Nowadays there are two types of intelligent speed adaptation systems. The first type is the passive ISA, which only alerts the driver when exceeding the speed limit. This system lets the driver take the correct actions to slow down the car. Warnings can be audio and/or visual and can even indicate the actual speed limit and/or the vehicles speed. Passive ISA can even voice warn the driver by using some preset recordings. In some cases, the accelerator pedal becomes stiffer when the car has exceeded the speed limit. The second type of ISA is the active ISA, where the system has physic control over some systems (like engine and/or brakes). The active system takes automatic action to slow down the car by using the engine and/or brakes. The throttle can be controlled by the ISA and brakes can be applied if the system takes this decision. Active intelligent speed adaptation system can even limit the output of the engine to prevent the driver for speeding. However, if the driver thinks that ISA is not necessary, he can disable the system with a push of a button. In most cases a combination between active a passive ISA is a very good choice.

How does ISA determine the speed limits? Well, by using technologies like GPS, radio beacons, optical recognition, or dead reckoning, the system can accurately calculate the maximum speed in an area. In case the ISA uses GPS, this must be linked to a digital map that contains valuable information, such as speed limits and the zones where variable speed limits are applied. The radio beacons constantly transmit information to the car. This data can include information about the speed limits, schools in the area, or any other places where speed must be reduced. Radio beacons can be placed in road signs, telegraph poles, and even in the road. Mobile beacons can be deployed in case of an accident or roadwork in an area. The optical recognition system only recognizes speed signs and/or reflective “cat-eyes” (separating lanes). The system takes the information from a speed sign and compares it to the speed of the car. If the car is going too fast, ISA will try to slow it down. Dead reckoning uses a system linked to the vehicle’s driving assembly. It can predict the path taken by the vehicle and compare it to a map. By knowing where the vehicle is, the system will know the speed limit and other useful information. None of these systems are 100% accurate, but the error is very small. So you can use your intelligent speed adaptation system without having to worry about your safety. In the worst case, the system will slow down the car in an unnecessary situation. If this happens, you can simply switch off ISA with a simple push of a button.

Overall, the intelligent speed adaptation system is very useful in providing information about speed limits or other problems in the car’s path. For drivers who do not know a road too well (or don’t see a speed sign), the ISA will be very helpful in reducing speed when it is necessary and avoiding unlucky incidents.

Since it first appeared, in 1978, the Anti-lock braking system has been greatly improved. The last versions include the handling of other functions aside the main ABS function. These can be traction control, brake assist, and electronic stability control. The ABS version 8 weights only 1.5 kilograms (the first version weighted 6.3 kg).

How does it work? Well, the typical ABS is made out of a central electronic unit, four speed sensors, and two or more hydraulic valves mounted on the brake circuit. The electronic unit of the ABS monitors the rotation speed of every wheel. If it senses that one or more wheels are rotating much slower than the others (the wheel tends to lock) it actions on the valves to decrease the pressure on the braking circuit. This means that it effectively reduces the braking force on the affected wheel. The wheel will then start turn faster and when it turns too fast, the braking force is reapplied. This process is repeated continuously up to 20 times per second. This makes the brake pedal pulse feel.
On surfaces like bitumen or concrete, almost all ABS enabled vehicles tend to have a shorter braking distance. Even an experienced driver can find it very difficult to keep a car without ABS under control, using any techniques. However, in deep snow or gravel, the ABS increases the braking distances. If on these surfaces the wheel locks, it can dig into the snow and slow the car more. The ABS prevents the wheels from locking thus the wheel will not dig into the surface. Particularly on the snow, locked wheels gather a wedge of snow that helps slow the vehicle faster. On very slippery surfaces like ice, all the four wheels can block at the same time, defeating the ABS system which relies on detecting when independent wheels lock.

Because of the pulsing feel in the brake pedal, most drivers that are facing a dangerous situation for the first time tend to reduce the pedal pressure. Many of these drivers never experienced the feel of the ABS and they can panic. By reducing the pedal pressure, the braking distance will be longer. Because of this many manufacturers implemented a system called brake assist. This new system determines if the driver attempts a panic stop and it increases the braking force.

