Hello and Welcome. I'm Brennell and I will be updating this blog with articles on automobiles and their technology regularly. Thanks and hope you enjoy reading. Feel free to leave any comments.
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian luxury sports car based in Maranello, Italy. Founded 1929 by the legendary Enzo Ferrari, Ferrari has produced many iconic and legendary super cars such as the Ferrari F40 which is the first car to have a top speed exceeding 200mph or 320kmh and many other ground breaking super cars... Despite their amazing history, few know how the iconic 'Prancing Horse' logo or in Italian Cavallino Rampante came about. The logo was originally the emblem of a World War I fighter ace Francesco Baracca. Enzo acquired the rights for it in 1923 upon a fatal crash that caused the death of Francesco. The first Ferrari road car to utilise this iconic logo is the 1947 Ferrari 125S.
The worlds most renowned racing game has to be the Gran Turismo series exclusive to the PlayStation platform. Making its first ever debut on the 23rd of December 1997 on the PlayStation One console, it delivered a whole new level of gaming experience. Back then, praised by critics, this game won many countless awards such as "Best Driving Game" or "Best Graphics" of year 1999 according to the staff of PlayStation Official Magazine.
The BMW 6 Series is a typical example of a Gran Tourer
The latest iteration in to this ground breaking series is named, Gran Turismo 6 or for short GT6. Gran Turismo when translated from Italian brings the meaning, gran tourer. A gran tourer is a vehicle of high luxury or performance capable of spirited long distance driving and cruising. This game, GT6 launched on the 5th of December 2013, hits a gaming milestone of having 1207 cars, which is the highest number of vehicles in a game ever recorded surpassing Gran Turismo 5 which has 1074 vehicles. Being launched in 2013 there are many new vehicles featured in the game such as the Pagani Huayra, Range Rover Evoque, Corvette Stingray (C7) and many others. Not only does the vehicle count impress but the track and circuit count is also breathtaking. From circuits varying from Nurburgring Nordschleife, Germany to Daytona Speedway, USA this game provides an amazing experience to drive on ever popular circuits around the world. Special events such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed was also incorporated in the game.
Personally, I myself have owned every Gran Turismo game on the PlayStation platform and I can report that the differential between Gran Turismo 5 and Gran Turismo 6 is vast. From the variety of vehicles, to the variety of the worldwide circuits, Gran Turismo also offers a realistic and dynamic driving experience that's close to reality. Developed by Polyphony Digital and assisted by members of the Red Bull F1 team such as Adrian Newey, an F1 engineering guru and Sebastian Vettel, a 4 time Formula One champion (2010-2013) Gran Turismo 6 offers a console driving experience like none other. Paired with the official Logitech Driving Force GT steering wheel gaming accessory built specifically for this game, it delivers a gaming experience that surpasses any other driving game on the market. A whole new level you may ask, needless to say the very best out there for a truly dynamic and realistic driving experience.
Petrol injection is essential to the combustion of an engine. The definition of petrol injection in motor vehicles is, the delivery of petrol in to the combustion chamber or cylinders prior to combustion. As time passes, fuel injection is getting more advanced and cutting edge to deliver not just more power but efficiency as well. The first and oldest method of fuel injection is via carburettors. A carburettor is a device that mixes and combines petrol and air for the engine. The mixture is then exposed in to the cylinder compressed and ignited. Resultant exhaust gasses exit the cylinder via the exhaust valve.
Next in line is sequential port fuel injection. As compared to carburettors, port fuel injection does not pre-mix the air-fuel mixture before being exposed in to the cylinder. Petrol enters the cylinder through a valve and the air as well enters the cylinder via a separate valve. The mixture is then compressed by the piston and ignited. The benefit of this system in today's current engines is improved efficiency, as the injection of the fuel and air mixture is controlled via an ECU (Engine Control Unit) also known as PCM (Powertrain Control Module), the system can adjust the optimum mix or balance of fuel and air depending on the engines RPM's in the mixture to provide a more efficient combustion cycle for more efficiency and better power delivery.
The most advanced fuel delivery system to date is called, direct injection. In direct injection, air enters the cylinder via a valve, the petrol however unlike port fuel injection is delivered via a nozzle in the cylinder injecting petrol directly in to the cylinder hence the name, direct injection. The mixture is then compressed and ignited, the resultant exhaust gas is exited via the exhaust valve. The benefit of this advancement in fuel delivery is that the ECU works with the Engine Management System or EMS and is able to regulate fuel injection timing and spark timing to deliver improved efficiency and efficient power delivery. The EMS can adjust the timing of the fuel delivery in to the cylinder and adjust spark timing to adapt to the engine's requirements at any given RPM to deliver power efficiently.
Understeer and oversteer are terms of vehicle dynamics. In simple terms, understeer is when the vehicle turns less than expected by the driver and oversteer is when the rear of the vehicle begins to drift hence the term drifting. These terms are defined based of the angle of the steering wheel position associated with the speed of the vehicle through a bend.
An example of understeer is when a driver turns through a bend and the front end of the vehicle will turn less then expected and the front end of the vehicle ploughs to the outside of the bend. Thus, reducing driver confidence and control. Oversteer on the other hand is the opposite, Oversteer is when the rear end of the vehicle wants to come around in a corner (visualise drifting as an example). Understeer is a common characteristic of usually front-wheel drive cars. With the front axles not only handling steering input but the weight of the car as well, front-wheel drive vehicles suffer from understeer with the weight of the whole vehicle pushing the car forward, causing the car to plough further to the outside of the bend. Oversteer is a phenomenon typically seen on rear-wheel drive vehicles. With the rear axles applying power to the ground, the rear of the car wants to come around causing oversteer as seen in the diagram above.
Turbochargers are devices that force air in to the cylinders of an engine to increase the power of an engine which also known as forced induction. A cylinder of an engine when given more air is able to breathe better because when more air combined with more petrol, is able to burn and ignite the mixture more efficiently and produce more power. The objective of a turbocharger is to increase volumetric efficiency by increasing the content of air in the intake gas.
Turbochargers are driven by exhaust gases which are gases produced by igniting the air-fuel mixture within the cylinders post injection in to the cylinders. The exhaust gases come out from the exhaust manifold, which in a normal car would go out to the tailpipe but in a turbocharged vehicle, the turbo intercepts the gasses and passes through the impeller(shown in photo as turbine) thus, spinning the impeller at a high speed. The compressor which is connected to the impeller then draws in cool air and compresses it and sends it through the intake manifold into the cylinders. The upside to this technology is that it is using wasted gas, exhaust gas to gain more efficiency and performance out of the engine. The downside of this technology is turbo lag. Turbo lag is caused because the exhaust gas required is created at the late part of the cylinders cycle (post ignition of air-fuel mixture). That's why it takes a moment or two for the turbo spool up, in other words, upon pressing the gas pedal it takes a moment or two for the turbo to deliver the boost of energy desired.
