The concept behind Formula SAE is that a fictional manufacturing company has contracted a student design team to develop a small Formula-style race car. The prototype race car is to be evaluated for its potential as a production item. The target marketing group for the race car is the non-professional weekend autocross racer. Each student team designs, builds and tests a prototype based on a series of rules, whose purpose is both ensuring on-track safety (the cars are driven by the students themselves) and promoting clever problem solving.

According to Ross James Brawn OBE, Team principal- Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula one team

Formula SAE is a fantastic initiative which gives its entrants the freedom of design to test their ingenuity whilst also providing practical experience of working to specific deadline, budget and regulations.

Whilst Formula SAE can provide a grounding in motorsport, with many of our engineers at Mercedes AMG Petronas having taken part during their university days, it also provides the foundations for all forms of engineering if students wish to take their career in different  direction. I have no doubt that skill learnt by participating in Formula SAE will help towards the achievement of future success.

And this is where our racing partner, Pravega Racing (India), comes in. One of the best Formula SAE teams from a country which is barreling ahead on its way to become an automotive superpower, the team has shown immense promise in its recent stints on the world stage and we at AutoSpace couldn’t be happier to lend our complete support to their efforts.

It was four years ago, that the passion for motorsports in the hearts of young engineers at VIT University (India) metamorphosed into formula style open wheeled, open cockpit racecar that competed with the best in the world. This passion for excellence has guided the team over the years, successfully building four lean mean and efficient machines that have brought laurels to the students and the university. Formula SAE is in true sense engineering expressed for these young automobile enthusiasts.

It is a rude awakening to watch these young engineers work because the idea of making a car is so oversimplified in our minds with all those movies showing cars being built overnight, that when you see them work night after night for endless hours you’ll first wonder what they actually are doing before a sense of respect dawns on you. Designing, manufacturing, assembling, testing and racing a car while simultaneously pursuing your engineering degree is something that deserves respect and AutoSpace salutes them for being so relentless in their drive for automotive perfection.

And then there is a completely different side to it too. Humans are social animals, we socialize, herd, help and procreate in a lifelong effort to sustain our species but the members of the automotive sector contrary to all this just tear and rip at each other, companies at war with other companies, blogs slandering about each other and even automotive television shows fighting for supremacy, without any regard for the future of the industry as a whole. And this is where the importance of teams like Pravega Racing becomes obvious. These are nonprofit teams comprising of only students, brilliant students at that, and hence the opportunity for the industry to fund honest, nonprofit and constantly ongoing researsch as the team jumps form one season to another. This is the research and these are the students who will sustain the entire industry in less than ten years’ time and the industry today including all OEMs, manufacturers and services sector has a chance to invest in its own future. And the sweetest part is that it is not ten years down the line that your investment bears fruit. Apart from giving you a huge amount of publicity at the Formula SAE event, which brings together students and officials from various countries, the team also offers exposure nationally through the auto expos, technical fests. Adding to this is the media coverage which will give a great impetus to your publicity. With your help, Pravega Racing can compete at the highest level and bring laurels to the country.

 Video:

The post Pravega Racing: Art Of Engineering appeared first on AutoSpace.

We all gaped open mouthed at model after model of the Bugatti Veyron and we saw a million different things but someone somewhere saw a canvas. And it  really didn’t end up being a simple repaint but a true paean to the engineering that went into making the car the delight it is. The equations used by the engineers that went into making the Grand Sport adorn this car and fade away towards the rear as if they were being literally ripped away because of the speed of the car. It is a long held notion that he engineering under the skin it the true art in any automobile, greats like Indian Larry have time and again tried making the engineering behind the autom0bile the basis of its design, but french artist Bernar Venet seems to have succeeded like nobody else.

Bugatti Grand Sport Venet

Gallery

The post Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Venet – World’s Fastest Road Legal Art appeared first on AutoSpace.

Soichiro Honda was born on November 17, 1906, in Komyo Village, Iwata County, Shizuoka Prefecture, as the eldest son of Gihei Honda and his wife Mika. Gihei was a skilled and honest blacksmith and Mika an accomplished weaver. As a toddler Honda was fascinated by the first ever car he saw and would later in his life often say that he would never forget the smell of oil it would give off. When he was about to leave higher elementary school, Soichiro Honda saw an advertisement for Tokyo Art Shokai, an automobile servicing company, in a magazine called Bicycle World (Ringyo no sekai). The ad itself was not for bicycles but for “Manufacture and Repair of Automobiles, Motorcycles and Gasoline Engines”. Even though it wasn’t a recruitment ad Honda hopefully wrote a letter stating his will to work there, receiving positive reply.

