Vauxhall/Opel has unveiled the interior of its GT Concept, which will debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show in March.
The mid-engined sports car boasts a completely button-less dash layout dubbed the Human Machine Interface (HMI).
According to its designers the car is operated entirely by a combination of voice control and a central touchpad. The HMI is self learning, recognising a driver’s habits and adapting to their requirements.
As a result the car will respond to spoken words and can set the controls accordingly, examples being the interior temperature, the destination and even individual music preferences. Vauxhall adds that the system learns from every command, even over a period of years.
Instead of speaking to the car, the driver can issue commands to the GT concept through a round touchpad on the centre console. Two circular projectors either side of the steering wheel can display various types of information in three-dimensional form – the right-hand projector instrument can vary from navigation information to fuel consumption or even g-forces if the car is being driven in performance style. In this form, for example, the HMI will set accelerator, transmission and engine to offer the most effective performance.
The HMI also acts as a safety monitor and can alert the driver with a spoken warning if for example a motorcycle is following close behind the car. This system is aided by the camera mounted behind the front wheel arches. These replace the side mirrors and show what is happening both next to and behind the car.
Vauxhall/Opel describes the GT concept as a vision of potential future sports cars with no suggestion that it could directly evolve into a production model, though the reaction to it at the Geneva show could influence its future chances.