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The new Nissan GT-R

The new 2009 Nissan GT-R is spectacular. Churning out a whooping 480 bhp from a 3.8 litre twin-turbo V6, this mean machine is capable of hitting 60mph from standstill in under 3.5 seconds. This front engined, all wheel drive car comes with a 6-Speed Dual Clutch Automatic Transmission with Manual Control. It can be run flat out at 193 mph.                      

                     

                             

                             

                             

                             

Common rail in Volkswagen passat

Volkswagen Passat will now come equipped with the new-generation common-rail diesel engine. The traditional Pumpe Duse (PD) form of diesel injection will be replaced by common-rail systems which are now the industry standard. There are no significant changes. The price tag remains the same and there are no visual changes as well, while the engine produces a similar 140bhp. In terms of refinement, there will not be much difference between the PD and CRDI engines. However, in terms of efficiency there could be a difference which will be confirmed only by a detailed road test.

                                                                                                          

Maruti Suzuki A-Star

              Maruti Suzuki has lauched the A-star which is expected to perform well in the hatchback group. The car is powered by a 3 cylinder MPFI 998 cc mill producing out 67 horsepower coupled with 90 Nm of torque. The driver compartment of the car has been designed impressively. It gets a single speedometer with the tachometer placed in the dashboard to give that sporty feel similar to the drag racers. Add to it the Swift steering wheel and the disjointed central console.

 

                The engine has been exclusively developed at the new plant Manesar at a cost of Rs. 1200 crore. This 3 cylinder engine will meet BS-III as well as Euro IV emission norms and the upcoming Euro V and BS IV norms as well.

                            

               Maruti Suzuki is known for its cheap pricing. The basic variant of the car is priced somewhere near 3.5 lakh.

 

 

Electronic Wedge brakes

With its EWB (Electronic Wedge Brake), Siemens is aiming for a revolution in braking system technology for passenger cars. Compared to today’s hydraulic brakes, the EWB is more efficient, responds faster, requires far less energy, reduces a vehicle’s weight and saves space.The ubiquitous antilock braking systems (ABS) and the less common electronic stability programs will be replaced by the software integrated into the EWB system. While a conventional ABS takes between 140 and 170 milliseconds to generate full braking power, the EWB needs only about 100 milliseconds and therefore shortens the braking distance because a car covers the distance of 1.40 meters in one second at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour. This also means the wedge brake will play an important role in making it possible for drivers to keep vehicles under control even in difficult situations

Basically, a brake pad connected to a wedge is pressed between the rod and the disc through the use of electric motors. The electric motors turn and push the pad onto the disc. The use of a wedge means braking power is multiplied with minimal energy expenditure (about one tenth of hydraulic brakes), through the principle of self-energization. The faster you are going, the stronger the brake force is going to be. The lack of a physical connection between brake pedal and brakes also makes this a brake by wire system by default. Sensors measuring wheel speed about a hundred times a second can adjust brake forces and wedge position to a high degree of accuracy, somewhat like ABS and stability control rolled into one.

An informative video of the EWB is available in the “videos” section

Test results have been amazing so far. An Audi A6 fitted with the Electronic Wedge Brake system was put to the test comparing against another A6 with conventional brakes. The braking distance required from 100 km/h to 0 km/h was reduced by half in the EWB-equipped A6!

However, all brake by wire systems make you wonder what would happen if somehow power supply were to be disrupted. Something simple like the battery going flat because the engine’s alternator malfunctioned. To take care of this, the EWB is specified to be connected to two power supplies, a main one and a backup one with a secondary battery.

This is a good advancement in braking technology. The first car with EWD is expected to debut by 2010, and it will most likely be a German marque. Might be Audi since they were testing with Audis

 

Desmodromic valve mechanism

What are desmodromic valves?

Desmodromic valves are those which are positively opened and closed by a cam and leverage system, rather than relying on the more conventional valve springs. The term desmodromic is derived from two Greek roots, desmos (controlled, linked) and dromos (course, track).The Desomodromic valve system was invented by Dr. Fabio Taglioni.

Why desmo?

What pushed “ingegner” Fabio Taglioni, and everybody else at Ducati, to persevere with the desmo system?

In an interview of 1989, Taglioni himself explained that, in mechanics (which means, in real life) there is not ONE best solution in absolute terms. The secret of success is to develop one’s intuition with devotion, logic and ingeniousness.

“…it was just by doing calculations that I had to conclude, at the end of a series of logically connected, very clear engineering considerations, that it was necessary to eliminate the spring preloading!”

Taglioni knew that it would be a road bristling with obstacles connected with designing and manufacturing, but he wanted to leave behind the two traditional drawbacks of a spring system:

• heavy spring loading, which meant more engine work (and the resulting power loss)
• “valve bounce” at high RPM.

These problems are all solved by a desmodromic system: smoothness (and consequently, decreased losses) at low RPM and reliability at high RPM (without valve bounce) are obtained.

The valves in question are those in a typical four-stroke engine that allow the air/fuel mixture into the cylinder at the beginning of the cycle and allow exhaust gases to be expelled at the end of the cycle. In the conventional four-stroke engine, a spring is used to apply pressure to the valve and return it to the valve seat or closed position. The valve is either directly or indirectly opened by the camshaft. Whereas in a desmodromic engine, the operation of the valves is are controlled by the cam. The diagram given below is self explanatory.

Who are the groundbreakers of this technology?

Ducati and Mercedes are two major companies who have used the desmodromic system in racing engines. Ducati has the most experience of any manufacturer in the world at successfully applying desmodromic valve control to production machines

What are its advantages? 