Enthusiasm for hard work, a quick appreciation of the need to improvise, thinking for oneself, the ability to come up with a wealth of new ideas, a good feel for machines. The owner of Art Shokai, Yuzo Sakakibara, soon spotted the young man’s star qualities and began to take notice of him. Soichiro Honda, too, learned from his boss, not just how to do repairing work but how to deal with customers and the importance of taking pride in one’s technical ability. Sakakibara was the ideal teacher, both as engineer and as businessman. As well as understanding repair work he was also skilled in more complicated processes such as the manufacturing of pistons. Whenever Honda was asked who he respected the most, he would always mention his old boss Yuzo Sakakibara.

The Second World War left Honda’s birthplace struggling for basic human necessities and resulted in an acute shortage of gasoline and an overcrowded public transport system. One day in September 1946, Mr. Honda visited the home of a friend, Kenzaburo Inukai. There, by chance, he came upon a small engine. He had come to know Mr. Inukai through automobile repair work he did when he was running the Hamamatsu branch of Art Shokai and Mr. Inukai was running a taxi company. Mr. Inukai happened to have a generator engine designed for a No. 6 wireless radio from the former Imperial Army that an acquaintance had left with him. When Mr. Honda saw it, he was immediately inspired with an idea. It was a moment of destiny. This encounter determined his whole future direction, and it was from this decisive moment that the later Honda Motor Co. would be born.
“Lets use this to power a bicycle”, were the words that changed the automotive universe forever. This 1/2 horsepower, 2-stroke 50 cc modified engine that represented the beginning for Honda Motor Co. was among the first of such products to appear.Mr. Honda immediately set to work on a prototype. It was at this time that he took a Japanese-style hot water bottle that he found in his house and used it as the fuel tank. The initial prototype had the engine attached to the bicycle forward of the handlebars and applied driving power by means of a rubber friction roller pressed against the side of the front wheel. This concept was very similar to that of the Vero Solex, a best-selling moped in France. However, this method quickly wore down the poor-quality tires of the time from the friction, resulting in frequent blowouts. The driveability was also poor, and this method was quickly abandoned. Instead, he recast his idea in a conventional engine layout with a V belt driving the rear wheel.  “In the late summer of 1946, a small, barrack-like building was erected amid the bending clumps of plumed pampas grass in the burned-out open plot at No. 30, Yamashita-cho, Hamamatsu City. Inside was an old belt-driven lathe, and outside were about ten machine tools in a row. At the entrance, a signboard proclaiming the Honda Technical Research Institute was hung. The president and twelve or thirteen employees were hard at work.” This is the text that appeared in the opening passage of a Honda Motor Company history published for the seventh anniversary of the founding.

But that was not enough. Mr. Honda wasn’t satisfied with the use of a readymade engine, he wanted to engineer and invent the future of his company. The first of their prototype engines was the legendary “chimney” engine. President Honda thought up a thoroughly unique concept for a new engine, and showed it to Kawashima by “drawing it on the shop floor.” Crouching down and sketching out conceptual drawings on the floor was an unchanging habit throughout his life. With the chimney engine development suspended, Honda had to hasten the work of coming up with the next plan. This turned out to be the Honda company’s first original product to be sold on the market, the Honda A-Type. Compared to the radically innovative chimney design, this appeared to be a rather orthodox 2-stroke engine. However, as Kawashima explains:

“The intake assembly didn’t use the piston valves you saw elsewhere. Instead, it had rotary disk valves attached to the side of the crankcase. Therefore the carburetor was also attached to the crankcase rather than next to the cylinder. At this time, this was revolutionary. I thought the Old Man was incredible to come up with an idea like that.” Furthermore, the manually-operated belt transmission mechanism that also was used for the clutch was patented. This was just one of the ways in which this product showed itself as a true Honda Motor Co. product. The A-Type engine has not attracted much attention for anything other than its distinction in being the first Honda product. However, looking at it from another angle, it was this A-Type engine that suddenly brought out the extraordinary characteristics of Honda Motor Co.
On September 24th, 1948 he company was incorporated and the Honda Motor Co. was founded. The cumulative total of the motorcycles produced by Honda passed the hundred million mark in October 1997. This is counting from the very first motorcycle Honda made, the D-Type which debuted in August 1949. It was named the Dream, a name that seemed to symbolize Honda itself, and this machine was the embodiment of the company’s dream of becoming a motorcycle manufacturer. It is no longer known who gave the D-Type this name. Years later, President Honda said, “I can’t remember. I was always talking about how Honda would become a world-class manufacturer, which was like a dream. So somebody probably just started calling it that.” “I think the Old Man was really happy about it. After all, it was a real motorcycle,” said Kawashima. Kawashima was in charge of drafting engineering drawings for the D-Type engine, as well. The D-Type was an offshoot of the C-Type, but it no longer had the look of a bike with an auxiliary engine. The design had evolved into something appropriate for a motorcycle. The D-Type assembly line also used a powered belt conveyor. This was an original company design.

