines. Rules Around Animal Protection India's legal framework for animal protection is governed by the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Animal Birth Control (ABC) rules. ABC guidelines make a distinction between community dogs -- those living on the street or within a gated campus -- and pet dogs, making it harder for authorities to assign responsibility. For instance, in the case of pet dogs, they are treated as private property, so issues related to their vaccination and regulating their breeding become the responsibility of the pet parent. But, in the case of street dogs, the implementation of ABC's programmes--meant to sterilise and vaccinate stray dogs-- has become harder due to a lack of funds, personnel, and facilities at most municipalities. This makes it harder to control their population and reduce rabies risk. Feeding of stray dogs is also not regulated in India, giving way to the formation of territorial dog packs, especially near residential colonies. The lack of designated feeding areas often leads to conflict between residents and animal lovers, with the former wanting to chase them away while the latter wants to protect them. What Can India Do To Reduce Dog Menace To tackle the problem of strays, India can take lessons from the Netherlands, which has reportedly been completely free of stray dogs and rabies for years-- that too without killing a single canine. The work started in the 1990s, when the European country introduced the 'Collect, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Return' policy, along with other measures to promote animal welfare and responsible pet ownership. As part of the policy, dogs were collected by authorities, fixed, vaccinated, and even given a veterinary exam (and treatment, if necessary). The programme was government-funded and ensured that feral dog populations stopped growing. It also prevented the unnecessary killing of thousands of animals and the spread of diseases, which could harm both stray and pet dogs. The other key measure by the government was imposing heavy taxes on purchases of pets from pet stores. This encouraged residents to adopt pets from the shelter instead, and it led to millions of formerly stray dogs being rescued. The country also introduced stricter laws against animal cruelty, including the abandonment of pets, which could lead to hefty fines or imprisonment up to three years. By implementing clearer rules and accountability, India can also promote the adoption of all dog breeds, while also alleviating harassment of both the canines and their lovers. It can also help in bringing down the population of street dogs.
NDTV
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
"Real Boss": Stray Dog Blocks Lamborghini On Mumbai Street, Video Goes Viral
Mumbai: A video capturing a stray dog blocking the path of a Lamborghini Huracan on a Mumbai street has gone viral on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), leaving users both amused and intrigued. The clip shows the bright orange supercar slowing down as the dog stands firmly in its way. As the driver attempts to manoeuvre around, the dog follows alongside, occasionally barking at the vehicle. After a brief standoff, the Lamborghini finally accelerates and speeds past, only to be chased by the determined stray until it disappears from view. The video, shared on July 15, had the caption, "Kalesh b/w Sir Dogesh and Lamborghini." In the comments, users called it the "real boss of the road." Kalesh b/w Sir Dogesh and Lamborghini — Ghar Ke Kalesh (@gharkekalesh) July 15, 2025 The clip generated a surge of memes, edits, and funny soundtracks, each portraying the bold attitude of this four-legged enforcer. A user said: "Dogesh bhai itne bade logo se lafde Q kar raha hai (Dogesh Bhai, why are you getting in trouble with such big individuals)." Dogesh bhai itne bade logo se lafde Q kar raha hai — Vedprakash Dubey (@vdvedprakash21) July 15, 2025 Another user wrote, "Gazab ki dadagiri hai doggy raja ki. Lamborghini ki sitti pitti gum ho gai aur wo bhaag khadi hui (What bullying by the Dog, the Lamborghini fled away.)" Gazab ki dadagiri hai doggy raja ki Lamborghini ki sitti pitti gum ho gai aur wo bhaag khadi hui — MRK (@MRK__313) July 15, 2025 "Bro literally bullied the lambo," read another comment. Bro literally bullied the lambo ???????? — ???????????? ????????????????????! ???????? (@prodbyfauxtail) July 15, 2025 Last year, a video of a stray dog's reaction to a robotic dog went viral. The moment was captured during a four-day tech festival at IIT Kanpur. In the clip, a dog first runs around the robot and looks intrigued by its design and build. It then attempts to be playful with the robot, which reciprocates its actions. The same clip also showed other dogs trying to figure out the machine in their territory.
NDTV
6 days ago
- Automotive
- NDTV
Street Dog Aura. 3-Crore Lamborghini Huracan Comes To A Halt In Mumbai
Mumbai: A video of a street dog blocking the path of a Lamborghini Huracan supercar on a Mumbai street has made its way to X (formerly Twitter) and amused people on the platform. The clip shows a street dog standing in front of the bright orange Huracan, whose driver slows down the supercar to navigate his way past the dog. When the driver moved his car around, the dog followed it and barked occasionally. After a few moments, the Lamborghini zoomed past the dog, which chased it until it disappeared in the distance. The video, shared on July 15, had the caption, "Kalesh b/w Sir Dogesh and Lamborghini," In the comments, users called it the "real boss of the road." Kalesh b/w Sir Dogesh and Lamborghini — Ghar Ke Kalesh (@gharkekalesh) July 15, 2025 The clip generated a surge of memes, edits, and funny soundtracks, each portraying the bold attitude of this four-legged enforcer. A user said: "Dogesh bhai itne bade logo se lafde Q kar raha hai (Dogesh Bhai, why are you getting in trouble with such big individuals)." Dogesh bhai itne bade logo se lafde Q kar raha hai — Vedprakash Dubey (@vdvedprakash21) July 15, 2025 Another user wrote, "Gazab ki dadagiri hai doggy raja ki. Lamborghini ki sitti pitti gum ho gai aur wo bhaag khadi hui (What bullying by the Dog, the Lamborghini fled away.)" Gazab ki dadagiri hai doggy raja ki Lamborghini ki sitti pitti gum ho gai aur wo bhaag khadi hui — MRK (@MRK__313) July 15, 2025 "Bro literally bullied the lambo," read another comment. Bro literally bullied the lambo ???????? — ???????????? ????????????????????! ???????? (@prodbyfauxtail) July 15, 2025 Last year, a video of a stray dog's reaction to a robotic dog went viral. The moment was captured during a four-day tech festival at IIT Kanpur. In the clip, a dog first runs around the robot and looks intrigued by its design and build. It then attempts to be playful with the robot, which reciprocates its actions. The same clip also showed other dogs trying to figure out the machine in their territory.