The ABS is widely used in conjunction with the traction control. If the car is accelerating fast some wheels tend to loose traction with the ground. This is where the ABS intervenes, and makes the wheels regain the optimum traction. Although the traction control system is mostly integrated in the ABS, many manufacturers sell it as a separate device.

Because the ABS system can save lives the proper functioning is of great importance. Most of these systems have some own monitoring features. If any failures are detected, the driver is noticed. To provide some redundancy, central control unit generally is made out of two microcontrollers. These are active at the same time and interact with each other. By checking each other’s proper working, the risks of a unnoticed failure in the ABS are greatly reduced. These microcontrollers are also power-efficient in order to avoid heating of the controller which would reduce durability. Even by using the best materials and the last type of software, the ABS intervention time is subject to mechanical limitations.

Overall, if you want to have an ABS system installed on your car, it is best to know how it helps you in tight situations and also what disadvantages it has. You must know exactly all the limitations of the ABS system before using it.

The system also has to meet the space requirements in order to successfully fit on an engine. Regarding the spatial design, the most common intercoolers are the front mounted intercoolers (also called FMIC), top mounted intercoolers (also called TMIC), and hybrid mount intercoolers (also called HMIC). All of these types of intercoolers can be cooled using an air-to-air system, air-to-liquid system, or even a combination of both.

Why should you need an intercooler? If you plan to mount a supercharger or turbocharger to your car, the intercooler is an important part of the system. The supercharger and the turbocharger are designed to push more air into the engine’s intake manifold and into the combustion chamber. Because of this, the air is heated, thus decreasing the performance of the supercharger (or even damage the cylinders or the engine). The intercooler compensates for this heat by cooling the intake charge. When air passes through an intercooler, it is cooled and its pressure is reduced. This increases the density of the intake air mass. By spraying fluid on the intercooler’s surface or on the air itself, you can achieve an even better cooling.

Where should you place your intercooler? The intercooler that exchanges heat directly with the atmosphere should be placed in areas with maximum air flow. These systems are usually placed in front, and called front mounted intercoolers (FMIC). Nissan Skyline and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution both use this type of intercoolers. Many of the old turbocharged cars, such as Toyota Supra and Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo have side-mounted intercooler systems (SMIC). The SMICs are smaller because of the space constraints. In some cases, to reach the capacity of a bigger intercooler, two side-mounted intercoolers have to be mounted. The top mounted intercoolers (TMIC) can be found on Subaru Impreza WRX or MINI Cooper S. In this case, the airflow is ensured by a hood scoop.

Which is better? Every intercooler has its cons. The TMICs are installed very close to the engine and can suffer from heat diffusion, which will reduce their efficiency. The FMICs require an open bumper design for maximum performance and are vulnerable to debris. The SMICs are small because of the space constraints.

The intercooler is very useful in controlling the temperatures of a turbocharged engine. Turbocharged engines have a great power output and this leads to higher combustion and temperature. To make an idea about the temperatures, exhaust gases passing through the turbocharger are around 450 degree Celsius (or 840 deg. Fahrenheit) and can get as high as 650 degree Celsius (or 1200 deg. F). If these temperatures are added to the ones in the cylinder, the whole engine is in great danger. By using an intercooler, the air from the induction system is cooled, resulting in higher performance without damage. The air-to-liquid intercoolers work exactly as the air-to-air ones, the only difference being the fact that they reject intake charge heat to an intermediate fluid. This fluid is usually water, which rejects the heat into the air through some kind of a radiator. Air-to-water intercoolers are heavier due to some additional parts (water pump, radiator, fluid). However, this intercooler uses lower overall pipe and intercooler length. This provides a faster response and gives the peak boost faster than regular air-to-air intercoolers.

If you want to tune your car with a turbocharger or a supercharger, the intercooler is a must. Not using intercoolers can lead to engine failure due to high temperatures. Also, the intercoolers will increase the performance of your turbocharger/supercharger by cooling the intake air mass.