In January 1954, HONDA’s Juno K-Type made its debut. This was the most advanced scooter so far, making the most of many innovations in its mechanism. At that time the scooter industry was dominated by Fuji Heavy Industries with its Rabbit and Shin Mitsubishi Heavy Industries with its Silver Pigeon, which had a major market separate from motorcycles and auxiliary engines for bicycles.

Into that market, a fully prepared Honda placed its Juno K-Type. This product was packed with new features not seen in the scooters offered by the rival manufacturers it was going up against. It had the world’s first self-starter on a two-wheeled vehicle and a large, all-weather windscreen which was further equipped with turn-signal lights, another first. It was practically the scooter version of an automobile. An especially original feature was its FRP body panels. FRP is a plastic reinforced with polyester and glass fiber, and at that time it was a brand-new material. The first vehicle to use it had been the 1953 Chevrolet Corvette, of which only about three hundred were produced, and mass-production techniques using this material were still under development, even in the United States.

Honda Enters Into The Isle Of Man TT

Around the time Honda launched its first scooter they entered the Dream E- Type into the international motorcycle race commemorating São Paulo’s fourth centennial. It was time to prepare their machine for the race, but they had almost no information. All they knew was that the 125 cc class would take eight laps around a course 8 km long. They shortened the stroke on a 150 cc Dream E-Type to make it 125 cc, and since the three-speed transmission was still so new, they stayed with the reliable two-speed. The frame was a special pipe job. The result was more like a dirt track racer than a road racing machine.  “We went to the Old Man’s house to pay our respects the day before we left. He told us, ‘Don’t expect to win. But do finish the race, whatever it takes. That’s all I ask.’ I figured that winning would be a problem, sure, but finishing the race seemed like a pretty tall order, too,” Omura recalled, laughing. There was no time to ship the machine by sea, but air freight was prohibitively expensive. The drastic method they used in the end was to take the two motorcycles apart and carry the pieces in their luggage. Omura finished the race thirteenth out of the 25 entries in the competition and Honda had officially arrived in the motorsports arena. The Declaration of Entry in the Isle of Man TT Race was made public on March 20, 1954. However a sudden change in fortunes saw serious marketing and technical problems appear in all the Honda models simultaneously and hence the impending trip to Europe had to be cancelled. Kiyoshi Kawashima was put in charge of the great project of entering the Isle of Man TT competition.  “When that declaration was made, I was wondering who would handle such a huge job,” he said. “Then, it was given to me. Around that time, there were a lot of engineers who were in their thirties and forties, but the company went ahead and gave the job to a bunch of young guys instead. I wasn’t thirty yet. We were all in our twenties. Although we were given a lot of responsibility, we were so young that it didn’t scare us.” In 1958 Honda bikes finally appeared on the Isle Of Man TT.

In 1958 Honda bikes finally appeared on the Isle Of Man TT and won the constructor’s prize. In 1961 Honda stunned the world with “Mike the Bike” ‘s twin victories at the Isle of Man TT and the world was never the same again.

The American Honda Motor Company :

As Kiyoshi Kawashima returned to Japan from the first challenge for the Isle of Man TT Races, another challenger departed from the country, as though they were trading places. This was Kihachiro Kawashima, who left Japan on June 10, 1959. He was going to establish Honda’s first overseas base, American Honda Motor Co.

“We have now established ourselves on solid ground domestically,” said Senior Managing Director Takeo Fujisawa. “Eventually, we’ll have to aim to be number one worldwide. So, with that in mind, why don’t you go check out the overseas market?” The order had thus been given, and Kihachiro Kawashima, then manager of the Sales Section at headquarters, began preparation for his journey abroad.

Kawashima chose Los Angeles in November 1958 as the most likely location for Honda’s American offices, following a tour of several candidate cities. Los Angeles had a warm hospitable year-round climate, with minimal rainfall. Since climate was a determining factor in sales, the fact that there was so little rain meant the company could be in business all year long. It was the perfect environment for American Honda.

