Under the hood…

The Ferrari Enzo wasn’t just a marvel to look at it, it also had the stats to back it up. The Enzo was a naturally aspirated, mid-engined 6 litre V12, kicking out 660 bhp and redlining at 8000rpm. This basically meant that it could go like a rocket, with a 0-60 time of 3.14 seconds, and a top speed of 220 mph. The car was equipped with a semi automatic F1 transmission, LED lights on the steering wheel informed the driver of ideal shift times, where the car changed gear in a matter of 150 milliseconds, reiterating the F1 influence on the design of the engineering.

The Enzo Ferrari achieved much publicity and admiration: In 2004, US magazine Sports Car International stated the Enzo Ferrari 3rd on their list of top sports cars of the 2000′s.

And from the side...

Lesson 3: What Does Turbo Mean?

We’ve all heard the phrases – a car that comes with a “turbocharged V6 engine” or a “V8 Turbo”. We probably all know that it tends to be associated with cars that go fast, but beyond that many people will know little else. A nod and a knowing look may suffice, but what does Turbo mean really?

What is a Turbo?

A Turbo Engine

Well, it is a centrifugal compressor powered by a high speed turbine (it was originally called a turbosupercharger because it supercharges a turbine engine) that is driven by an engine’s exhaust gases. The compressor increases the mass of air entering the engine, thereby resulting in greater performance. And yes, that can mean performance in terms of either power or efficiency. It’s all a bit sciency, but essentially it just squeezes more air into the cylinders. It does this by using the exhaust flow from the engine to spin a turbine, which in turn spins an air pump. Which doesn’t matter to us really.

And what does having a Turbo mean for your car?

More air in the cylinders means that you can add more fuel, and essentially that means a bigger explosion. Which, aside from being great for pyromaniacs, of course equals more power. This power, with a Turbo, doesn’t come at the prize of having a huge (and heavy) engine. Big engines are of course another way to up your car’s power, but that increases drag and weight – a Turbo just ups horsepower, without having a big effect on weight. Therefore the power-to-weight ratio for the engine is improved, but we won’t go into that too much!

In essence, a turbocharged engine means your turbo engine will do better than an equivalent engine without turbo – it will be faster and more powerful as long as everything else is the same. And now you know why!

A quick note on superchargers. Superchargers are forced induction systems just like turbo chargers - they do the same squidging air, more fuel, bigger explosions thing. The real difference is how the thing is powered – a supercharger doesn’t use the exhaust stream, but instead a belt that connects to the engine. Superchargers are therefore easier to install, but costly to buy – and you could argue a Turbo is more efficient because it uses wasted energy  – but a supercharger doesn’t cause any back pressure in the exhaust system. That’s the difference!

[Image: Source]

For literally years I have been saying that car brands ought to produce a car that “folds” when parked. One that you feel comfortable driving (we have no time for tiny cars that make you feel cramped or awkward when you drive them), but which space saves when you need to fit into a notoriously miniature city parking space.

So, I was pleased when I first read about the Hiriko. This little Spanish electric car has now been launched to the eager city market, and it does exactly hat I’ve always hoped for – it shrinks from being an already small car (clocking in at just 100 inches), to a TINY car (of just 60 inches. That’s an impressive size!

Welcome the Hiriko

And in the boot...

Sci-fi looks

Of course, if you drive the Hiriko you will, of course, stand out from the crowd. The little motor looks borderline insane, like something that just fell out of the future and into the unsuspecting Spanish streets. And, I would worry about a gang of opportunists literally carrying my little electric motor away. That said, if you can park in spaces that tiny then you will probably be willing to put up with all the ridicule in the world – after all, you won’t have to spend half an hour driving round in circle just to nab the only space that becomes available!

The Hiriko will be leased to city dwellers by the Spanish government, or retailed for $16,350.

So, what does the fall of Petroplus mean for you, as a motorist?