The first traction control system was the limited slip differential, mounted on old high-torque rear-drive sport cars. This old system was known as Positraction and worked on a mechanical basis to transfer power to the rear wheel slipping the least. Positraction still allowed the wheels to spin. Mercedes-Benz was the pioneer that introduced traction control on the market. General Motors (Buick Division) introduced MaxTrac, the first traction control system based on an early computer system. MaxTrac detected the rear wheel spin and also set the engine power to them to provide the best traction.

Why should you need a traction control system? At the beginning, the traction control system was a security feature for performance cars. The system prevented the wheels from slipping and spinning out of control when throttle was applied, especially in snowy conditions. Nowadays, traction control systems are widely available to commercial cars, non-performance cars, minivans, and light trucks. TC is useful as a powerful performance enhancement. It allows maximum traction under powerful acceleration without any of the wheels spinning out of control. When accelerating to get out of a turn, the traction control system keeps the tires at the best slip ratio. Off road vehicles benefit the most from a TC system as it is used to replace or in addition to the limited slip or locking differential. The system commonly uses an electronic limited slip differential besides other computer controlled controls from the engine and transmission. If a wheel starts to spin out of control (as in the car slipping), it is slowed down by the brakes, and the power is transferred to the non-slipping wheels of the car. The steering and control of the vehicle are better than if a locking differential is used and also the stress on the drive train is greatly reduced.

The traction control system isn’t useful just at throttling without slipping. During maneuvers on a front wheel drive car, there is a limit at which the wheels can both steer and drive the car. If this limit is exceeded, the car will start to slip. By using traction control, this slip is less likely to happen. However, the risk is not entirely eliminated, and even if you have a TC system, be very careful. Even manufacturers warn drivers not to get involved in dangerous maneuvers just because they have traction control. There is a physical limit when the tires loose grip, a limit that cannot be suppressed. If the car does not take a corner as sharply as the front wheels indicate, the car will understeer. In some front wheel drive cars, the traction control system can lead to lift-off oversteering because of the throttle reduction. This can keep most of the cars stable during long and dangerous maneuvers. The Traction Control system is perfect for you if you are a racing enthusiast. It will greatly help you in situations where a slip is the worst thing that could happen and will also help you when throttling (especially on snowy conditions).

The turbocharger technology was first tested in aviation and it successfully demonstrated that it can overcome the power losses engines supported at high altitude. At the time, the purpose of the turbocharger was to increase the altitude at which airplanes could fly. The brand new systems managed to compensate the low air pressure present at those altitudes and airplanes could go even higher. The automotive industry used the turbocharger since 1962. The first turbocharged cars were produced by General Motors. An A-body Oldsmobile Cutlass Jetfire is the first car that ever used a supercharger and had a 3.5 liter V8 engine. After realizing the benefits of this system for cars, all of the leading car producers started implementing turbochargers on their engines. Peugeot sold the world’s first production turbo diesel car back in the 1978, the Peugeot 604 Turbodiesel. Nowadays, almost all diesel engines are turbocharged.

The turbocharger boost pressure it the increase in manifold pressure in the intake path. You can see the level of boost on the pressure gauge, indicated in bars, psi, or maybe kPa. This pressure is limited by the wastegate to make sure the engine and turbo are kept in the operating range. The maximum boosts depend on many factors, like the fuel octane rating, the engine design, and the engine predisposition to preignition. If you have a calibrated engine, you should be able to reach high boost pressures. The only problem is that the airflow from the turbocharger is hot, and hot air does not have a good impact on an engine. Because of the high rotations of the turbo (80000-200000 rpm), it uses a fluid bearing. This means that all the moving parts are suspended in and cooled by a flow of oil. If you want to further cool the air form the turbocharger, you should use an intercooler system.

The ability to boost the power without major weight increase made the turbocharger very useful for motorcycles. The first motorcycle to use a turbo is the 1978 Kawasaki Z1R TC. But because of the mounting of the turbocharger, the prices got too big and since 2007 turbocharged motorcycles are not equipped with a turbocharger (unless optional).