Motorcycles were vehicles for outdoorsmen, racing enthusiasts and hotrodders. Most of the motorcycles sold in the market were large, too, with engines displacing at least 500 cc. What’s more, the motorcycle had an evil image heavily influenced by outlaws in black bomber jackets, commonly called “Hell’s Angels” in reference to the biker society of the same name. Motorcycles had a bad reputation in the American community, and were not embraced by common consumers. Likewise, the motorcycle industry was thought of as being dark and dirty. Most motorcycle dealerships were dark inside, with oil stains on the floors. This was not altogether inaccurate, since it was common to find oil pans on the sales floor, there to catch the fluid as it dripped from the bikes on display. The atmosphere could be far from inviting.
That had to change and Honda instead of trying to establish just its own market set out to give the entire American motorcycle market a shot in the arm. And thus was born the legendary “you meet the nicest people on a Honda” campaign showing couples, women and everyday working men in cheerful and professional backdrops combined with new dealerships which contrary to their gloomy old selves were sparking clean with suited courteous staff and impeccable bikes. Honda took this a step further and became the first foreign bike manufacturer to sponsor the academy awards. The result was simply overwhelming and Honda became the largest bike manufacturer in America within a few years of setting up shop in an old photo studio in Los Angeles with a cpaital investmen of $250,000 and eight employees selling the Dream, Benley and Super Cub. The Power of Dreams…

For more read : http://world.honda.com/history/

The post Honda – It Ain’t A Dream Without Everyone Being A Part Of It appeared first on AutoSpace.

Harley Davidson had the slowest and steadiest start that you can expect an automobile company to have. Contrary to being a bicycle company turning to a motorbike company at the start of the gasoline-engine era Harley started out as a bike company that later started manufacturing bicycles for a short span of time. The first ever motorbike or rather a motorized pedal bicycle was first launched in 1901 by Indian. Three other companies joined the fray in 1903 which is the year in which the first Harley Davidson bike was completed. This bike never did see the light of the day because “it couldn’t climb hills”. Around the time Indian launched its first bike William.S. Harley along with his childhood friend Arthur Davidson drew up plans for a Motorised-bicycle, using a 116cc engine. However due to its lack of the aforementioned hill climbing abilities it was scrapped and work began on a newer non-bicycle model using a 405cc engine, this was the first Harley Davidson bike to be put into production and thus began the legend that defines America almost as well as hamburgers.

300 manufacturers started producing motorbikes in the early part of the 20th century and 50 years later only one survived, Luck? You don’t survive on luck through two world wars and the greatest economic depression in the history of economics riding on luck. Still not proof enough? A century later it still is the most recognised automobile manufacturer in America and probably the world. And it never went four wheeled. They had the humblest of starts, working out of a shed built by the founder’s dad in the backyard of his house, selling 3 bikes out of 12 made in the first production run, the second run lasted for 154 bikes and then the legend started. The first real factory the founding partners had was a single story wooden structure on Chestnut street, with the increase in production and the graduation of Harley a second storey and bricks were added. More than a century later, the Harley Davidson corporate headquarters stand on this very site.

The Harley Davidson V – Twin Engine :

Harley Davidson bikes need not be seen to shush everyone around them, the exhaust note is enough. A 1000 cc V – twin was first developed by Bill Harley in 1909 as a project. This engine used a common crankpin for two cylinders inclined at 45 degrees to each other. The acoustical beauty however came from the fact that to  reduce cost no distributor was used and hence both spark plugs fired at the same time resulting in a spark in the exhaust stroke of one cylinder everytime the other sparkplug fired after the compression stroke. Thus a wasted spark that leads to a low growl with a loud pop/ bang…. Potato-Potato…

Harley Davidson India

The post Harley Davidson- It’s Not Just The Bikes That Are Legendary appeared first on AutoSpace.

Smashing cars and world records all over, Team Hot Wheels have come up with an array of stunning visuals and impossible stunts. Engineering these cars and tracks and actually accomplishing these stunts isn’t short of an automotive marvel. The beautiful management of the forces by the suspension system in the corkscrew when the entire weight of the car landed on just the rear left wheel and it still somehow remained intact does call for a standing ovation or maybe a loud cheer and a choice of swear words.
This level of perfection was not the outcome of an experiment by a group of enthusiasts but work done by a group of brilliant engineers who developed and tested to the absolute limit, some of the most advanced and technically sound vehicles on the planet. Combined with a group of fearless and exceptional drivers they come up with this :

Longest Jump By A Four Wheeled Vehicle :

Longest Corkscrew Jump – 92 Feet :

Double Loop World Record :

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BOSE® Surround Everywhere sound system (Dolby Digital)

The incomparable entertainment experience that you can feel in a Maybach is enhanced by the output of 600 watts delivered through 21 almost invisible loudspeakers. Also included is the DRO system (Dynamic Range Optimisation) which uses a microphone to pick up variations in the ambient sound level inside the vehicle and corrects the audio output accordingly. The result is compelling, consistent sound reproduction which makes manual adjustment superfluous.

