How much Horsepower you have man?

 Today it’s easy to forget how incredible automobiles are. Like the Iron Man’s suit these machines give us abilities that exceed the limits of our flesh and bone. Yet we don’t think of our cars or bikes as anything special. We take them for granted. I look contemptuously at 7 bhp scooters – categorise them as tame runabouts. Anything to be worthy of respect needs to have at least 30bhp on two-wheels and around 100bhp in cars. That’s my internal scale. Yours might be different. For instance, serious respect/fear is commanded by 100/350bhp at the very least.

Ask any motorcyclist what he loves so much about being on a bike – he’ll say “Freedom!” That freedom, at least partly, is the freedom from the physical limitations of the body. Usain Bolt’s fastest been clocked doing 37.5kph over 100 metres. On a bike, we all know how much faster and how much longer we can keep going.  Your bike makes you a SuperSomething. That’s the Power of BHP. The same applies to cars. It is just that, in a car, the sensation is a bit muted and not quite as immediate and satisfying as on a motorcycle. With your super power you can flatten slopes, re-define distances and your own abilities .

We find more ways of enjoying our super-abilities. Weekend rides are quite popular with bikers. Hilly sections are the most satisfying. That’s because when you get to the top the sense of achievement is similar to what you would feel if you would have trudged all the way to the top on your own two feet. Then one day, my nephew who is an avid cyclist (he puts in more kilometres training on his Orbea every morning than I commute by car/bike in a day) asked me, “What do you get out of it?” I gave him the whole shebang about man and machine, finding the limits and controlling the power of the machine. He didn’t seem to get any of it (he doesn’t have a drivers/riders license yet) and dismissed me as a polluting looney bin.

But the thing is that I also cycle and understand where he’s coming from. To climb those hills using personal horsepower tests your commitment and ability completely. The first trip ensured that my appreciation for every BHP generated by even the ordinary 7-bhp-machines went up exponentially. You stop thinking of that power as just a silly tap that you can turn on and off. Every time a bike passed me, its throttle snapped all the way back, the rider trying to eke an extra kph out of the already strained motorcycle, I promised myself that I would never do that, again. Suddenly I could empathise with the machine. On that day and on subsequent rides, one question would loom in my mind - how much horsepower do I make?

Somewhere in there you'll find your BHP count.

Well, the answer came to me at the gym this morning. Hop on to one of those elliptical trainers or cycles and pedal away as furiously as you want. Most of the new gym equipments have a display for energy being generated– it’s shown in Watts. Make a mental note of that. To convert it to BHP just multiply the number by 0.0013. The elliptical trainer depressed me a fair bit as it showed a peak output of 38W which equals 0.0494bhp (low intensity warm up phase)! I felt a lot better when I upped the intensity on the cycling machine.  I registered a peak output of 188W (briefly)– which equals to a dazzling 0.244bhp!
All I know is  every time I get on my bike I’m going to enjoy every BHP, no matter how little.


Image source: BMW K1600GT from Autocarindia.com & Exercise machine display from Lifefitness.com

Dr Felix Wankel's Dream

Innards of a Wankel engine

First and foremost credit to German designer – Dr Felix Wankel. Though he was only 17 years old when the idea first came to him, and that too in a dream! He persevered and eventually turned the dream intoa reality. In 1957, nearly forty years later, the rotary engine was born. FYI – In early versions of the motor even the jacket used to rotate!

What made it so cool?

Well unlike the traditional engines the Wankel engine didn’t have any pistons or parts moving up and down. Instead it has rotors doing the job of pistons and they rotate around a horizontal axis. Simply put (!!), instead of the reciprocating motion of pistons it is the rotational motion that provides power.  This makes it more a efficient design and gives the engine its free-revving, ultra responsive nature. It also has fewer moving parts. There is no valve gear – which means it is simpler and less likely to fail. It is also less likely to shut down straight away, instead it is more likely will have a drop in performance, but will continue running.  It is also a very compact.

Wankel engine in operation.

How was it different in design?

I’m over simplifying here. In a Wankel engine there are no cylinders as we nknow them, or pistons. There is no complex valve operating mechanism either. There is no funkily shaped crankshaft either. Its a different world. First think of the block here as a “wide-waisted figure of eight”. Or a pinched in-the-middle oval shape. This is where the action happens and its formally known as the rotor housing. At the centre of this space is a triangle with its tips touching the cylinder. This is the rotor or “piston”.

