Technical

  • Air-cleaning aerogel: not just for NASA anymore?

    Whether you're a global warming disciple or a naysayer, the fact that humans generate a great deal of carbon-based pollution is undeniable. Likewise, people all over the world are working to help solve the problem. A group of Spanish researchers at the University of Granada have developed a material that could revolutionize the reduction of carbon emissions - especially in the automotive sector. Called an 'aerogel' - basically a very fine honeycomb-like structure - the material attracts and traps substances like benzene, toluene and xylene. Also known by the abbreviation 'BTX', these...

  • Volkswagen shifts Golf into high gear with 7-speed DSG
    Volkswagen shifts Golf into high gear with 7-speed DSG

    Modern automotive technology is getting so advanced, and the timeline for development so short that an item exclusive to the sacred province of the upper echelon of motorsport a few years ago can be found in economical hatchbacks today - quite literally. Volkswagen’s seven-speed Direct Shift...

  • Toshiba’s high-tech batteries could be EV revolution
    Toshiba’s high-tech batteries could be EV revolution

    The main problem with modern electric vehicles (EVs) is the range and recharging issue. Tesla’s Roadster, for example, is probably one of the most advanced and developed pure EVs in the world, and it’s still struggling with range and recharging issues even as it nears production. But...

  • Daimler wants to be Europe’s turbocharger leader
    Daimler wants to be Europe’s turbocharger leader

    Turbocharging is quickly becoming the must-have technology for carmakers looking for proven methods of boosting the performance of an engine without bumping up displacement. Most diesel passenger cars come equipped with a blower, and the number of turbocharged petrol models is growing at a rapid...

  • Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 powerplant breaks cover
    Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 powerplant breaks cover

    The ZR-1 has been spotted in near-production trim turning hot laps at Laguna Seca. Power figures have been public knowledge for months. But the monster under the bulging hood has so far stayed hidden - until now. The photos include up-close and personal shots of the intercooler, which is of the...

  • Spy Shots: 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLC Sportcoupe
    Spy Shots: 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLC Sportcoupe

    A prototype of Mercedes' upcoming CLC Sportcoupe has been spotted on German streets and this time spy photographers have managed to get a good look of the interior of the upcoming car. The images clearly show the car's new shape, including the new front-end, which appears almost identical to the...

  • Mazda's tell all weight-loss tips

    In the tradition of the Hollywood weight loss diet, Mazda has now revealed how it managed to chop 100kg from its new Mazda2 supermini. Considering the fact that cars have been getting heavier due to increased safety features and higher feature specs, only a few car companies have managed to reverse the trend in their own cars. According to Mazda, 60% of the savings were made due to engineering, 20% by adjusting the features and another 20% by shrinking its dimensions. Some of the adjustments made include the use of high and ultra-high tensile steels for lighter (and stronger) body and joint...

  • More info on the Saab-Haldex XWD system
    More info on the Saab-Haldex XWD system

    Though perhaps not as impressive as Mitsubishi’s Super All Wheel Control system pegged for the Evo X, Saab’s new XWD co-developed with Haldex still has a few merits of its own that are worth mentioning. Set to debut in the facelifted 9-3 range, XWD and its electronic differential will...

  • The technology behind Mitsubishi’s new Lancer Evolution
    The technology behind Mitsubishi’s new Lancer Evolution

    Mitsubishi is hard at work putting the final touches on the new Lancer Evo and has now released details about two handling and transmission technologies that should give the car a leg up over its rivals. First up, we have the Super All Wheel Control (S-AWC) system that uses a number of sensors...

  • Volkswagen’s future technology
    Volkswagen’s future technology

    Volkswagen has revealed details about some of its upcoming technologies planned for its cars, with most of the spotlight centered on more eco-friendly engines. First up is a new Combined Combustion System (CCS) engine technology. Similar to diesel units, CCS mixes the fuel and air 'homogeneously'...

  • Preview of Ferrari's future technology
    Preview of Ferrari's future technology

    Ferrari has just published an extensive document outlining the future technologies that are set to appear in both its road-going and F1 race cars. It’s part of an official presentation that’s going down in Maranello today, where the eco-friendly FXX Millechili concept car has just been...

  • New engine design could double fuel efficiency of cars
    New engine design could double fuel efficiency of cars

    The UK-based Nevis Engine Company is close to completing work on the second phase of testing of its functioning prototype of a new exhaust valve and intake system that’s claimed to be able to nearly double the fuel efficiency attained by conventional internal combustion engines. At the heart...