Reclining Climatised rear seats with legrests and footrests and Massage function

Already legendary, the reclining rear seats with legrests and footrests, part of standard equipment in the Maybach 62 and the Maybach 62 S, offer a new dimension of travelling comfort in the Maybach saloons. The padded support deploys smoothly at the touch of a button to allow the changeover from the normal sitting position to a relaxing reclined position. Lavishly crafted in Grand nappa leather, the heated, integral seats with their gentle massage function and shoulder belts with automatic belt path adjustment ensure that, even on the longest trips, you can enjoy the characteristic benefits of travelling in a Maybach: maximum relaxation combined with the best possible occupant protection. The technically advanced climatised seats ensure a particularly comfortable interior ambience regardless of the outside temperature. This happens thanks to three different levels of ventilation that allow you to decide how much air must circulate through the leather perforation of your seat.

Automatic climate control

Wherever your journey takes you, you can always enjoy your own preferred temperature in your Maybach. Two climate-control systems with a total of four climate zones work independently in the front and rear of the passenger compartment. This means that different temperature, blower speed and air distribution settings can be programmed for each passenger. The intelligent ventilation system has a solar sensor which automatically makes the necessary temperature adjustments. So even if it‘s particularly hot outside, you can be sure of keeping your cool aboard your Maybach. A dust filter, activated charcoal filter and air recirculation control ensure that you can breathe easy at all times.

Memory function

As individual as its owner: the Maybach philosophy extends to the particularly user-friendly seat adjustment function. Up to five memory buttons allow you to store the optimum, ergonomically correct seat settings for five different drivers. When someone else takes the wheel, the ideal settings for fore/aft position, height, backrest and cushion inclination, cushion length and head restraint height can be called up instantly. What‘s more, the positions of the steering wheel, both exterior mirrors and even the interior mirror are also stored.

Folding tables

Spacious folding tables are available as optional extras for the two rear seats, except for Maybach 62 and Maybach 62 S, where they are part of the standard equipment. The design is inspired by the solutions used in the air travel industry and ensures you the maximum comfort during your journeys. The tables, made of fine trim elements and additionally covered with leather, are housed in special compartments on each side of the rear centre console and pulled out with a leather loop and then folded out. Once they are deployed, both their fore-and-aft position and angle of tilt can beadjusted continuously as required.

Auxiliary heater

No compromises where comfort is concerned – even when your Maybach is parked up. The auxiliary heater ensures that a pleasant interior climate is maintained, also during a long stopover. You can start the heather both with time programming at board computer and by remote control.

Refrigerator and Silverware

A refrigerated compartment (optional at no extra cost) can be fitted in the rear centre console to allow the occupants to enjoy perfectly chilled drinks aboard the Maybach models.
This useful optional, with its electric compressor, has a 9.3-litre capacity and the temperature is controlled by a thermostat. The superb home-from-home ambience of the rear passenger compartment of the Maybach models is completed to perfection by the fine silverware created by the most sophisticated manufacturing system known to man: the human hand.

Duplicate icon instruments

Passengers in the rear are kept informed about the vehicle’s progress by these stylish instruments, surrounded by fine wood elements. They make it possible to check the speed of the vehicle, the time and outside temperature at a glance. A distinctive element of style that remarks Maybach’s attention to details.

Flacon perfume atomiser

This exquisite equipment detail – the only one of its kind anywhere in the world – represents a very special highlight indeed. At the touch of a button it produces a unique fragrant experience thanks to the use of sophisticated technology and high-quality perfume which discreetly, unobtrusively and gently stimulates the passengers’senses.

At the heart of the system lies an internally illuminated glas sphere on the rear centre console, into which Maybach owners can insert a mouth-blown flacon containing a perfume they have personally selected. A compressor then directs a gentle flow of air into the transparent sphere, fanning the flacon’s perfume molecules into the vehicle interior.

The chosen fragrance gently wafts into the passenger compartment within ten to twelve seconds. The flacon perfume atomiser can be activated either from the driver’s seat or by means of a button in the rear centre console, with an additional thumbwheel in the rear for sensitive aroma control.

Rear Seat Entertainment System

Even in standard specification, a Maybach offers an advanced audio, video, telephone and navigation system. Situated at the front of the centre console, the COMAND control and display unit manages the functions of the radio, DVD, CD-changer, digital TV, front telephone and navigation system. The rear passengers can use the remote control to access the different audio and video sources as well as the navigation map. The two independently controlled rear screens are equipped with stylish headphones. Among the Rear Seat Entertainment System features: CD-changer, separate DVD Player, connections for MP3 Player and access for phone book. The entire Rear Seat Entertainment System can, of course, also be controlled easily by the driver.