Now, think of the three areas created between the tips as independent rooms where work is happening. These are the “cylinders”. One room does one task only. So the first room has a door leading into it. This is the intake port. Through it the fresh air is drawn in. The next room is responsible for compression. The compression space morphs a bit and becomes responsible for the power stroke. Then the last room has a “door” or port for the exhaust. All the rooms are working in parallel. And its the rotor that keeps moving the air from one room to the other. The triangle/rotor isn’t exactly a triangle – its like a puffy triangle and this along with its eccentric movement creates a vacuum to suck the air in, then compresses it and then creates space for the exploding fuel and then finally pushes it out.

Whew.

As the power stroke pushes the rotor it also turns the shaft at the centre that is connected via a planetary gear (on an eccentric lobe – basically it sticks out on one side - this is what lets the rotor move around while keeping the three tips in contact with the surface at all time). This is how the power is transferred, and that makes the eccentric shaft, the crank shaft. Simple? 

So how do you measure displacement of a Wankel engine?

Good question. Since all three spaces are working simultaneously do you measure all three? 
NO you do not measure all three. There are different ways of doing it. A commonly accepted way is to measure the difference between the maximum and minimum volume of one chamber. That displacement then gets multiplied by the number of rotors.

Some cool facts:

1)      A two rotor Wankel engine’s power stroke can be compared to a conventional 6-cylinder motor! That’s because the power phase lasts that long!

2)      To compare a Wankel rotor with a regular piston engine the piston engine will have be twice its size. After all the piston experiences a power stroke every other cycle while a rotor experiences a a power stroke every rotation!

3)      For every rotation of the rotor, air-fuel mixture is drawn in and burnt gasses are expelled three times!

4)      The heat load is unequal in a Wankel engine’s “block” – one side will be hot, another side cool.

5)      It’s got no intake or exhaust valves!

Specifically about the RENESIS motor from Mazda RX8:

1)      Ports: It has three intake ports and two exhaust ports. Each intake port has its own manifold. The control of intake ports can tailor the engines torque curve.

2)      Injectors: Each intake port also has its independent injector.  Each injector has different number of orifices.

3)      Spark plugs: Due to the longish shape of the combustion chamber the Wankel motor uses two spark plugs. Both work independently. One is the leading plug and the second plug comes further in the direction of rotation.   

So what was the problem?

The seals – the tips of the rotors needed to be spectacularly resistant to friction and pressure. It took time to develop a system that would help them last. The engine as such tends to consume more oil and fuel and proves to be thirstier compared to reciprocating engines of equivalent displacement.
The combustion chamber shape itself isn’t optimal. Its very long.
And the highish position of the output shaft leads to some design issues as well. 

Suzuki's RE-5 rotary engined motorcycle was launched in 1974.

Even though several manufacturers gave a shot at the Rotary engine only Mazda persisted with the technology. It seems strange that it’s weak points couldn’t be fixed, in the light of its advantages. Maybe it was because that the Rotary engine didn't lend itself well to diesel fuel as well that manufacturers didn’t see any point in putting too much effort to develop the design further. However, the MAZDA site talks of the hydrogen powered rotary engine and its advantages. 

Despite news of the RX8's phase out, hopeffully Mazda has plans to give this engine a new lease on life in the future.

Explanation and details gleaned from – Bosch Automotive Handbook 7^th Edition, AA The Book of The Car, Wikipedia, Mazda & prelovac.com. Images from Wikimedia Commons: Gtregs75 & Softeis!  Gif from prelovac.com. Many thanks! Head on over to these sites to knock yourself silly with many more details on the Wankel engine.

Cole Trickle moves up to a Red Bull F1 car

Finally it is F1 time once again. Suitably there is an F1 related video taht you have to watch. Tom Cruise loves cars and loves driving them fast. His old movie Days of Thunder was inspired from that very passion. He's proved himself to be an apt racer not just on celluloid but even in the real world. He's spent a lot of time at race tracks and is extremely competitive, spare-no-quarter, burn-the-midnight-oil type of guy.

So when Red Bull offered him a chance to drive David Coulthard's F1 car, as they say, he was there! While this news was out a few days back, the video wasn't. So Tom turned up at Willow Springs, Texas (Next year's American Grand Prix is going to be in Austin, Texas remember?) and went through a quick briefing session about the nuances of driving an F1 car with DC before heading out.  Anyhow, Tom went out and did many laps, proved himself to be methodical, and quick. And also, human - he had a bit of an off-road adventure. As if driving at over 300kph wasn't enough he then rolled and looped .. no not the F1 car.. a helicopter that was on hand. Catch all of that in the vid right here..

