Lotus Omnivore Motor

Lotus made a press release today detailing their prototype motor, the Omnivore. Titled "Omnivore", or creatures that eat both animals and plants, the Lotus motor is capable of running on different types of fuel.

It is a two stroke single cylinder design, much like an old dirt bike motor, but FAR more technically advanced. It utilizes direct fuel injection and variable compression ratios. These technologies allow the motor to run on ethanol, any octane of gas, and although Lotus did not mention it, possibly diesel. 

The lack of poppet valves allows the block to not require a seperate head, or head gasket, making it more durable and efficient.

Another plus, is that because it is a two stroke, it has twice as many power strokes compared to a four stroke. This means more power, and requires less cylinders to achieve similar power of its four cycle kin. 

In today's fuel efficient, and environmentally conscience society, this motor could prove  to be quite the notch in motor engineering history. You can run it on just about any form of combustible liquid, and theoretically it would work. As far as environmentally sound, two strokes havn't had the best rep for being clean, but Lotus claims, because it runs higher compressions, it should burn fuel much more efficiently.

You could run all sorts of fuels, and it should be clean, too. This motor is the future of combustible engine transportation!

But it's not. You see, back in 1957, Felix Wankel created the first running prototype of the Wankel Rotary motor. In the late 60's, Mazda utilized this motor in their Cosmos, and later in their RX-series of cars. I remember my neighbor once telling me, when he first heard about those motors, he thought they were going to be the motor everyone was going to be using in the future. 

Forty years later, and Mazda is still the only production car company using a Rotary. Perhaps, Lotus will make it their signature motor, but I just can't help being skeptical about this motors' success. 

For photos, and the press release, you can go here:http://jalopnik.com/tag/lotus-omnivore/?id=5160933

Insanely Modified VW Lupo

Ok, I'm a HUGE fan of modified street cars. It shows what you can do fabrication-wise, or it can show how much money you have to burn. I tend to lean more on the fabrication side, because I'm a broke college student, but that's another story.

I saw the beginning of this build about a year or two ago and nearly spit out whatever I was drinking. I hadn't checked back on the progress, and forgot about, until I read a post on Jalopnik about it today. I thought to myself, "I've seen this before!". They didn't write much about it, but they posted a bunch of Youtube clips of it.

Here's the run-down. A couple of Croatian friends got together and turned their VW Lupo into a monster. For those of you who don't know, the VW Lupo is a small car sold in Europe and South America that is smaller than the Golf.

What these guys did was rip out the puny 1.4?Liter motor, and swapped in the VW Jetta's VR6 motor. The VR6 is a narrow angled V-6 that is compact and coupled to a front wheel drive transmission. They cranked it up to eleven by putting another VR6 motor in the rear. This insane combination gives them an all drive twin motor Lupo witha stripped out, and roll caged interior. 

That, my friend, is impressive. Fast too!

When it comes to this sort of thing, there are  no instructions. All there is, is some creativity, balls, and mad fabrication skills. That is why I love modifying cars so much. How far are you willing to push the limits? What makes it different?

Sometimes, even Frankenstein can be beautiful.

You can see the article by Jalopnik here: http://jalopnik.com/tag/twin-vr6-awd-vw-lupo/?id=5156754&autoplay=true 

Art on Wheels

So, I'm browsing Jalopnik, and I come across a post about the Pagani Zonda R. It's an uber expensive track machine with an ear splittingly loud exhaust that could melt your heart. 

As a composites tech in my club, I'm very interested in carbon-fiber. When properly laid, it is simply a thing of beauty.This Zonda R, is a thing of beauty. A showcase of their talent and skill with the material. The entire car is perfectly V'd down the center, and has that awesome matte finish that comes with the use of very high quality aerospace carbon that needs to be kept in a freezer for storage. 

Alright, go ahead and take a look at what I've been oozing about:

http://jalopnik.com/tag/pagani-zonda-r/?id=5156281

Coolest Driveway EVER!

Many a car guy will spend their time, wrenching in their oil stained driveway. Many take their driveway for granted as the last bit of driving before they leave and get home. One Florida man, decided to make every last bit of his journey home the most exciting by building a track for a driveway.

Discovered by GoogleMaps, this man has a nice little circuit for a driveway, complete with corner markers and all. I find myself a little jealous, while I catch myself drooling at the prospect of actually "racing" to and from school, legally. I mean, who wouldn't want to start their day with a fast lap?

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines!

For pictures and more information, go to http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/21/mans-race-track-driveway-revealed-on-google-maps/ 

I finally got some photos!

I promised I would post some photos of composite work I did at the SAE shop. So, here you go. 

This is a twill weave, which means it is a very workable fabric, that is commonly seen on all of those, "JDM tyte" hoods and just about anything they sell made out of carbon. 

This particular piece is a panel I made to house our ECU and data aquisition equipment. It needed to be very stiff and light, so I used a foam core, and 4 layers of carbon fiber in alternating weave patterns.

What does all that mean? The foam core adds stiffness, while the 4 layers of alternating weave pattern create a rigid piece that is also light. How light? Lets just say it's as light as a feather, stiff as a piece of steel. I can't get this thing to come even close to bending with my hands. It's incredible! Oh, and it looks cool as anything. 

Tonight I made the mold for the hood, and will hopefully be able to have someone take a picture of that for you to see, but until then, enjoy.

My Apologies

My apologies go out to my parents, whom I bug all the time with my car mumbo jumbo, and threaten to occupy their garage with a rusty ass clunker everyday. I'm sure it gets old very quick, but I can't help it. Cars are just an obsession I have that you will have to live with. Some would say it is not healthy, and others say I need help, but you treat me like I were a normal boy. Oh, and mom, it was dad's fault.