• There are no heavy power robbing springs used to close the valves in conventional engines.

• Better protection of the engine if it is over revved. This is because when the motor is over revved, the  valves are still controlled, whereas when they are returned by springs the valves can “float” and hit the piston.

• Better performance and efficiency.

• Finally, the manufacturer can use wilder cam grinds for better performance.

Any disadvantage with the system?

 

The only disadvantage of this system is the complexity of design and cost.

 

What is a desmosedici engine?

 

A desmodromic engine is one with two cyliders in V arrangement. A desmosedici is a 16 valve V4 engine. Sedici in Italian means 16. Hence the name

 

 

 

                                              A desmodromic engine

 

 

 

A desmosedici engine

 

If in a racing engine, a normal valve spring engine has an upper rpm limit of about 10,000 rpm, that same engine design when equipped with a Desmodromic valve system would be capable of revving till 15,000 rpm and the result is more power.

 

Ducati has consistently used its desmodromic system ever since 1956. It is the only manufacturer in the world to have applied it to anything from standard production bikes to Superbike glory: the achieved standard of excellence mirrors Ducati corporate technology.

 

 

F1 2009 rule changes

Here’s a glimpse of the changes that will be seen in the 2009 Formula One season.

In the case of the Sporting Regulations, the primary aims are increased reliability and further cost reductions. In the case of the technical changes, there are three main objectives – reducing the role of aerodynamics in the cars’ performance; making overtaking easier; and keeping lap times in check.

Tyres
After 10 seasons on grooved tyres, Formula One racing returns to slicks in 2009, as part of moves to increase the emphasis on mechanical rather than aerodynamic grip. With no grooves, grip will increase by around 20 percent, bringing a significant performance gain. However, that gain will be offset by the vastly reduced downforce levels of the revised aerodynamic regulations (see below). The overall effect should be reduced performance through high-speed corners. Drivers will still have the choice of two dry tyre compounds and will still have to use both compounds during a race.

KERS
From 2009 teams have the option of employing a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) to boost their car’s performance. As its name implies, a KERS recovers the (normally wasted) kinetic energy generated by the car’s braking process. This energy is stored using a mechanical flywheel or an electrical battery and then made available to the driver, in set amounts per lap, via a ‘boost button’ on the steering wheel. Under the current regulations the power gain equates to around 80 horsepower, available for just under seven seconds per lap. This could be worth several tenths of a second in terms of lap time, but the weight and packaging of the system – and its impact on the car’s weight distribution – also have to be taken into account.

Engines
In a move designed to boost reliability still further, drivers must now use the same engine for three, rather than two, consecutive events. There are also plans for measures to equalise engine performance between teams. How this will be achieved has not yet been finalised.

Aerodynamics
Along with slick tyres, this is the biggest area of change for 2009. Downforce will be dramatically reduced and the cars’ bodywork will appear much cleaner, thanks to new dimensional regulations that effectively outlaw extraneous items such as barge boards, winglets, turning vanes and chimneys.

As well as reducing overall aero performance, the revisions are also designed to increase overtaking by making the car less susceptible to turbulence when closely following another driver. The most obvious changes are to the front and rear wings.

The front wing becomes lower (75mm from 150mm) and wider (up from 1400 to 1800mm – the same width as the car) with driver-adjustable flaps. Drivers will be allowed to make two wing adjustments per lap, altering the wing angle over a six-degree range.

The rear wing becomes taller (up 150mm to bring it level with the top of the engine cover) and narrower (750mm from 1000mm).

Also at the back of the car, the diffuser has been moved rearwards, its leading edge now level with (rather than ahead of) the rear-wheel axle line. In addition, the diffuser has been made longer and higher, all changes that will reduce its ability to generate downforce.

Testing
2008’s testing allowance of 30,000 kilometres is expected to be slashed by a third to 20,000 in a bid to further reduce development costs.

Suzuki GS 150R

The newly launched  GS150R is Suzuki’s next offering for its fans. The bike is powered by a 149.5 cc engine capable of producing 14 bhp and has got a peak torque of 13.2Nm. What’s more exciting about the bike is that the instument cluster and the tail unit have been inspired from the parent GSX-R1000. The bike will be available at the showrooms by January 2009 and price tag is expected to be in the range of Rs. 68,000, OTR Delhi.               

            

 

The instrument cluster looks splendid and sports a gear indicator

   

The LED tail lamp and the integrated turn indicators render a stylish look

KERS explained

KERS
 Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS)  is a newly developed technology to boost the car’s performance. As its name implies, a KERS recovers the (normally wasted) kinetic energy generated by the car’s braking process. This energy is stored using a mechanical flywheel or an electrical battery and then made available to the driver, in set amounts per lap, via a ‘boost button’ on the steering wheel. Under the current regulations the power gain equates to around 80 horsepower equivalent to 400kJ, available for just under seven seconds per lap. This could be worth several tenths of a second in terms of lap time, but the weight and packaging of the system – and its impact on the car’s weight distribution – also have to be taken into account.

An attempt to set a new land speed record

The British team responsible for breaking the sound barrier on land and redefining the land speed record will attempt to break their own record with a jet car capable of reaching 1050mph in 40 seconds with the aim of breaking the 763mph record set by Andy Green, RAF Wing Commander in Thrust SSC in 1997. The attempt is due to take place in 2011.

The new Bloodhound SSC has a big jet engine poking out of the back, and a long thin tube that will give it around 25,000lb of thrust, giving the car a total of almost 130,000bhp.The car will weigh 6442kg and measure 12.8 metres long.The huge wheels (900mm diameter) will spin at over 10,000rpm at the car’s top speed.