Well, Petroplus supply 10% of the country’s current fuel, and as of today all fuel sales have been halted with immediate effect. So, we can understand why scaremongering newspapers (we’re looking at you, Daily Mail) are jumping up and down screeching about fuel shortages, strikes, and (if the rhetoric is anything to go by) the impending doom of the human race.

Still, sinister hyperbole aside, is this something to be worried about? Are drivers suddenly going to see a hike a cost and a fall in fuel availability.

According to The Department of Energy and Climate Change, this isn’t the case. Their spokesman is on record saying:

“The refinery remains operational. We understand that a process is underway to put in place the necessary commercial arrangements to deliver product into the market. Companies have already made alternative arrangements to ensure adequate supply of products are available while these commercial arrangements are being put in place.”

In addition BP have confirmed that there are no immediate supply issues across their retail network, which should ensure that the current fuel market remains stable for the timebeing. Alternativbe funding for the refinary or suppliers will need to be found, but right now motorists shouldn’t be worrying.

The temptation is always to stock up, to queue up and panic buy in advance of the fuel apocalypse. But here at THE Blog About Cars we think it is sensible to sit back and see how the situation develops – as right now it looks like we’ll be OK.

This particular chase scene set the bench mark for future ‘chase sequence’ production, and involved Frank Bullitt (McQueen) chasing down the suspected murderers of a witness in Frank’s protection. This influential piece of cinema history featured McQueen in the infamous 1968 Ford Mustang GT390 Fastback, chasing down a black Dodge Charger R/T (containing the suspected felons) across the illustrious streets of San Francisco.

About the car…

The sub-zero persona of McQueen’s on screen alter-ego was reflected in the vehicle selected for the chase.

The Highland green, 1968 Ford Mustang GT390 Fastback was the epitome of cool and a timeless classic. It served as an icon for motor enthusiasts, with a particular quality that computer-aided design couldn’t engineer into a car. As well as astounding aesthetics, the car had a monstrous 6.4 litre V8 engine. With a power output of 320bhp and a massive 427 pound-feet of torque at 4200 rpm, the Mustang pulled with herculean strength.  The engine note produced had enough aural quality to make Diana Ross & the Supremes Jealous!

The 'Stang in action....

The Facts…

First built circa the 1920′s, the track has been altered and extended to feature four main configurations: the Nordschleife (northern loop), Südschleife  (southern loop), Zielschleife (finish loop) and Gesamtstrecke (whole course). Between 1982 and 1983 the start-finish area was altered to feature the GP-Strecke, the holding ground for all major racing events. The (shortened) Nordschleife however remains in use for racing, testing and public access. The Nürburgring – Nordschleife, dubbed ‘The Green Hell’ by Jackie Stewart, boasts 12.8 miles of deadly corners across a vertical fluctuation of 300m.

Yielding 72 racing driver and (up to) 12 public fatalities a year. The course, whilst extremely challenging, is also extremely dangerous to even the most skilled of drivers, and thus must be treated with respect. The current GP-Strecke record is held by no other than Michael Schumacher with a time of 1:29.468, however the record for the Nordschleife remains unchanged as of 1983, held by Stefan Bellof (driving a Porsche 956) with a time of 6 minutes and 11.13 seconds.

From: carbuzz.co.uk – Car choosing made easy!

Lesson 2: What are Engine Cylinders?

We all hear about engine cylinders on a day to day basis when we talk about or read about cars. A single-cylinder engine, a 4-cylinder engine, and in the news at the moment, Audi’s response to the VW Up!’s 3-cylinder fuel-saving engine. So…

What is an engine cylinder?

The cylinder sits at the core of the engine, and is the space in which the piston moves. To understand why we even have this we need to know that a piston helps change fluid pressure to mechanical energy or vice versa. It slides up and down in the cylinder, working as a stopper that compresses the fluid (diesel, petrol etc) without leaks. The heated gases (fluids) in the compustion chamber force the piston down on the power stroke and transfer mechanical energy through the connecting rod into the crankshaft.

