Future Enthusiast Car engine

[TMR013]

Was reading through some other blogs about the LA auto show. Looks like there are a lot of hybrids or electrics coming out that they are calling performance or sporty cars; Honda CRZ, new Toyota MR2, Fisker, etc. Even saw a super car concept with a micro-gas turbine driving a generator to power an electric drive train.
Was wondering what the Addicts think of all this? Didn't really think we'd see the end of the internal combustion engine in my lifetime. So I always thought I would be one of those last dinosoaur guys to give it up for the sake of performance. But now I'm not so sure. Would the phenominal torque of a pure electric make up for the growl of a twin-turbo 6 or V8??? How would you take a car like this out to the Dragon's Tail or Coronado Trail (with their short range)? Is the last generation of "car guys" now amoung us?

[BrokenVert]

I think youre over reacting a bit. Car guys will always be around. And I think that once all of production issues are ironed out Hydrogen will replace Gasoline as the fuel in internal combustion engines.

I will never buy an all electric car or a hybrid. Go diesel first.


I do however believe that we are seeing what will ultimatly be the demise of the mass produced V8, that is sad to think about.

[axoid]

I think that the mass produced V-8 has a little life left in it. GM LS3 are doing low to mid 20s on the highway, add their dual mode hybrid system to it and that number will be around 30 highway and city. Another technology that I think will come into play is cam-less engines using electro-mechanical valve trains. This will maximize efficiency everywhere in the rpm range for both mileage and power.

I do think that inexpensive V-8s are going to be dead in 10 years or so. You will only find them on 40+ grand cars.

[TMR013]

Ok that's weird. I titled this thread "Future Enthusiests Ride". Why did a moderator change it to "car engine"?

[Absorber]

Originally Posted by TMR013

Ok that's weird. I titled this thread "Future Enthusiests Ride". Why did a moderator change it to "car engine"?

Well... your question is kind of power plant specific, so I imagine that's why.

I can see electric motors being commonly used in cars at the drag strip fairly soon. Electric engines have HUGE amounts of torque in short bursts that are ideal for the quarter mile. Until there are major battery charge improvements, I don't see many electrics being used as grand tourers though. Possibly diesel/electric hybrids like the Fisker where the electric motors propel the car and run off the batteries and the diesel does nothing but charges the batteries. Still, I think it's a long way off... maybe 10 to 15 years... before that technology matures enough to become common among enthusiasts.

[oasis3582]

I will definitely always prefer the roar and character of a NA V8, and can even appreciate the style and smoothness of out TT I6. I think the electric motors will have a lot less soul to them, but look at the performance traits of the Tesla engine, and it is hard to argue with that - especially considering it is essentially a first-gen electric car. Those things can only get better with time. I think we are getting to a point of diminishing returns with the IC engine, so maybe electrics will be the next quantum leap.

[escobar929]

its gonna be a sad day when the internal combustion engine goes away, hopefully ill be dead by then

[esses]

Just take a look at BMW's Vision EfficientDynamics and remember that diesels are just as efficient as electric (and less damaging environmentally in the long run).

There are a lot of other improvements out there too. Some guy at MIT patented using spring energy from shock absorbers on big rigs to power in-cabin electronics and achieved a 20% fuel economy improvement in the first series of real world cross-country road tests. Condition-adjustable aerofoils used on airplanes are making their way to trains and autos (think retractable wings). There are plenty of advances in aerodynamics to be made, I just read an article about a company that improved big rig drag by 85% using a tiny air blower to create Coanda effects.

We've got a 150 years of R&D in the internal combustion engine. The rest of the factors that go into vehicle dynamics are way behind and need to catch up.

The only thing electric engines actually save is the owner's cash. The electricity comes from the same stuff gas is made from. Hybrids just shift environmental damage from the user to the manufacurer. At this point, they are just a sales gimmick and a reason for the uninformed to feel self-righteous.

[BrokenVert]

Ive read about that air blower. The joke of it is its using one 1.5 atm of pressure. Amazing when you think about it.