Turbochargers can be damaged by dirty oil so manufacturers advise a more frequent oil change schedule. If the turbocharger was used for a short period of time it is advised to leave the engine on for one to three minutes so that the turbo can run at its idle speed and temperature. You can get a turbo timer to help keep the engine working for a small time even if you forget about the turbo. In order to reduce the lag, many producers are mounting two smaller turbochargers (twin turbo). The smaller turbochargers equal a big one in strength but have smaller lag because of the smaller size.

You can use a turbocharger if you want a boost in power of about 15-40%, at the cost of fuel consumption. If you decide to buy a turbocharger, read its technical instructions very carefully to make sure it is fitted for your car.

The most likely to be the first changed is the Head unit, composed of the radio/tape player/CD player/DVD Player. The recent developments in technology revealed CD-MP3 players with Ogg, WMA, and AAC support. Recent players have integrated Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and USB technology. Some head units feature a touch screen from which the driver can control the navigation, view DVD movies, or access different optional systems. Modern cars come with a CD/MP3 head unit with an optional CD changer, usually located in the console or in the trunk. A more recent addition is the DVD player or LCD screen. The screen can be either folded or mounted on the headrest for the rear passengers to see.

The next important piece of car audio is the speakers. These are generally mounted in doors or rear parcel shelves. Before stereo speakers, the most common place to find speakers was the middle of the dashboard, facing the front windshield. Modern cars feature high-end audio speaker systems, composed of tweeters (small speakers with high frequency), midrange (medium speakers with medium frequency) and woofer (large speakers with low frequency). Every type of speaker is controlled by a cross-over device that limits the range of frequency it must handle. This means that each speaker will produce the optimum frequency to produce a quality sound. The subwoofers have support for bass and sub bass at ultra low frequencies. The human feels the ultra low frequencies more that hear them. The recent trend in car industry is to install 5.1 or 7.1 audio systems. These systems provide a very good power and surround.

If you have a loud speaker system you should consider buying an amplifier. The amplifier providers all the necessary power for the speakers. Note that the total power of the stereo system must be equal or bigger than the power of the amplifier to avoid damaging the speakers. When buying a car audio system, you must know the differences between the different expressions of power. The first one is PMPO (peak music power output). This is generally a misleading expression of power and makes audio components sound better than they really are. If the PMPO power is applied to a speaker more than a few milliseconds, the speaker will blow. PMPO refers to the peak power a speaker can withstand in perfect conditions and only in a very short period of time (milliseconds). The true measurement of power is in RMS (root mean square). RMS is the maximum continuous power that can be derived from an amplifier or run through a speaker. The average relation between RMS and PMPO is 1:4 (1 watt RMS = 4 watts PMPO). However, this is just an average and must not be considered accurate.

When installing a powerful audio system in your car you must consider the current it drains. If a system has a power of over 1200 watts RMS, you should upgrade your alternator to a high output alternator or upgrade your battery to a heavy duty deep cycle battery. If you keep the original parts you should be aware that your alternator might die early. Also, with the powerful car audio, you get the rattling noise from different metallic parts. You can get rid of this stressful noise with a rubber or asphalt-like substance that can be sprayed on or glued on in sheets.

When upgrading you car’s audio system, you must be aware of the consequences. Be very careful with the alternator and the battery. Also, you must get rid of the rattling sound of various metallic parts. High power systems need an amplifier but you must make sure that its power does not burn them. Overall, a new audio system for your car is a very good acquisition and will help you release of all the driving stress.

Lately, Nissan 350Z comes as Nismo 350Z, built on the same 3.5 liter V6 engine but with a 6-speed manual transmission. The car also features the Nismo aerodynamics pack, including a nice front fascia, side skirts and an extended rear fascia. The rear fascia has an underbody diffuser and a rear wing. Nismo also added multi-link suspension, Brembo brakes, and gray RAYS alloy wheels.

