Car Fuels of Tomorrow

02.26.2008 | 6:28 pm | General cars and vehicles info

Today we call ourselves ‘Petrolheads’, but what about in a decade from now? Or two decades from now? Manufacturers are investing millions nowadays in developing the next reliable and eco-friendly source of fuel for our cars. They’re not quite there yet, but progress is definitely being made.
Hybrid cars, like the Hollywood sweetheart Toyota Prius, carry two sources of power – a traditional internal combustion engine running off unleaded petrol, and an electric motor. The combustion engine powers the car until the electric battery is sufficiently charged, at which point the electric motor takes over. It’s intuitive too, because if your Hybrid is struggling to get up a steep incline on battery power alone, the regular engine will wake up and re-assert itself. This change over is virtually unnoticeable from within the cabin, so Hybrids often come with TFT displays on the dash which tell you exactly which motor is doing the work, how much charge is left and even your current MPG. Sound too good to be true? It is - power suffers painfully. For example, the aforementioned Prius packs an underwhelming 77 bhp! Worse still, serious questions are being raised about the technology’s overall impact on the environment (see our previous article, Gas guzzling SUV’s are green!)
So how about Hydrogen cars? These run off ‘fuel cells’, which replace the typical battery. The fuel cells convert Hydrogen into water, and in doing so produce electricity that powers the car. The only bi-products of a Hydrogen

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RWD vs. FWD

02.19.2008 | 4:53 am | General cars and vehicles info

Rear wheel drive transmission.If there’s one subject that will always divide us petrolheads, it’s this one! Which is best? Rear Wheel Drive or Front Wheel Drive? Let’s take a brief look at the histories and characteristics of each.
Throughout most of the last century, Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) had been the natural choice of most manufacturers. Designers cherished and honed the system, creating some of the most memorable and loved autos in history (personally I’d have to cite the Dodge Charger and Ford Mustang, both characterised by awe-inspiring power slides!). In overall performance and handling, the RWD was considered untouchable. Through dry corners the car could deliver power ad nauseam while still keenly holding the line. In the wet, of course, a little more ‘work’ was required as slippery road surfaces led to often disastrous over steer. Nevertheless, it all came down to basic engineering – the front wheels did the steering and the rear wheels put the power down. It was accepted that a proper balance between power and control could only be achieved this way, and this precept was not challenged seriously until the latter half of the century.

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Traffic Officers

02.12.2008 | 5:41 am | Driving training and skills

Since 2004, regular users of English motorways will have noticed the presence of ‘Traffic Officers’. At first glance, one could be forgiven for mistaking the chequered white 4×4’s for Police units, particularly as most motorists immediately slow down to around 65mph upon seeing them! It seems many of us are still asking, “Who are they, why are they here and what legal powers do they have?”

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Tinting Windows

02.5.2008 | 8:10 am | Car accessories and gadgets

Tinting, as recommended by celebrities worldwide.Tinted windows in cars have become increasingly fashionable and affordable. From total ‘blackout’ tints to subtly contrasting ‘two-tone’ finishes, tinted glazing can have a breathtaking effect. The most popular after-market method is the use of tint film, which is applied to the inside of the existing glass. Here we discuss the advantages, the cost, and just as importantly, the law!
Aside from the aesthetic value of tinted windows, there are other less obvious benefits. For starters, prying eyes will not be able to see into your car quite so casually. This is particularly comforting for those with valuable AV equipment on board as the tint can act as a theft deterrent.

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