What are the makings of a well-thought-out, well-built, well-performing car? Forward-thinking design. Precision tooling. Skilled workers and quality workmanship. Structural integrity and functionality. Quality parts and components. A great car has them all. A good, or really good car, has some or most of those inputs and attributes in equal quantity.

The average car is made up of thousands of parts–some large composite ones, like the engine, itself made of thousands of individual pieces, which is then installed as a unit, others discrete or truly singular things like nuts and bolts. Every piece needs to be machined, inspected and connected to another piece–welded, bolted, glued, screwed or snapped on by people, by robots, by people manipulating robots–generally on an assembly line that can roll out many hundreds of finished automobiles in a day. There are “bespoke” cars, too, many parts of which are handmade and hand-finished, and which are priced accordingly. How well each of the steps is accomplished, how much attention paid to ‘tolerances’ (how tightly the windows and doors close), paint and trim finishes, and overall consistency, determines a car’s quality and long-term, reliable serviceability.  Continue reading “What Makes a Good Car “Good”?” →

Vroooom! Vroooom! That throaty, low roar generated by a powerful V8 or V12 engine with impressive horsepower–really gets your attention, right?

There are different standards for measuring different types of horsepower.

For example, there are the mechanical (or imperial) horsepower, approximately 746 watts, and the metric horsepower, about 735.5 watts. Eighteenth century Scottish inventor and engineer, James Watt, of the Watt steam engine fame, used the term ‘horsepower’ to compare the output of steam engines with the power draft horses (work horses) could generate. Of course, the watt, the SI unit of power–The International System of Units, the modern form of the metric system–is named after James himself.  Continue reading “Horsepower: The Measure of the Machine” →

What’s In A Name?

Cars are classified according to basic descriptions, specifications, common standards (among countries and manufacturers), insurance data, safety requirements, other regulations (to determine tax amounts, e.g.), within a wide range of naming and defining categories. Some terms and descriptors are very common and easy to recognize, others a little more arcane.

Whether you’re shopping for a car, collecting cars, or if just reading the latest car news gets your engine fired up, here’s a brief refresher course.  Continue reading “Styles. Shapes. Sizes. Coming To Terms With What A Car Is Called” →

Today’s Ride Is Faster, Lighter, Cleaner, Better

Back when. . .cars were made largely with conventional steel (heavy), outsize details (e.g. tail fins–again, heavy), lots of chrome, big grilles and big headlights. That was then. . .today is lighter, more aerodynamic, more fuel-efficient vehicles, with designers and engineers paying attention to every component and to which manufacturing material will make it best and best-performing. Today’s cars, from wheels to roof, are an amalgam of lightweight metals (magnesium, aluminum, titanium) and their alloys, carbon fiber, high-strength steel, and other materials. The formulae are designed to provide sleeker, lighter products with better mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, and that will use considerably less fuel.  Continue reading “Magnesium, Exotics and More: Mixed Materials Drive Auto Design” →