Nissan 350Z has outstanding technical specifications. The car is powered by a 3.5 L V6 engine featuring 306 horse power at 6,800 rpm and capable of 268 ft-lb force (363 Nm) at 4,800 rpm. The car comes with 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic transmission. There are several models and packets available. The Coupe model features the Base, Enthusiast, Touring, Grand Touring, and NISMO models. The Roadster offers the Enthusiast, Touring, and Grand Touring models. The wheelbase is the same in all models and is 104.3 inches (2,649 mm). The length of the car is just 169.8 inches (4,313 mm) and the width of 71.5 inches (1,816 mm). The 350Z is 52.1 inches (1,323 mm) tall.

The Nissan 350Z sports car is widely used in drifting competitions due to its high specifications for this kind of race. Nissan 350Z obtained very good positions in the drifting competitions and driver Tanner Foust became the first driver that scored a perfect 100 points in a 350Z. The car is also used in drag racing. Featuring heavily modified engine with a twin turbo added, one 350Z achieved 1,700 horse power (1270 kW). This car made an 8.33 second quarter mile time and had a best speed of 176.72 mph (284.40 km/h). This is in fact astonishing. With a competent driver behind the wheel, the Nissan 305Z, many Porsche Boxter divers can be surprised by this fast car. Nissan 350Z has very good reviews regarding performance, handling and braking, making it one of the most successful sports cars on the market today.

The Nissan 350Z can get you to from 0 to 60 mph in just 5.5 seconds and the engine’s torque is 90 percent available from just 2000 rpm. The 350Z’s weight is deliberately spread to ensure the handling puts a big smile on your face. The car has 53% of its mass at the front and results in the car’s traction on the turn-in to corners to be maximized. The overall design boosts grip to the wheels that transmit power to the road in order to accelerate the car as quickly as it can. From the front to the rear, this car has been designed to slip through the air with the least resistance possible. The surface under the Nissan 350Z has been made in such way that it limits the air turbulence at high speeds. Nissans centre of gravity is in the center of the car resulting in an impressive stability at high speeds.

Overall, the Nissan 350Z is a powerful, not to mention beautiful, sports car. Its price best reflects its capabilities and if you are looking for a well balanced sports car, than the 350Z is for you. Aside the racing performances, this car also feature a great modern interior design. The maneuverability of the car is great from high speeds to low speeds. You can easily park this car anywhere it fits. Also, as speed increases, the steer gets less aid, allowing you more feedback from the road. Whether you are an experienced driver or just a beginner, you will feel comfortable in this amazing car and you will enjoy a brand new driving experience unknown to many people.

Who designs the concept cars? Usually, concept cars are designed by a designer working for a car company. This designer draws a possible new production vehicle, made by that manufacturer. However, the concept car is totally unpractical and often does not work at all. It usually consists of some non-working parts, likely just essentially tack-welded together. The parts can even be glued together. Remember that a concept car is only meant to be a show piece, and many changes and improvements are needed before these vehicles hit the roads. Concept cars are often radical in design or engine. Some concept cars even use exotic or new materials including carbon fiber and some have special abilities that you can not find in other cars. These cars deliver new concepts in engines, fueling systems, external designs, materials, or other aspects of a vehicle. Concept cars are usually impractical and don’t get to the production lines. In fact, a small percentage of all these cars reach the stage of computer design. Very few are even functional and one might have some problems when driving them at over 15 km/h (10mph). If drivable, concept cars have e drive-train taken from another car from that same producer.

Nowadays, concept cars tend to split into two main groups. The first group, called the blue-sky, tends to push the limits of the automotive thinking and design. The cars in this category will most probably not be ever produced due to their lack of practical uses. The second group is a more conservative group, focusing on advancements we will probably see in the future. It looks like the Kia KOUP is a very good concept car for the year 2008. Featuring aggressive exterior lines, it has a 2.0 liter Theta II turbocharged engine. The engine delivers 290 horse power and 289 lb-force at 2000-4000 rpm.

There are hundreds of concept cars out there, but only a select few manage to get into production. These selected concept cars illustrate the models for the future cars that will be out for sale. However, it could months or even years until the first car is produced. During this time we tend to forget the concept car that amazed us at an Auto Show. Only when we see the final product we remember that in fact this was the car that attracted everyone’s attention at that particular Auto Show.

