Combining cam-changing VVT and cam-phasing VVT may satisfy the requirement of both top-end power and flexibility throughout the whole rev range, though it is inevitably more complex. At the time of ...

The earliest variable valve lift systems like Honda VTEC vary valve lift by switching between slow and fast cams at a threshold point. Such discrete mechanism not only creates a step in the power ...

Manual transmission might be almost dead in the USA – only 4 percent of all new cars sold there are equipped with stick-shift – but in the rest of the world it is still the choice of the majority. For ...

Steering is very important to a car because it is the interface that the driver touches most. What makes a car's steering better than another? It is usually judged by several factors: directness, ...

There was a story behind the name "Dino" and the V6 engine. Alfredino Ferrari, the only son of Enzo Ferrari, suggested his father to develop a V6 racing engine for Formula 2 in the early 60s. Although ...

When I first wrote this section in 1999, I was pessimistic about the future of automatic transmissions. Traditionally, automatics were slower responding, thirstier and heavier than manual ...

Whenever talk about fast and fun small cars, you might remember Golf GTI, Alfasud or Peugeot 205GTi. In fact, in prior to these front-drive hot hatches, there was an even more successful series of ...

It would be good to have a linear, predictable steering response, but sometimes varying the steering ratio could enhance the driving experience. For example, when cruising on highway we want the ...

A refined engine should be smooth running, free of vibration and quiet. These qualities also help the engine to spin freer at high rpm, lifting red line hence power output. Engine smoothness depends ...

First introduced by Mercedes 300SL in 1954, tuned intake manifold is not exactly a new technology. It is discussed here just because its principle is useful to our further study of variable intake ...

“The fastest lorry in the world" - this was how Ettore Bugatti described this Bentley. However, the 2-ton monster won 5 times Le Mans 24 Hours between 1924 and 30 in various forms, proving its ...

The advantage of turbocharging is obvious - instead of wasting thermal energy through exhaust, we can make use of such energy to increase engine power. By directing exhaust gas to drive a turbine, ...