Nice one Cole.. 

BMW's X3 to be unveiled, Audi launches pre-emptive strike

BMW's new X3, now in India

Today BMW will unveil their next generation X3. The previous vehicle didn't fare well in the Indian market, so its a good thing that the new X3 is a different creature. It is bigger, softer, more comfortable and well.. less unattractive than the outgoing vehicle (this is palatable if somewhat cold), so  it should do much much better. BMW has been very aggressive with their Indian products offering them at cracking prices while offering good levels of features. And, they surely intend to do the same with the X3.

This however doesn't sit too well with Audi. After all their Q5 is the king of the mid-size premium SUV market. So Audi tried to steal some of the X3's thunder. They recently announced the Q5 2.0TDI q Business Edition at a very attractive Rs35.13 lakh ex-Maharashtra and will be quite a temptation for those looking at the upper end of the compact luxury saloons or even the lower  rung of  the bigger luxury cars. While I look foward to new engines to drive, the announcement did make me raise my eyebrows when i read that the Q5 will be in showrooms only from October. Naughty Audi.

Audi's Q5 is hotter of the two

Coming back to the cars,  it will be a close match. On paper, the BMW has an advantage - the engine develops more power and torque, and it also has an extra cog in the gearbox (8 to Audi's 7). While I don't have the final list of standard vs optional equipment Audi has mentioned "best-in-class infotainment system", Audi's MMI and parking aid. So lets see what all the companies offer by way of equipment on these two. Bit, will BMW deliver a knock out punch with the X3's price tag?
Well we'll come to know this afternoon.

Well here is the update after the X3 Launch

BMW has launched the X3 at Rs 41.2 Lakh for the X-Drive2.0d. The 258bhp X-Drive3.0D is priced at Rs 47.9L. In the light of Audi's new Q5 pricing it seems a bit exorbitant. But when you look closer it falls into place. The X3 comes loaded with the massive panoramic sun-roof and Dynamic Drive and Damper Control as standard. Apart from this it has extra bits of tech like Auto Start-Stop.  So these bits have added to the cost of the X3. No confirmation yet whether Audi's Q5 has anything extraordinary features as standard, assuming that the standard fare is the usual stuff mentioned in the press release.

So, will BMW bring in a bare basics X3 anytime soon? Not likely. BMW insist that they are a premium player and so is the X3, which is why a stripped down model doesn't make sense, at least for now. BMW didn't bring the Corporate Edition of the 3-Series later on in its life-cycle. That is when additional demand needed to be generated. Right now, BMW feels the demand for the X3 exceeds supply. Vishal Agarwal of Bavaria Motors has confirmed that they have had pre-launch bookings. BMW is looking to sell 100 units of the X3 every month. Audi sold 150 units of the Q5 & Q7 combined in July. So 100 units is still a fairly aggressive number.  I guess we'll just have to wait and watch.


All images from Autocarindia.com

Ferrari's proper new Ferrari and a New Porsche

What are the chances that on the same day that Ferrari reveals the F458 Spider that Porsche also uncovers the all-new 911 Carrera?!!

The reason these cars caught my attention, more than the amount usually reserved for a Ferrari or a Porsche, is because of two separate reasons.
One - The Italia now really looks like a Ferrari.
Two - The Porsche while still looking like a Porsche, actually looks different.

Let me elucidate. First, the Ferrari.


When you said Italian there was a certain sexiness that you expected. Something with character, a bit flamboyant, confident and elite. Something that you would look at and promise yourself that you would have it someday (or at least have a ride in if not see in the flesh - depending on your age and drive... :-)). You could rip a badge of most Ferraris and people would still recognise the craft of Maranello. The versatile F355, the flawed F50 and the stunning Testarossa despite their shortcomings are perfect examples of Ferrari-ness. I dub them “Recent Classics”. In the past few generations only the F430 has lived up to the Ferrari name.

I imagine being quick for a Ferrari is important, and being quickest is the ultimate goal, but at what expense? At the expense of making the super cars look like cartoon cars brought to life. I can easily imagine the Italia in the next Cars edition. Its roof line seems out of proportion and those eyes seem something Japanese designers thought of in the 80s. But now with the F458 Italia Spider balance has been restored. With the roof gone there is a beautiful, dramatic, familiar oh-I-gotta-have/sit/ride/see-this feeling. It is absolutely breathtaking! I can’t wait to see it in Frankfurt, for all the right reasons. The receding structures for roll over protection instead of pop out hoops or plain hoops add an almost playboyish element to it. I want to see the retractable aluminium hard-top in action.



