“In England and Europe, we have this huge music called ambient – ambient techno, ambient house, ambient hip-hop, ambient this, ambient that,” said Brian Eno, who knows more than a thing or two about ambience. And now, it would seem, we have ambient cars, or at least it will be that way if Volvo has any say about it.
The car in question would be the Volvo S90 Ambience Concept. It is, literally, an industry-first sensory experience that synchronizes visuals, sound and – I’m not making this up – scent to “redefine in­-car luxury.”
Okay, that sounds fine, in a way. Not sure what that could offer me as a driver personally, since my preferred automotive ambience is blurring scenery, red-lining engines, and the fine bouquet of unburned fuel and tire smoke. Aladdin’s Lamp
Volvo’s S90 Ambience Concept made its public debut at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show (ah-ha!, I sense a trend). The S90 Ambience Concept is based on Volvo?s top­-of­-the-­line S90 Excellence, which is a kinda-odd, three-seater executive sedan thing that focuses on the chauffeured passengers in the rear seat. Which, given the ambience deal, makes much more sense. The Gothenburg Guys tell us passengers can personalize the atmosphere by using a smartphone app to choose one of seven visual themes that synchronize with audio and scent. I know some guys that were trying to work on that same sort of system in their VW Bus that was equipped with a Radio Shack col...