That’s the technical bit, but don’t worry, just knowing what it is and it’s basic purpose is enough for most conversations.

An Inline 4-Cylinder Engine

 (Image from How Stuff Works)

What do engine cylinders mean for your car?

If you put a tiny amount of high-energy fuel in a small, enclosed space and ignite it, a lot of energy is released in the form of expanding gas, and this is essentially what happens in the engine cylinder. This is the power that your engine produces, hence the fact that engines with more cylinders - V6, V8 or even V10 – are so popular. Of course, more cylinders means more potential power produced, but of course it also takes more fuel, generally reducing the fuel efficiency. This explains why companies like Audi are offering 4-cylinder engines that, when required, will shut down two of those cylinders - offering greater fuel efficiency in situations where less power is needed.

It is also important to remember that whilst more cylinders generally equals the potential for more power, there are plenty of other factors that influence whether the car actually has more. In reality all sorts of things effect the power – torque, friction, car size and turbos, to name but a few.

Do you know what an engine cylinder is now?

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The Legend…

The precision in the aesthetic qualities of the car were reflected in its technical specifications. The 1.9 GTI model boasted around 130 bhp, but with a weight of only 875kg the car packed more of a punch than Mike Tyson, giving a 0-60 time of 7.6 seconds. This combined with hard track-style suspension and brakes meant that the car handled like it was on rails and gave a taste of supercar-esque performance to the less affluent car enthusiast. This was no ordinary driving experience, the interior was plasticky and sported  half-leather bucket seats. The ride comfort was somewhat compromised by the bigger potholes when driving through the town centre, however out on the open road it was in its element. Ducking and diving through country lanes gave an experience that can only be likened to your first time riding Nemesis at Alton Towers! It was no frills motor-sport, it was raw un-harnessed energy, and for these reasons deserves an eternal place in the hot hatch hall of fame.

Pininfarina Inspired...

Hybrid cars particularly of the HEV(Hybrid Electrical Vehicle) variety have grabbed the attention of the more green conscious motorists across the world, boasting claims of dramatically lowered carbon emissions and increasingly efficient levels of fuel consumption.

However with such miraculous claims come major skepticism from the more performance driven petrol heads amongst us.

As well as the particularly green savvy market, the hybrid has also attracted the attention of a wide range of Hollywood A-listers. With the Toyota Prius, for example, the likes of Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lopez and Cameron Diaz can be seen cruising down Mulholland Drive in the £20,000 green machine. However, this coupled with a few G6 flights makes this particular group of users slightly less eco-friendly…

Yet another hybrid...

Hybrid Issues

Let’s use the Toyota Prius as our example. Despite much popularity and endorsement from the celebrity crowd, the Prius has received much criticism from quite a large group of nay-sayers. Jeremy Clarkson has on more than one occasion ‘voiced his concerns’ on a wide range of issues surrounding the green car.

A popular conversation point however lies in the facts and figures. Despite the Prius boasting a particularly below average level of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and sulphur oxide emissions, the brand went on to state that its emissions of non-methane hydrocarbons and particulate matter were somewhat worse than average.

In fact Toyota specified personally that during production Hybrid-only parts such as nickel-metal hydride batteries and inverters consumed more energy and resulted in greater overall emissions. Furthermore when looking at the manufacturing phase of materials in the car’s life cycle, the Prius performed worse than the class average across all five emission categories. Demonstrating that despite the car performing quite effectively during the consumer use stage, when looking at the entire manufacturing process of the vehicle from start to finish, the carbon footprint of the process was considerably larger than expected.

Toyota have since conducted entire life-cycle emissions  examinations on over seven different vehicle series in 2009/10 and have analysed the data in the hopes of improving the current green range for greater efficiency and the desired result of a smaller overall carbon footprint.