Ferrari claims it takes fourteen seconds to make the switch and that the system weighs 25kgs lesser than previous folding soft tops. Nice. The open-top rocket ship retains its 4.5 litre V8 and Ferrari claims that 0-100 will come in under 3.4 seconds. Hmm, same as the coupe. Top speed though is down from 325 to 320kph. But with Ferrari saying - “the engine soundtrack has been honed to ensure that the car’s occupants are completely captivated by the drop-top driving experience” I wouldn’t care!! Now if only they’d do something about those fishy eyes.

Here's a teaser video of the Spider - theres a full video out as well but I like this one better.


Now, the Porsche.

I struggle to differentiate one Porsche from the other. I can’t tell between Carrera S, Carrera 4S, Carrera 4 Carrera GTS. The differences are such that it would take a microscope to pin point things. It’s no different when talking about successive generations of models. Luckily with the all new 911 Carrera, things are different. You look at the new Carrera and straight away you will be able to tell it apart from its predecessor. It feels hefty, bigger. There are also some new, obvious aggressive cues. The way the eyelets cut into the bumper and the way the fins in the airdam have been designed seem to hint at a younger Porsche. Is it a nudge from the company’s new owners?


Between the wheels the Porsche has grown too. The wheelbase is longer by a massive 100mm. But weight is down by 45kgs as thanks to extensive use of alumnium . The engine is in its traditional place slung over the rear axle and develops 350hp from its 3.4litres of displacement . Autocar points out that while engine size is down from 3.6 power is up, and so is efficiency as per Porsche's claims. The engine config is a flat six. The Carrera S (pictured above) will feature a 3.8litre flat six motor developing 400hp. Which will propel it from 0-100 in 4.3 seconds. Apart from the PDK twin-clutch automatic gearbox, the Carrera will also debut with a world first - seven-speed manual transmission!! Coming back to the design the rear been significantly remodeled while keeping Porsche heritage intact. The rear looks muscularly handsome with slinky tail lights pointing outwards . It is a very smooth shape and the cut out for the number plate mirrors the airdam at the front very neatly. Incredible stuff.

Now, the only thing remaining to figure out is which one of these will be my desktop wallpaper. Tough one!

Photos from Autocarindia.com & Autocar.co.uk

SSC Tuatara shown, cue Veyron Grand Sport SuperDuper Sport

Now Bugatti’s Veyron is clearly the pinnacle of IC powered automobiles. After driving it I was certain that it wouldn’t be bettered. At least not in this lifetime. But the Shelby Supercar Company in America begged to differ. They gave the Veyron a run for its money with their SSC Ultimate Aero. The 1287bhp pumped out by the Corvette derived .3 litre V8 in the Ultimate Aero trounced the Veyron’s 407kph with a best (averaged & )recorded speedof 411kmh!

That wasn’t the end of anything. Because Bugatti announced the Super Sport. To trounce Aero’s top speed claims the Veyron Super Sport came with 200 more hp and 250Nm of additional torque and practically – a new body for improved aero all of which resulted in the Ultimate Aero losing its World’s Fastest title pretty darn quick. Act 2 - Shelby (surprise, surprise) responded by exhibiting a plan for their next supercar that would trounce the Super Sport’s 415kph record.

And proof that SSC wasn’t kidding was delivered at the Pebble Beach Concours, one of the most (if not the most) prestigious shows in the world. The Tuatara (I haven’t got official word on how to pronounce it – hopefully soon) was on display there as a part of future concepts from different manufacturers.

As expected the Tuatara will be built extensively of carbon fibre including the body, chassis and sub-frames. It will use aluminium for its crash structures. Powering the title challenger will be a 1350bhp, 7-litre, twin-turbo V8. Top speed – a whopping 440kmh.

Just as a quick refresher – the Veyron Super Sport managed an average of 431kph at VW’s Ehra Lessien test track. In production form the SS has been limited to 415kph to be kind to its tyres. So, now that the rumours of a Grand Sport Super Sport were floating around (All 300 of the regular Veyrons are sold out – only the open top/convertible Grand Sports remain) let’s see if Bugatti makes them come true.