WLAN router

Keep in touch with the rest of the world: the WLAN router (available for certain countries only) developed within the context of the 2010 facelift keeps you connected while on the move.

Cinema screen

You can enjoy first-class entertainment en route with a cinema screen (48.3 cm diagonal) which is available on customer request.This item is an additional highlight which complements the already impressive range of entertainment features included in the standard specification. So sit back in the VIP box and enjoy a movie on the move

Telephone system

A Universal Portable Cell Phone Interface (UPCI) in the front and a Bluetooth handset in the rear are included as standard equipment, an additional hands-free system for mobile phone in rear is available as an optional extra.The telephone system is integrated in the front with LINGUATRONIC voice control, via multifunction steering wheel from the phone book and via the COMAND keypad or using the keypad on the handset itself or, in the rear, it is also possible to use the remote control to dial a number.

External communication system

Thanks to this device, you can communicate with the outside world at any time, without opening the doors or windows. Individuals on the outside of the vehicle can speak with people on the inside thanks to highly efficient microphones placed in the rearview mirrors via the intercom system and the external loudspeakers.

Curtains

The cost-free rear window curtains, as well as the optional electrically operated side window curtains, provide protection from the sun and prying eyes, as well as darkening the interior. The switches are situated in the rear centre console. Additional buttons in the front compartment are located on the front centre console.

Electrotransparent partition

The optional electrotransparent partition makes it possible to separate the front and rear sections of the passenger compartment for complete privacy. Fitted in the area of the B-pillars, the partition features an electrically retractable upper glass section which can be switched between transparent and opaque modes at the touch of a button. Vehicles with a partition are automatically equipped with an electric intercom.

Overview camera for rear passengers

Keep yourself in the picture: the overview camera for rear passengers, which is integrated in the partition on the driver’s side, transmits the view ahead of the vehicle to the cinema screen in the rear. This feature also plays an important safety role as it allows you to monitor what is happening ahead of your vehicle without compromising your privacy in any way.

KEYLESS-GO

You can unlock the doors of your Maybach without having to operate the key. Simply carrying it with you is all that is required. As well as simplifying the unlocking process significantly, the KEYLESS-GO electronics allow you to start the engine without having to use the ignition lock. Instead, a press of the button on the selector lever is all it takes – and then the pleasure of the Maybach driving experience can begin.

Maybach Biturbo 12-cylinder engine

The Maybach V12 is a petrol engine with a cylinder angle of 60°. It is available in two different displacements and power variants for your Maybach.
The cylinder angle of 60° is ideally suited to the vibration characteristics of a V12 petrol engine. The engine is designed for low wear, economical operation, high levels of comfort and smoothness, as well as impressive power delivery.

The engine design is characterised by three valves per cylinder, initialised dual ignition, a rigid aluminium crankcase in lightweight design and a crankshaft with grey cast-iron inserts in the main bearings. Two turbochargers with waste gate control at the cylinder banks ensure outstanding responsiveness combined with maximum torque delivery already at low engine speeds.

With the Maybach facelift 2010, all the impressively powerful engines run with lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, thanks to new control and diagnostic sensors per exhaust tract and the optimised engine control unit software.

In addition to the reduced fuel consumption and emissions, the engines of the Maybach 57 S and the Maybach 62 S improved their rated output power and acceleration values. This could be realised by using new turbochargers with larger impellers. In line with the Maybach approach, those special twelve-cylinder biturbo engines are
hand-assembled by AMG. A single technician is responsible for his assigned engine and puts his signature on the characteristic model plate, which is attached to the cover of the V12 biturbo; a guarantee of the greatest care and highest quality.

Since the 2010 facelit, Maybach’s leading position in the high-end luxury segment has been not only extended regarding rated output; Maybach could also set a new benchmark concerning fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Fuel consumption (combined) 15,8-15,0 l/100 km, CO2 emissions (combined) 368-350 g/km.

5-speed automatic transmission

The in-house made 5-speed automatic transmission has 2 shift programs and takes into account a series of driving dynamics parameters as well as the individual driving style when selecting the gears.In addition, this transmission features a torque converter lockup clutch, which can also be engaged in the lower partial load and speed range. Rapid adaptation of the transmission to the prevailing situation is made possible by continuous electronic comparison of different influencing factors such as rolling resistance (load, gradient) or driver reactions (accelerator movement, frequency of manual gearshifts, the vehicle’s longitudinal or lateral acceleration).