  • ZF's new torque vectoring rear axle

    Automotive supplier ZF has created a new torque vectoring rear axle drive system that has been designed to distribute drive torque individually between a car's rear wheels. This is said to improve agility and stabilize the vehicle, while also providing better handling in critical situations. When driving in a straight line, the torque vectoring rear axle acts like an ordinary transmission with an open differential, with drive being distributed equally among both sides of the drive-shaft. The torque is only distributed individually to either wheel during cornering, where it’s controlled...

  • Toyota develops next-gen Valvematic engine tech
    Toyota develops next-gen Valvematic engine tech

    Toyota has announced that it has developed a new variable valve lift mechanism named ‘Valvematic’, which combines the previous VVT-i technology with a new mechanism that continuously controls the intake valve lift volume. While conventional engines control air intake using a throttle...

  • Crisis: Carbon fiber in short supply
    Crisis: Carbon fiber in short supply

    Carbon fiber has always been the material of choice when it comes to high-performance auto exotica. The woven synthetic is lighter and tougher than metal, helping to reduce overall car weight and improve rigidity. Because of its cost, carbon fiber use in the automotive industry has been limited...

  • Solar powered Prius
    Solar powered Prius

    California-based Solar Electrical Vehicles (SEV) has created a unique option for the Prius electric hybrid. The kit consists of a convex solar-panel made from high efficiency mono-crystalline photovoltaic cells, with modules rated at 200-300 watts. The power is used to charge a 3kW secondary...

  • Porsche and BorgWarner develop new AWD tech
    Porsche and BorgWarner develop new AWD tech

    US based auto-parts supplier BorgWarner has teamed up with Porsche once again to develop a new AWD clutch and control system, which will be adopted across several Porsche sports cars. You may remember that BorgWarner also supplies the Variable Turbine Geometry (VTG) blowers for the potent 911...

  • Greener Mini MK2 arriving in August
    Greener Mini MK2 arriving in August

    We previously reported that it would take BMW 6 months to add fuel saving technologies to the Mini MK2, but today the company announced that all Mini models would get the changes by August, only three months away. With the changes, the MINI Cooper D will be capable of returning an astonishing...

  • Report: “Intelligent” cars just as efficient as hybrids

    A recent study has found that “intelligent” cars could be just as efficient when it comes to saving fuel as regular electric-hybrid vehicles. An "intelligent" car is basically an ordinary vehicle fitted with an array of sensors known as telematics, which monitor and predict traffic flows by communicating with other sensors within a network. Information about traffic conditions further ahead can then be relayed to the car in advance in order to speed up or slow it down to avoid as much congestion as possible. Frequent acceleration during stop-start traffic is when most vehicles...

  • More details on Honda’s next generation A-VTEC
    More details on Honda’s next generation A-VTEC

    Honda released official details on its Advanced VTEC (A-VTEC) system in September last year, but up until now there hasn't been much news of any production applications of the technology. A new patent has been registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office that appears to be the application for a...

  • Future ’smart’ tires will warn of potential flats
    Future ’smart’ tires will warn of potential flats

    Researchers at Purdue University are experimenting with ‘smart’ tires designed to warn the driver of weak points in the tire that may lead to a blowout or flat before they occur. The technology differs from current air-pressure measurement systems as the entire tire becomes a sensor...

  • Carbon ceramic brakes moving downmarket
    Carbon ceramic brakes moving downmarket

    The brakes used in high-end sports cars made by the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini may soon make their way in to less exotic offerings. A report from AutoWeek says that Audi is working together with a German company, SGL Carbon, to streamline the production process for carbon brakes and therefore...

  • Video: Demonstration of Alfa Romeo's Q2 system

    Here’s an interesting video of one of Alfa Romeo’s engineers behind the wheel of the GT coupe outlining the way its Q2 differential works and how it affects the car’s on road dynamics. The video includes ghost frames of a car without the Q2 versus a car equipped with the...

  • New electronic wedge braking technology
    New electronic wedge braking technology

    German electronics specialist Siemens has developed new braking technology in the form of the electronic wedge brake, which the company claims can dramatically reduce stopping distances of cars compared with conventional hydraulic systems. Previous attempts to improve the efficiency of braking...

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