In the mean time I’m looking forward to the Tuatara showing us what it can do in the real world. Till then I’m going to contend myself by staring at its design. The Tuatara according to me is exactly what a car that’s blazingly fast should look like. It is a gazillion times prettier than the gawky Ultimate Aero and makes the Veyron look a bit, erm, porky. But, until the Tuatara impresses with more than just its smile, Veyron – you the man.

Images: Autocar.co.uk & Shelbysupercars.com

Cars on my mind: New Jazz, New Swift & New Jetta

Last week was absolutely packed with launches. Three cars that hogged the attention were replacing existing cars.


First up: Honda's Jazz



1) Why did they take so long to do this?
It is probably because of the upcoming small car, the Brio, that Honda has very aggressive on localisation. The rub off is 76% localisation of the new Jazz.

2) Should the guys who bought the Jazz during the discount offer feel bad?
No, not at all. The discount offer was a good deal. Mechanically there is no different from the new Jazz. Sure the "new" factor has gotten watered down. And Jazz X now has electrically folding mirrors.

3) Is the base Jazz a stripped down version to get a low price tag?
Again, No. Except for a few missing features it is absolutely loaded. The missing bits are fog lamps, a rear parcel tray powered folding mirrors, driver’s seat height adjust, spoiler and alloy wheels. But you do get ABS and Airbags. In my books it’s a sweet deal. At that price you would be looking at the new top end Maruti Swift or a new VW Polo. Both of which are easily outclassed by the Jazz. The bits that are added on to the Jazz X with 6.43L price tag (1.6 more than the standard Jazz)– parcel tray, fog lamps, driver’s seat height adjust, powered folding mirrors, spoiler and alloy wheels. Which is still pretty good value.

All in all the VW polo had better watch out as this is cheaper than the Polo 1.6 and a bit more expensive than the Polo1.2 highline variants. And the Polo still doesn’t have the backseat to match, or a USB port.

Now, the all new Maruti Suzuki Swift:



1) Is it really all new?
Yes. But it certainly lacks the excitement of the original. Is it an all new design or is it a 6-year old design? For me, too much same-same. Sure its bigger, more planted, more mature. But, I don’t know how many existing Swift owners would trade in for the new one. You?

2) What about the driving experience? That’s still hot right?
Despite the petrol motor getting variable valve timing it actually doesn’t feel any more exciting. In fact it has lost that urgency that made the Swift so popular with youngsters. Still, this bigger, more planted hatch improved car in terms of ride comfort and even more in terms of handling... So, the modders are surely rubbing their hands with glee. There'll be lots for them to do.

3) Sales charts will keep ringing?
Yes. It’s a Maruti, and it is better than before. And diesel will remain a big draw for the Swift. The base diesel the Swift LDI starts at Rs5.3lakh ex showroom Mumbai. Its competition - Indica Vista, Polo, Figo are scattered all around. And I can't help but bring up the Figo - it continues to feel like exceptional value.

4) Petrol Swift guys? What about them?
Yeah, you guys need to look at the Jazz as well. Those of you looking at the ZXI need to look at the Jazz. The LXI and VXI buyers can stick to the Swift as that is good value.

Finally, the Volkswagen Jetta.



1) What do you make of the pricing?

It’s a bit of a mixed bag. I think that Rs17.86l for the top of the line automatic version is pricey, even though it is cheaper than the Laura L&K AT. The base Trendline is the one that has caught my attention.

2) So the Trendline is the one to go for?

For the most part, yes. Look at this - it comes loaded with A/C vents at the rear, Climatic air-conditioning, driver seat height adjust, a music system (base only 4 speakers.. gyaaa!)
6 airbags(!) (Top end gets 2 extra side airbags for the rear seats) and ABS, EDL and ASR (TC). But, there is no Aux-in on this variant!! So I would have to spend Rs15.39L to go for the Comfortline, just to get the plain basic necessity of the 21st Century - an auxiliary jack. I am not even asking for a USB. Just a plain simple aux-in jack!

3) Automatic?

Going by what we have seen the automatic will be mechanically excellent. But, is it worth the extra moolah over a Cruze (which has a six-speed gearbox)? I'm not so sure.

4) What of the VW juggernaut?

Well, it keeps moving on. The UP has just come out in the open, finally. A car I'm keenly interested in and certainly looks promising. But that's still a long way off. More on that later.

All images from Autocarindia.com