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CES: Cranking up Harman's QuantumLogic 3D surround-sound system

Yesterday we reported how Audi was readying a lavish 3D sound experience with 23 speakers and 1,400 watts of goosebump-inducing audio power. Not to be outdone, Harman had been quietly developing a system of its own: Quantum Logic 3D brings together 25 speakers and more than 2,000 watts of Tubthumping power to a new car near you, like driving inside Phil Spector's Wall of Sound. Sitting inside the demonstration BMW 7-Series that Harman painstakingly lifted into the Studio at the Palms, Global Audio Engineering vice president Phil Muzio explained, "great music is delivered in stereo, yet our consumer research indicates that people enjoy surround sound." QuantumLogic 3D's surround sound expands beyond the boundaries of the vehicle's cabin, providing "a sense of detail and spatial placement that you don't get in stereo." Five height component speakers mounted in the corners of the headliner, and above the rearview mirror, elevates audio beyond the confines of the roof, "almost like you're in a convertible," said Muzio.

Fioravanti Thalia concept

Fioravanti will be represented at the Geneva Motor Show by this, the Thalia, named after one of the three Graces of Greek mythology. The rear hump means a staggered silhouette, reflecting the rear seating which has been elevated to accommodate 'the most recent alternative energy technology.' Along with its unusual architecture, the sketch also shows a unique graphic break, with the dominant sweep and rear-biased mass reminding a little of the Mazda Senku concept. It will be interesting to see the model in Geneva.

Bercow accused over 'clipped' car

COMMONS SPEAKER John Bercow has been accused of behaving like an "arrogant toff" by a motorist who claims he clipped her parked car in Chelsea. The row was witnessed by an Evening Standard reporter, who happened to be walking past at the time of the incident. Nathalie Pulford, 42, was dining in London's affluent Chelsea neighbourhood when she claims she spotted Mr Bercow bump her car during a parking manoeuvre.