A program selector button allows the driver to choose between the “S” (Standard) and “C” (Comfort) shift programs. For better control when starting, “C” mode features second-gear start and a higher reverse gear.

Further features include a mechanical lock which prevents the vehicle from rolling away when the selector lever is in position “P”, as well as a preventive measure against unauthorised operation of the selector lever.

The post An Ode To Maybach appeared first on AutoSpace.

Get this- The crankshaft weighs in at 300 tonnes, it consumes 160g (6.5 ounces) of fuel per cylinder per cycle and does so while maintaining more than 50 percent thermal efficiency (most engines operate at 25-30 percent efficiency, including the holy Bugatti Veyron with its “tiny” W 16 powerplant). Why on Earth would anyone build something like this? Maybe they did it just for the kick like I probably would if I had a couple of billion dollars lying around or they built a ship as huge as the  Emma Mærsk (a ship that can carry 11000 20-foot containers, or quite simply the largest of its kind in the world) and wanted to push it from USA to China at a breakneck speed of 31 knots in comparison to other container ships that travel at 18-20 knots.

The 14-cylinder version was put into service in September 2006 aboard the Emma Mærsk. The design is based on the older RTA96C engine, but revolutionary common rail technology has done away with the traditional camshaft, chain gear, fuel pumps and hydraulic actuators. The result is better performance at low revolutions per minute(rpm), lower fuel consumption, and lower harmful emissions.

The engine has crosshead bearings so that the always vertical piston rod allows a tight seal under the piston. One of the reasons that the large two-stroke diesels use this design is so that thelubrication in the combustion area is separated from the crank case oil, which stays clean from combustion products. The upper portion is lubricated by continuous injection of consumable lubricant which is formulated to stand up to high temperatures and high sulfur. Another reason is to reduce sideways forces on the piston, keeping diametral cylinder liner wear in the order of only about 0.03 mm per 1000 hours.

The descending piston is used to compress incoming combustion air for the adjacent cylinders which also serves to cushion the piston as it approaches bottom dead centre (BDC) to remove some load from the bearings.

25 engines are in service with 86 on order.

Technical Data :

• Total engine weight: 2300 tons (The crankshaft alone weighs 300 tons.)
• Length: 89 feet
• Height: 44 feet
• Maximum power: 108,920 hp at 102 rpm
• Maximum torque: 5,608,312 lb/ft at 102rpm
• At its most  efficient setting it consumes 1660 gallons of fuel per hour
• Engine Displacement: 1820 litres per cylinder
• Engine Speed : 22 to 102 Revolutions per minute

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A classic manual tranny produces a small lag in power flow everytime a gear changes, with this lag completely depending on driver skill and reaction time while also being cumbersome in everyday stop and go traffic because of the constant input required at the clutch. A DCT eliminates these problems while making gearshifts exceptionally fast and smooth. The dual-clutch transmission relies on two clutches (with no clutch pedal) that fully eliminates the lag, thus improving acceleration and engine performances overall. There are two input shafts, two output shafts, two clutches but no torque converter.

More specifically, the whole system relies on two clutches that work independently but have two different roles: one of them is responsible for controlling the odd gears, such as first, third and reverse, while the other other manages the even gears – second, fourth and others if they exist. As said, the two clutches operate entirely separately but join forces to provide this increase of torque. And here’s how they do it.

Here’s an imaginary scenario: you’re driving a manual transmission car and while accelerating, you’re trying to change gears. The process is obviously pressing the clutch pedal and moving the stick shift in the appropriate gear (this is often done in one second or so for the most skilled drivers). You then disengage the clutch pedal, obviously with the risk of shakes unless you’re doing it at the proper time, in the proper rev.

This is where the two clutches make the difference: supposing you’re driving in the second gear and the increasing speed requires the third, the clutch responsible for odd gears automatically prepares it for activation. However, the gear isn’t engaged unless the proper shift point is reached. This way the transmission reduces the time loss and improves acceleration. And in case you’re wondering how much this process takes, the shifting process needs less than a hundredth of a second, which is basically faster than any driver with a manual transmission.

The two clutches and the shaft perfectly work together to prepare the higher gear and engage it as soon as possible. More specifically, the outer shaft – connected to one of the two clutches and thus responsible for certain gears – makes room for the the inner shaft – which plays exactly the same role but for the other gears.

Advantages:

There are a few both important advantages when it comes to dual-clutch transmission. First of all, as you can see for yourself, there’s the reaction time. The whole assembly works incredibly fast, less than a hundredth of a second as in the case of DSG designed by Volkswagen.

Secondly, there’s the fuel consumption. The dual-clutch clutch gearbox improves the fuel consumption, especially at cruising speeds because it automatically adjust its settings to maintain the desired speed but keeping the fuel efficiency at the highest possible level.

