Posted on 08/29/2012 12:37:17 PM PDT by mamelukesabre
I've been closely following recent technology advances in automobiles for the last 2-3 years. Some very interesting technologies are beginning to make it into regular production vehicles that ordinary people can buy. The first is direct injection for gasoline engines. The second "big deal" is the dual-clutch transmission. These are cutting edge technologies for cars right now.
Guess what? There is no Japanese brand car available with both of these technologies. In fact, both Honda and Toyota seem to be ignoring dual clutch transmission entirely. It appears to me Toyota is coasting on its reputation right now and isn't doing anything. Honda appears to be doing the same thing.
Ford has been doing some amazing things with engines lately. They really made people take notice with their latest diesel truck engine which uses a multi-stage turbo designed by Honeywell. They are also using GETRAG designed dual clutch transmissions in passenger cars now, along with direct injection.
VW/Audi is (naturally) right up there in front with cutting edge technologies.
GM appears to be selling out. It looks like they are content to end up being a name only and hiring other companies to do all their manufacturing for them. I don't expect to see them go away anytime soon. But it looks like they are going to end up like Sears or Walmart and just be a brand name only which is built AND DESIGNED by the lowest bidder.
It wasn’t to long ago nobody would be caught dead in a japanese car. The american companies knew this and relaxed a bit thinking things would never change. When the oil crunch hit the american companies were caught flat footed. Better gas mileage was the key to the japanese making inroads in our country and they took full advantage. What goes around comes around. It now appears the japanese are resting on their reputations and the american companies are making the extra effort to excel.
Oh, remind me to not tell you chit about anything....
:^)
How is this different than fuel injection that has been around for years?
The Korean car companies are on a roll! While the current Sonata style is starting to look faddish...to me...I REALLY like the previous generation. Lots of greenhouse and easy access. The current generation looks too swoopy and hard to get in and out of, but that might just be me.
Mrs p6 aand I are very close to getting rid of our beloved 98 Durango in favor of a Kia Soul. The only problem is I like big V8’s with 4wd/AWD.
Actually since I have become VERY intimate with our 30k original miles 92 Saturn I am thinking of getting a Vue, or a 3 door coupe.
I like the pladtic, can work on the mechanicals and we get 30+ mpg in town.
Direct injection engineered into two-stroke motorcycles is what I’m keenly anticipating. KTM will probably be first with mass production (beyond the few thousand units Ossa is currently selling). This will allow 2T dual purpose bikes once again (dirt and street) . Certain snowmobile powerplants have been R&D’ing this technology for several years.
The biggest drawback with direct injection is carbon buildup on the manifold side of the intake valves, which aren’t “washed” by gasoline. Severe cases require removal of the manifold and cleaning with solvents and/or blasting with crushed walnut shells.
Some systems use injectors on both sides of the valve to lessen this problem.
Jeez, Ford Motor just think of what you could have done if you took the BAILOUT MONEY ZERO was going to give you for FREE... /s
FORD -- FIRST ON RACE DAY... (with GREG BIFFLE driving!!)
Carl Edwards fan
Well, I have purchased two Toyotas in the last several years, I got myself a Tundra with the awesome 5.7 and just bought the wife a Venza with the V6 and all the bells and whistles. The only other foreign maker I looked at was Honda and the only domestic maker I looked at was Ford. I looked at the Edge instead of the Venza but price, options, and reviews gave the Toyota the purchase.
I really wanted to buy the Ford because they didn’t take the bailout but couldn’t pull the trigger because of the options/price mix.
Say what you want about foreign but the Honda CRV I replaced with the Venza had 240k on it and still ran fine with A/C as cold as the day I bought it.
These aren’t extras with the XLE they are standard.
We only buy a new car every 24-25 years. Our previous Camry was a 1986 with 355,000 miles. My van is a 1991 with 313,000. We keep our cars for a VERY long time so we take very good care of them to make them last as long as possible. Obviously no new cars every few years for us.
Phenomenal? Where are the references? How well does this new technology hold up over the long run?
Improvements are great, but our vehicles do not operate in a controlled environment.
Personally, I couldn’t really say if they’re “slipping” or not; all I know is that my ‘89 Toyota is still going strong, and I’m planning on owning another Toyota when it finally bites the dust.
Or... uh... maybe a Honda.
I’d still buy German.
Give me a new Maybach.......
Maseratis, Bugattis, Lamourghinis....all the Italian supercats have a double-clutch.
Which if you don’t know what you’re doing can get you killed.......
Problem with cvt’s is many people can’t get used to them.
All high performance euro-sports cars. Somehow I don’t see the practicality of such a contraption in a daily grocery getter.
There is no emission testing where I’m at other than federals, and that stuff is a product of the leftist handcuffing of society in the 1st place.
Yeah, as soon as I saw the injector in the combustion chamber I thought, “Whoa! how’s that gonna stay clean?”
What, competition, we can’t be having competition. We need some government regulation to stop all that competition and level the playing field.
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