How do you respray you car? Well, it is not as hard as it looks. However, you must be aware of the fact that just working with some spray cans will not do the trick. To achieve a professional finish, you must use professional equipment. Also, a nice filtered booth would greatly help the atmosphere by retaining some of the carcinogens and other potentially damaging elements.

Before getting started with the spray you must make sure that the area you are working on is perfectly dust free. Also, water can damage the paint and you are advised to respray your car during a warm sunny day. Always be sure that you buy the right paint because it would be a mess to see that the paint you use does not fit your needs. All paints behave differently and come in different sorts for all kinds of needs. Be sure you get the right one! Make sure you are protected against paint fumes and you do not breathe them. You can protect yourself against the fumes by having good ventilation so that the paint particles are quickly dispersed and the air remains relatively clean. You, like a professional, should use a paint gun to respray you car. Using a paint gun provides the best cover and will deliver that professional look after you finish your work. This equipment is cheaper than buying spray cans and is also more efficient. Always be careful at how much paint you spray on the car because you should spray only 6-9 mm thin coats of paint.

Before starting to spray you car you must first wash it so that all the dust particles and other debris are flushed away, leaving the car as clean as it can be. You can use a car cleaning fluid to make sure that everything is clean. Even the smallest bump will be seen after you repaint the car, so take the time and look carefully at as much of the car as you can. It is advised to strip the old paint before doing a respray. After you wash your car, clean it again with a solvent cleaner to finish the process. Every part of the car must receive the new paint so be very careful at masking, as you can get very ugly over-spray lines. The car should be stripped of all but the metal. The plastic should go away, and even the glass parts should be removed. We don’t want a small portion of the old paint showing off, do we? When you spray your car make sure that the paint gun has a smooth flow of paint by testing the gun on something else. You must not completely cover up the metal with paint; instead just spray a fine mist over and over again. Several of these mists are much better than a one time spray session. It is advised to leave at least one hour between the coats of paint. When you finish, you should consider applying a smooth lacquer coat. Finish off with a cutting paste and then apply a good wax to protect the paint from damages.

These are basically the steps you should follow when respraying your car. Although not difficult, you must prepare and proceed with caution in order to achieve the perfect quality. By respraying the car yourself you can save quite a lot of money and also be satisfied with the new look of your car.

ECU’s (Engine Control Units) are electronic chipsets that the majority of modern day cars are heavily reliant on. They carry software that governs fuel consumption, traction control and, yes, even brake horsepower!
Car manufacturers almost always downrate the factory fitted ECU settings in order to accommodate the widest possible range of driver requirements. This form of de-tuning is done to create mass appeal to customers who are looking for practicality and economy over tyre-burning performance. However, by having new chips installed, those of us that are looking for performance can now unleash the untapped power hidden within the car!
Two methods are currently available to ‘uprate’ your car’s performance. The first is the installation of a ‘Performance Chip’, an after market chip which replaces the factory fitted chip housed within the ECU. These chips are programmed by outside companies and are designed to maximise your engine’s output and responsiveness. Amazingly, the same chip is also likely to improve your car’s fuel efficiency!

The second method is ‘Remapping’. This is a non-invasive procedure whereby the existing manufacturer’s software is simply re-written to give better performance. This method has a major advantage over new chip installations in that the ECU is not physically interfered with; the Remapping is done via the car’s OnBoard Diagnostics Port, so the ECU is in no danger of being accidentally damaged. In fact, Remapping will normally be carried out from the driver’s seat with a laptop computer. Some professional Remappers will even re-program your car while it is in motion, to give a fully ‘customised’ result designed specifically for your car.
The results of these upgraded software packages vary depending on your car but as a rule, a petrol engine without a Turbo will see an improvement in brake horsepower of around 10%, whereas a petrol car with a Turbo will enjoy approximately 25% more power! Turbo Diesel drivers have it even better; they can expect a 30% increase in power!
There are also several options in carrying out the work. For Performance Chips, specialist installers are the sensible choice due to the delicate nature of ECUs (prices typically £100 to £300). For Remapping, prices start at around £300 and you can either have the work undertaken by specialists or purchase a ‘plug and play’ Remapping kit and do the work yourself!