Last but not least, there’s the comfort it provides. Although it doesn’t work as smoothly as a traditional automatic transmissions and sometimes you may actually feel the shifting process a little bit, a dual-clutch transmissions is much more appropriate for city driving than a regular manual unit that requires the driver to change gears every time when needed.

Disadvantages:

Although it doesn’t look so, the dual-clutch transmission system has a major disadvantage caused by the very things that make it so worthwhile: the two clutches. While shifting into higher gears can be made surprisingly fast, there might be a problem when looking to get more power – for overtaking other cars for example. Imagine this: you’re driving outside the city with around 100 km/h, or if you prefer 62 mph, and you instantly need more power to pass the car in front.

Obviously, you press the throttle pedal which immediately transmits information to the gearbox, requiring more power. The dual-clutch transmission system is indeed ready to give you a boost of power (that’s a good thing) only that it may take a while until you get it. In order to get more power, the system has to shift into a lower gear – let’s say from fifth to second. Because these two gears are handled by different clutches, the whole process described above takes a bit more than expected.

How they currently stand in the market :

Nothing more needs to be said about its performance stats other than the fact that the Bugatti Veyron uses one. Several automakers have already adopted this type of transmission and just as expected, they’ve marketed them under different names. Probably the most known system is Volkswagen’s DSG one – which stands for Direct-Shift Gearbox – which is installed on VW, SEAT and Skoda models. Mitsubishi has also designed its own dual-clutch transmission and installed it on the Lancer Evolution X. The system is known as the Twin Clutch SST. Hyundai is quite new in this sector, as the South Korean automaker displayed at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show the ix-onic concept car equipped with a 6-speed double-clutch transmission. BMW rolled out the first dual-clutch assemble in January 2008 on the M3 model – it is known as M DCT that stands for M Dual Clutch Transmission.

Reference : autoevolution.com

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This weekend sees the MotoGP grid descend once again on the Silverstone circuit to fight it out for top honours at the Hertz British Grand Prix, where Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo will be looking to extend his 20 point lead over rival Casey Stoner.

Repsol Honda Team’s Stoner enjoyed one of his most dominant victories in the wet at the track last year, yet will no doubt face a stern challenge from Lorenzo, who has won the last two races. Lorenzo, who will have the championship firmly in his sights, could also alter the history books with a win or a podium this weekend, by either equalling Stoner’s 42 wins, or securing his 50th premier-class podium.

Sitting third in the championship, Stoner’s teammate Dani Pedrosa should be buoyed by his second place in the last race at Catalunya, yet at the test following the race he voiced his discontent at the new front tyre, which will be used as standard from the British Grad Prix.

Abraham to participate at Silverstone despite double fracture

The final decision to race on legendary Silverstone circuit will be done in Britain after consultation with doctors.

Karel Abraham

“I´m leaving to Silverstone on Wednesday after a medical examination. We´ll try to put out the splint and we´ll see if the movements with the hand will be painful and if the cut fingers won´t bleed again. I really would like to race at Silverstone. We need to collect another points in championship and I´ll do everything to be at the track. On the other side it would be irresponsible to race at all costs, risking that the healing will take longer. There´s a series of four races starting by Assen and it would be really catastrophe to lose these races.”

The Track :

Circuit info :

Length: 5.900 m. / 3,666 miles

Width: 17m

Left corners: 8

Right corners: 10

Longest straight: 770 m. / 0,478 miles

Constructed: 1948

Modified: 2011

Records :

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The ergonomics of the K 1600 GTL are designed for long trips and leave nothing to be desired for either rider or pillion passenger in terms of comfort. The slim design in the area of the rider’s seat and the fact that the handlebars reach far back allows a relaxed seating position – for hours and over hundreds of miles. The pillion passenger enjoys a sizable seating area and a comfortable backrest. Available for the first time in a motorcycle: the adaptive headlight (special equipment feature) – a revolution which matches the visionary front section of the K 1600 GTL and provides the very highest level of active safety.
The GTL makes luxury light-footed. This is because its unique chassis provides excellent handling. With a totally direct ride feel due to the ground-breaking Duolever front suspension. At the rear, it is the Paralever that put’s the power of the engine onto the road, The optional ESA II (Electronic Suspension Adjustment) ensures that the GTL always glides completely smoothly since the systems allows the damping and suspension to be adapted according to situation and preference at the press of a button. Every detail is designed for maximum riding pleasure. A motorcycle for people who are looking for a new kind of supremacy.

Technical Data :

Two Gorgeous Tourers And Endless Tarmac…. Heaven!

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