My apologies go out to my friends, who have also had to listen to me go on and on about cars. Sure, we were watching football, but I couldn't help it. Yet, you still let me hang out with you guys.

My apologies go out to my teachers, who I have totally and completely ignored, especially in math class, to draw cars. What can I say, I was just bored. Did you walk up to me, and yell to stop drawing my stupid cars? No. You just let me be, and failed me. 

I'm sorry, but in the most sarcastic, and untruthful way, because I don't care. You got a problem with it, we can go outside and talk about cars. 

Racing Simulators

As a huge car fan, I enjoy racing games. I'm absolutely broke, so it gives me some form of competitive automotive racing to participate in. Sure, it's nowhere near as thrilling as the real thing, but can it be used as a tool to help drivers learn new techniques and race tracks?

I think so. I'm a huge fan of Forza for XBox 360, and I love it because it so realistic. I have been to Sebring, and when I play Forza, I feel like I am back there, going through the 17 turns. So, yes, if I intended on visiting a track, I would definitely utilize a racing simulator, or at least Forza, to learn the tracks. 

Another thing that I like about it, is that I can learn vehicle dynamics playing the game. If I want to see how fast I need to go in a rear wheel driveto do a reverse flick, I would use a rear wheel drive car in the game, and give it a go. As many times as I want. Legally. In real life, I would have to burn through tires, and find a safe open space to legally do such an experiment.

Now, I don't believe driving simulators, or at least Forza, can offer certain experiences of real racing that is important for every driver to learn. Things, such as sensory input. The game can only stimulate the senses vaguely.

It can not inflict G-forces, the smell of burning rubber, brake and clutch fluid, the feel, or lack thereof of the wheels on the road. And the sound! God, the aural pleasure of the sound of motors revving to their limit. Games can only shake the controller, and play some recording on the tv. Until you've been racing in the real world, you havn't experienced racing.

But! In video games you don't experience the dangers of racing either. The crashes at 150 m.p.h. The loss of brakes, or power, while other cars of varying tonnage fly past. 

Racing games provide a good base for people who want to just have fun for a few minutes on the cheap, learn a home track or two, or even better their driving skills through observation and experimentation. I like racing games. Especially Forza 2. (Oh, I can't wait for the 3rd!)

Ford, Hmm...

Everytime anyone mentions Ford, all I can do is sigh. Yeah, they have some bad-ass cars, but I can't help but feel let down, and almost betrayed by our beloved American auto. I mean, Henry Ford started the mass production of cars, and he started here, dammit, in America! 

So, why the hell are the Europeans getting all of the good stuff. For the past decade or so, the Euros have been getting all of the fancy, cool looking, as well as good handling fun cars. Have you seen the last two generation of the Focus. Jesus! 

But, have you seen the Euro version? No, well, it looks and drives a hell of a lot better. Autoblog, another car blog, but ALOT larger than mine, has recently posted, 

"Having driven the current European Focus in sporty ST trim and with the even hotter RS version rolling off the assembly line, we can tell you that our friends across the Atlantic have one fine-handling hatchback on their hands. And for the next generation, Ford is planning to give the Focus the styling and rakish profile its chassis deserves. The next Focus, which we hope will replace the American version as well, will spawn several body-styles."

I've even read reviews about the Ford Mondeo, another Ford car we don't get, is a great car! Hopefully, Ford has finally come to their senses and realized they have neglected their family back home, and decide to give us the Euro versions of their cars. 

I mean, how could you not want a street legal version of their rally car Focus, which is based on the Euro focus!

Whooo!!

This is just awesome.

This is a video of Rick Huseman, driver of a Toyota Tundra in the CORR(Championship Off Road Racing) series, unintentionally performing a stunning double front flip, while sticking the landing. I believe in gymnastics, that would be worthy of a ten.

Carbon-Fiber

In today's motorsports carbon-fiber is extensively used throughout the car to save as many ounces as possible. If making a part that only weighed an ounce less than its metal counterpart, but cost thousands more, they will use it, because in racing every ounce adds up. Those ounces are what makes or breaks first place.

Weight savings in general is just an all around advantage. You use less energy, i.e. fuel, go faster, and handle better. The great Colin Chapman, the founder of Lotus and creator of many a great formula cars, said "Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere." He also once said, "You won't catch me driving a race car that I have built.", but that is a quote for another post.

Carbon-fiber has been the go to material for the past few decades in aerospace technologies and racing. Although it is not very cost effective(it's incredibly expensive), it has many benefits.

First of all, the most known use for it is to save weight. You can make very light items with it. Secondly, it is good in an accident. In normal accidents in a car, the metal around you absorbs the shock and impact. Carbon fiber, on the hand, shatters apart, taking the impact with the shattered parts. It is not very cost effective on normal cars, because people wreck their cars everyday, and replacing carbon bumpers would be excrutiatingly painful on the wallet, but in F1, where you crash into a wall backwards at 180 m.p.h. it makes a whole lot of sense.

At the shop for SAE, I handle alot of the composite work, including carbon-fiber. It's actually a very delicate material when dry, and not impregnated with resin. It's almost like a surgical procedure when I have to lay up a part, because there is alot of factors that go in to making a strong, lightweight part. Now, it sounds like a huge hassle, just to save some weight, but I come to my final reasoning behind using carbon-fiber. When you pull a part, and it comes out with the weave all shiny and even, no distortion, it's simply gorgeous to look at! 

I would post a picture, but my camera is broken, and the picture I was going to post, blogger wanted to be a punk, and not allow me to. I'll try and edit one in soon.