Posted on 12/15/2009 5:56:11 AM PST by dangerdoc
Since we're already on the topic of fairy dust, how about a new all-wheel drive supercar that can purportedly thrust you from nought to sixty in 2.5 seconds? New startup Kepler Motors is about to unveil its first vehicle and its ambition is nothing short of staggering. Employing a 550bhp Ford Ecoboost petrol engine to drive the rear wheels and a 250bhp electric motor for the front pair, this machine also comes with a carbon fiber chassis and carbon ceramic brakes to really make the theoretical numbers look ridiculous. Of course, it's still only a concept for the Dubai International Motor Show, but production plans are already set for 2011. You'll just have to make sure to be among the 50 richest people interested in owning one, because that'll be the entire production run.
Concept car = really awesome cool car that you would happily buy that will never ever be for sale.
Hybrids are ideal for this sort of thing. Getting a quick burst of power is a lot easier from an electric motor than a gasoline engine. In terms of all-around performance, the car will suffer from being too heavy and having no long-term power delivery to the front wheels. But for a quick sprint from 0-60, a battery and motor is the way to go.
If they are not connected by some hard linked differential or power splitter, one set of tires (tyres to the Brits) can break free while the other remains driving the rear wheels or steering.
Leads to vicious, unrecoverable spins.
Sort of, as the engine is turning 6000 rpm, one set of tires spinning about 700 rpm, the other set turning about 400 rpm, watching the scenery go by your windshield at about 80 rpm. "
Oh, Look! Watch out for the cliff in the rear window... now it's out the front windshield, now it's visible out the side window..."
Kind like this idiot who passed me in a snow and ice storm on the four lane (US 68 south at US 40 bridge in Springfield, OH). There was a track in the right lane and it was slippery. The left lane was coated. This car passed me at a high rate of speed. About 2 car lengths in front of me (still in the left lane) the car lost it. I let up off the gas and enjoyed the show. Head lights, tail lights, head lights, tail lights, ... round and round it went. Finally the car went off the road on my right and into the field between the road and the on ramp. Fool.
What really needs to be done is to use a very compact, high output gas engine - like a turbine. That drives a generator which creates the electricity needed for instant torque at any wheel. Run all wheels with electric motors.
Distribute the weight around (four motors), and a turbine spinning at 50,000+ RPM can generate a tremendous amount of horsepower out of a tiny package. I mean, if you’re going to electrify two of the wheels, might as well do all of them!
Created from a wrecked 1976 Land Rover, a repossessed 1999 Volvo and with the drive train from a "borrowed" Shelby.
And a ton of sheetmetal and Bondo.
About 30 years ago, just east of Rochester NY, the car was behind me. All I saw in the mirror was red lights, white lights, red lights, white lights, red lights, all going around at about 60 rpm.
Thought it was the cops pulling me over again!
Now this is appropriate use of hybrid technology!
We were driving up to Minneapolis, Minnesota one Christmas, and the roads (I-90 & I-94) were terrible up thru Wisconsin. Between Rockford, IL and Madison, WI we counted over 60 cars in the ditch. One, a SUV had slid at least 150 feet on it’s top. As we got closer to Minnesota, we saw the best one. A car had gone off the road and launched itself into the tops of a group of trees. He must have been flying (literally) and hit a spot along the side of the road where the plows had pushed the snow and the roaside dropped off down a small hill such that the tree tops were slightly higher than the road. Anyway, there was this car with his flashers on suspended on these branches like someone had picked it up and placed it there. We called that one in on our cells.
One of the tings they teach you in pilot training is that if you lose an engine on a small plane over a forest, DO NOT flare or stall, which will drop you down between the trees, but fly it gently into the tops of the trees, which will give you a very soft landing.
The only problem is, half the time the small plane STAYS in the tops of the trees and the rescuers have a hell of a tinme getting the occupants down to ground level!
:)
Be well.
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