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Alternate Realities for Race Cars

Alternate Realities for Race Cars Programmable motion controllers make possible a system that simulates real world forces on Indy and NASCAR race car chassis. Connecting controllers to actuators on the cars allows engineers to test for stress in a controlled environment — and deliver in days the loads and movements parts would encounter over a lifetime.

Keep That Motor Running

Keep That Motor Running Next generation hybrid and plug-in cars will have to rely on even more sophisticated electronics. Testing those electronics presents both a technological and an economic challenge. This article from Evaluation Engineering explores the architecture of those new cars and the test techniques that will be required to keep them running.

 

Smart Textiles in Driver's Seat

Smart Textiles in Driver's Seat The unrelenting drive for improved automobile fuel economy, achieved in part through vehicle weight reduction, bodes well for the textile sector. In addition to traditional seating and flooring uses, fabrics, much of them nonwoven, will gradually replace conventional hard-surface interior structures, including consoles, dashboards, and glove boxes. The UK's MobileTex reports that high-performance multi-functional textiles will become fully integrated with the vehicle, helping the auto industry to meet its goals of improved economy, lower cost, higher functionality, and biodegradability.

Jaguar, Land Rover Go All Aluminum

Jaguar, Land Rover Go All Aluminum India's Tata Motors announced that future Jaguar (view video) and Land and Range Rovers will use aluminum bodies to save weight, fuel, and emissions. The company bought the two brands from Ford last year, and interestingly owns the world's sixth largest steel company. It sold its last two aluminum smelters earlier this year.

 

Design & Assembly . . .
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Ford Has a Sound Idea

Ford Has a Sound Idea By placing engineers in a virtual game environment, Ford is better able to test shock, vibration, and noise. Software simulates the sounds one hears inside a vehicle under a variety of driving conditions, including different speeds and road surfaces. Individual components are tested as part of a complete system — before a single car hits the assembly line.

Chrysler Streamlines CMM Programming

Chrysler Streamlines CMM Programming With the help of eTool, homegrown software residing within CATIA V5, Chrysler engineers are eliminating about 98% of the work associated with CMM part inspection programming. Programmers access a CATIA V5 part model from a workstation running PC-DMIS Offline, the CMM software used in 90% of Chrysler facilities. Then, PC-DMIS reads the design intent information built into the CAD file by eTool and produces an inspection plan "extract file."

 

Video: Fastest Car in the World

Video: Fastest Car in the World From Italy comes the world's fastest production car, and its top speed of 253 mph (408 km/hour) makes it faster than a Formula 1 machine. Watch this entertaining BBC "Top Gear" video clip as James May takes this 16-cylinder, 1,000 hp super sports car to its top speed on a highly secure VW test track.

 

Is There an Air (Powered) Car in Your Future?

Is There an Air (Powered) Car in Your Future? You've got to give them credit. Despite plenty of nay-sayers, Guy and Cyril Nègre — the father-son team that heads Motor Development International (MDI) — have kept their eyes on the target and are now one step closer to mass production of cars that store energy into compressed air tanks. Their latest effort, the 2 m long AirPod, is said to be more efficient than electric vehicles and able to travel as far as 200 km (about 125 mi) on a two-minute charge. Cyril explains the car and its technology during a showing in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

 

Anyway, its a pretty fascinating story. The Lambo uses the exact OEM Nissan headlight with no modifications. The headlight even says Nissan on it, although Lamborghini put a carbon fiber strip over the Nissan markings to save face with Lamborghini clientele who just paid a hell of a lot of money for Z32 parts bin headlights.

Our discussion reached this topic when we were discussing just how expensive it is to produce custom headlights. The example given to me was that even well established car companies like Lamborghini often will use existing products to keep development costs reasonable on their cars.

Another example he gave me was the Lotus Esprit using AE86 Corolla/Levin tail lights. I’ve later found that the Saleen S7 and Pagani Zonda use the same tail lights. I suspect there are dozens of stories like this, so feel free to share if you have more to add!

I apologize to those of you who already knew this, but IMO this is must know information for any car nut out there. I wish someone would have told me these cool facts earlier! I was truly in disbelief at the idea of a Lamborghini using Z32 headlights, its amazing they pulled it off without getting more heat from the press and their customers!

 

German tuner Hamann turned its attention to one of the most ‘tuned’ cars around, the Bentley Continental GT Speed. The package, called Hamann Imperator, consists of a new body kit, performance upgrades and set of exclusive modifications for the interior.

The body kit features a completely redesigned front fascia with larger air inlets and LED daytime running lights, large extensions at the front and rear wings (makes the car 70 mm wider), new Hamann side skirts and at the rear we have a spoiler and an integrated diffuser rear skirt. The car’s aggressive look is completed by new Anniversary Race Anodized with high-gloss polished rim flange and black anodized rim star, available in 22- and 21-inch sizes.

Under the hood, by modifying the ECU and by adding a sports end muffler with oval stainless steel end pipes, Hamann managed to squeeze 40 hp and 90 Nm more from the 600 hp W12 engine, which translates into a top speed increased by 5 km/h. The interior features a newly designed 3-spoke sport steering wheel, new Hamann upholestry with carbon fiber inserts and personalised floor mat.

 

The Enzo Ferrari , also known as Ferrari Enzo, is a 12 cylinder mid-engine berlinetta named after the company's founder, Enzo Ferrari. It is currently one of the most powerful naturally aspirated production cars.[citation needed] It was built in 2002 using Formula One technology, such as a carbon-fibre body, F1-style electrohydraulic shift transmission, and Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) ceramic composite disc brakes. Also used are technologies not allowed in F1 such as active aerodynamics and traction control. After a downforce of 775 kg (1,709 lb) is reached at 348.8 km/h (217 mph) the rear wing is actuated by computer to maintain that downforce.

The Enzo's V12 engine is the first of a new generation for Ferrari. It is based on the architecture of the V8 found in sister-company Maserati's Quattroporte, using the same basic architecture and 104 mm (4.1 in) bore spacing. This design will replace the former architectures seen in V12 and V8 engines used in most other contemporary Ferraris. The 2005 F430 is the second Ferrari to get a version of this new powerplant.

In 2004, Sports Car International named the Enzo Ferrari number three on their list of Top Sports Cars of the 2000s.

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