Engineering Explained

  • Do vehicle exhaust systems need back pressure?

    When we have an automotive concept that involves complex science, we know just who to turn to for a proper explanation. That would be Jason Fenske from Engineering Explained. Today's concept is all about pressure. More specifically, it's about the idea of back pressure and whether or not this it's a good thing inside of an internal combustion engine. Like a number of automotive engineering concepts, back pressure is often misunderstood. So what is back pressure and why do we care about it? The most basic definition of back pressure is an opposing force acting on a gas that attempts to move...

  • What's the difference between Turbo Lag and Boost Threshold?
    What's the difference between turbo lag and boost threshold?

    The automotive enthusiast community occasionally mixes and matches a few of its key terms. Wheels versus rims, for example. Another example can be found when dealing with engines that breathe through a bit of forced induction. On a turbocharged engine, there are two physical concepts that can often...

  • How Mobil 1 Annual Protection lasts 20,000 miles
    Here's how Mobil 1 ensures it makes a 20,000-mile claim

    Not all oils are created equal, and there's a new product on the market that comes with a pretty bold claim. Mobil 1 Annual Protection promises a life of 20,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first, before the oil needs to be changed. Intrigued by the claim, chief explainer Jason Fenske of...

  • 2020 Tesla Roadster
    Does the Tesla Roadster really have 7,000-plus pound-feet of torque, and what's its horsepower?

    The 2020 Tesla Roadster's surprise introduction came with some pretty tantalizing specs. One of them is Tesla's claimed 0-60 mph sprint in just 1.9 seconds, but another figure washed over the internet. According to Tesla, the Roadster will have 10,000 newton meters (more than 7,000 pound-feet) of...

  • Summer tires vs winter tires in cold and dry temperatures
    Do winter tires help when it's dry and cold?

    For those who reside in snowy and icy climates, winter tires are often the go-to patches of rubber to ensure optimal performance. However, the U.S. has plenty of areas that dip below freezing but don't necessarily see precipitation. Even areas that get snow don't have it all the time. And yet...

  • How Volvo is eliminating turbo lag
    Here's how Volvo says it is eliminating turbo lag

    Turbo lag is a defining characteristic of older forced-induction cars. These large turbochargers were used to feed high-performance engines and generate significant power. The problem would come when you called upon that power. Your right foot mashes the gas—then nothing. A shock of power...

  • Will the Hennessey Venom F5 actually be capable of hitting 300 mph?

    Hennessey Performance Engineering is making some rather bold claims. The Texas tuner recently revealed a new vehicle called the Venom F5. HPE says the Venom F5 will have 1,600 horsepower and be able to hit a top speed of 301 mph. We certainly believe Hennessey is capable of building a machine that produces that much power, but is 301 mph actually possible? Our friend Jason Fenske from Engineering Explained is here to break it all down. He's focusing on four main areas: aerodynamic drag, rolling resistance, drivetrain losses, and the effect of speed on the tires. He's doing the math to shed...

  • Engineering Explained examines a catback exhaust system
    Can a catback exhaust actually make your car faster?

    Finding the aftermarket modifications that will make your car a better performer can be an adventure. Every company under the sun claims all sorts of horsepower, torque, and efficiency gains, but do those claims actually prove out in the real world? Not always. However, some mods will help improve...

  • Volkswagen's new Budack engine cycle
    How does VW's Budack engine cycle work?

    Volkswagen isn't reinventing the way your internal combustion engine works. The automaker has, however, created a new twist on the Otto cycle that's a revised version of the Atkinson cycle. Your standard Otto cycle is the one with which you're most familiar. It's made up of intake, compression...

  • Here are 5 ways electric cars out perform gas-powered cars
    5 ways electric cars outperform gas-powered cars

    A proper gas-powered car is a joy to drive. Your senses take a joy ride when the sound hits your ears, the acceleration tosses you in your seat, and sometimes even the smell wafts into your nose. The days of gas-powered cars are numbered though. This is a fact we can't deny. Electric cars, however...

  • How the 2020 Tesla Roadster could do 0-60 mph
    How can the new Tesla Roadster do 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds?

    The 2020 Tesla Roadster washed over the Internet last week with some pretty incredible technical specifications and performance claims. For example, CEO Elon Musk said the new Roadster will sprint to 60 mph in just 1.9 seconds, which would make it the first production car in the world to go under...

  • 2018 Rolls-Royce Phantom
    The science behind Rolls-Royce's oddball four-rotor diesel rotary engine

    This is the strangest engine you've likely never heard about. Back in the late 1960s and early '70s, a number of automakers were experimenting with odd engine setups. Heck, that happens all the time, even today. This particular setup was quite odd, however, in that it was a diesel rotary. Making it...

  • Will you use less fuel during engine braking or simply by coasting?

    Getting the most of your vehicle, with regards to fuel economy, is to play a game of efficiency. You have to find the most efficient manner of driving in a given situation. That leads some to put a vehicle in neutral and team up with gravity for a bit of downhill acceleration. Modern cars, however, are quite intelligent. There's a fair chance that you're likely to use less fuel if you simply leave your vehicle in gear and rely on engine braking during a time when you're driving downhill. How is that possible? Our friend Jason Fenske has the answer for you and he's going to...explain it. A...

  • How Koenigsegg destroyed the Bugatti Chiron
    Here's how Koenigsegg destroyed Bugatti's 0-248-0 mph world record

    The name of the game here is power-to-weight ratio. That's how you can have one car out perform another. As you climb to higher and higher speeds, you're going to need more and more power. That's why a car like the Bugatti Chiron packs a W-16 engine producing 1,480 horsepower. It needs that...

  • Why engines lose power over time
    10 reasons why engines lose power over time

    Ever driven a brand new car and then the same model but one with much higher mileage? They don't often feel the same. In fact, the older car might even feel like it has less performance. The scenario isn't an odd one, as there are quite a few ways that a car with more mileage can lose performance...

  • Dodge Demon vs Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
    Why is the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk faster than the Dodge Demon?

    Dodge has unleashed a mighty machine upon the world. It's not the 707-horsepower Challenger or Charger SRT Hellcat siblings, but rather the more powerful Challenger SRT Demon street-legal drag car that comes complete with its 840-horsepower 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 engine. It has so much power...

  • Engineering Explained's Honda S2000 on the dyno
    Why dyno numbers might not be something to boast about

    Taking your car to a dyno is often a great way to produce bragging rights, especially after installing various aftermarket modifications. Following the results owners often swear by the figures, but variances in the equipment itself can lead to numerous results that skew the figures themselves...

  • Engineering Explained walks us through self-healing paint protection
    How protective car film works

    Most people aren't willing to grab a brass brush and drag it across a body panel on their fresh, clean car. Jason Fenske from Engineering Explained is here to do just that to show off a bit of science. That science involves the protective film he recently applied to his cars, and it's the reason...

  • What is a Hot V turbo engine?

    Have you ever heard of a "hot inside V"? It's not a sandwich. Our friend Jason Fenske from Engineering Explained is here for a quick lesson on this en vouge turbocharging setup for today's engines. A hot inside V turbocharger layout places the turbo or turbos inside the valley between the engine banks. Mercedes-AMG offers this on its twin-turbo V-8 engines, while BMW and Audi offer hot V setups on a number of their products as well. The benefit to such a setup is that the exhaust gas has a shorter path to flow from the manifold. They're basically sitting on top of the exhaust manifolds. This...

  • Can a bad video gamer beat a pro driver?
    Can a bad video gamer beat a professional driver?

    Jason Fenkse knows a thing or two about explaining the engineering of any given subject. He's managed to parlay that knowledge into a successful YouTube series in which he does so, week in and week out. What's not as good at, though, is driving a virtual car on a virtual race track. Still, it's...

  • Will an electric car be first to 300 MPH?
    Will an electric car be the first production car to hit 300 mph?

    Times are changing, and sooner than later, electrified cars will become the norm across the automotive industry. With an electrified approach to powertrains, it does beg the question: will an electric car be the first production car to crack 300 mph? It's a target that has eluded various...

  • Dodge Challenger Demon torque reserve and transbrake explained
    How the transbrake and torque reserve work on the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon

    The 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon ushers in a couple of firsts for production cars, and today, we're here to take a look at two of them in greater detail. Both the transbrake and the torque reserve system are production car firsts and they help the Demon launch with incredible force at the...

  • Can you tune electric cars for more power?
    Can you tune electric cars for more power?

    Our future will be filled with electric cars. It's where the world is moving, and the cars bringing us to this place are getting better and better everyday. Heck, the Tesla Model S P100D is one of the quickest machines on the road right now. Still, we love the combustion engine and the tuning...

  • The Ford Raptor has AWD and 4WD
    Yes, the Ford Raptor has both 4WD and AWD

    The Ford Raptor is an impressive beast. It's cozy on the road and a devil in the dirt. There really isn't another choice of vehicle if you're goal is to have a Baja-blasting, dune running, jumping pickup that can handle serious abuse. It boasts a 450-horsepower turbocharged EcoBoost engine under...

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