What's So Special About These Cars

[kdash]

wow one day people will be able to 3D print a whole car...

Edited January 23, 2018 by kdash

[DACH]

wow one day people will be able to 3D print a whole car...

Already done.

 

 

Edited January 23, 2018 by DACH

[Carbon82]

I believe most male Singaporean would have came across the Mercedes Benz Unimog during your NS training. There is one very unique and useful feature:  It is equipped with a “Super Crawler” gear.

 

 

Most off-road vehicles have crawl ratios—extra gearing to increase forward thrust—between 30 and about 100. But the Mercedes Unimog, with its “Super Crawler” gear, has an absurd crawl ratio over 3000. That means two things: a hilariously low top speed, and unstoppable crawling power.

 

In first gear and in “super crawler” mode, the Unimog 406/416 is said to have a crawl ratio of over 4000, and a top speed of only about 0.08 km/h (~1.33 m/min or 2 cm/sec). By comparison, a three-toed sloth can walk three times as fast. As the saying goes, "My grand mother can walk faster than you, Mr. Unimog!"

 

 

So what is good with having the Super Crawl gear? The slow speed actually translate to superior climbing / scrawling abilities, as the ~950Nm torque at the engine become >2.7mil Nm torque at the wheel!!!   The video below will give you a good idea of what it is capable of...

 

[Mockngbrd]

I want a unimog

[DACH]

Car is about luxury,comfort and millage

Car is human's greatest creation combining art and science, with the human touch. 

[Carbon82]

Jaguar E-Pace

 

 

 

 

 

If you zoom in to the lower left of the windscreen on the 1st, 3rd and 4th photos, you would have noticed the following, imprinted onto the glass.

 

 

A nice touch I would say (especially for cat / animal lover), but that is not all. The same image is also projected on the floor, through the puddle lamp (in-built into the wing mirror).   

 

 

[Carbon82]

There is something special about this VW Passat (B5.5).

 

Notice the W8 badge on the grill and boot lid?

 

It come with 8 cylinder engine, in a rare W8 configuration.

 

The W8 combined two narrow-angle (15 degree) VR4 engine blocks, mounted juxtaposed at 72 degrees to each other and coupled to one crankshaft. Nearly square external dimensions mean the large 8 cylinder engine will fit in the space typically taken by a V6 engine.

 

The Volkswagen Group W8 engine was installed longitudinally in the Volkswagen Passat (B5.5) from September 2001 to September 2004, but sales were minimal at only 10,000 units worldwide per year. The Passat W8 was positioned as Volkswagen Passenger Cars' "premium" car, before the Volkswagen Phaeton was introduced.

 

The 4.0L (3,999cc to be exact) W8 engine produced 275ps / 271bhp at 6,000rpm and 370Nm torque at 2,750rpm, was considered a fuel-efficient eight-cylinder engine due to the design. It also had a two-stage resonance induction system to boost cylinder filling across the engine speed range. It had two simplex roller chain-driven (relay method, using three chains) double overhead camshaft (two overhead camshafts per cylinder bank, hence "quad cam"), and twin balance shafts to smooth out residual vibrations inherent in the layout. One additional advantage was that the W8 shared some components and machining with narrow-angle VR5 and VR6 engines, leading to cost reduction in one of the most expensive engines Volkswagen Passenger Cars has ever produced.

Edited February 17, 2018 by Carbon82

[Volvobrick]

I believe most male Singaporean would have came across the Mercedes Benz Unimog during your NS training. There is one very unique and useful feature:  It is equipped with a “Super Crawler” gear.

 

 

 

The Unimog has also the Portal Axles that increase the ground clearance without having excessively large wheels.  I can't think of another 4x4 truck having this design other than the special G Wagon 4Squared.

 

 

[DACH]

Porsche 942 (1984) & H50 (1987), paved the way to the Panamera.

http://cardesignnews.com/articles/concept-car-of-the-week/2018/02/ccotw-porsche-942-1984-h50-1987

 

 

The Porsche 928 is a modern classic. But it took many years to earn respect, and it is still controversial among some of the hardcore Porsche faithful. After all, it had a front engine – a V8 at that – and a controversial design; neither seemed like traditional Porsche engineering or design. When introduced in America in 1978 it even drew unfortunate comparisons to that glassy terrapin of the automotive world, the AMC Pacer. The 928 has generated heated discussions ever since.

 

The ‘Personal Luxury Problem’

The 928 was a personal luxury car as much as a sports car. And personal luxury cars have always faced the ‘personal luxury problem’. Buyers of this class of car want the power and distinctive design of a sports car, but also more luxury and comfort than a true sports car.

As Ford found with the Thunderbird in the 1950s, buyers of personal luxury cars want four seats, even if the rear seats are only marginally comfortable and used on rare occasions. But they have to be accessible too, unlike the vestigial rear seats in many 2+2 sports cars. And so, to the horror of T-bird purists then and now, Ford redesigned the car in 1958 to accommodate a rear seat. Sales greatly increased, proving Ford’s market research team correct.

The desires of looks/performance coupled with comfort/cabin room present a design conflict for marques such as Porsche, Jaguar, Aston  Martin and others. Should they include a rear seat in their sports car offerings, and, if so, how to integrate this element into the overall design?

The Porsche B-17 (1969) – an early attempt at a true four-place Porsche. (© Leonard Turner/flatsixes.com)

An early, and largely forgotten, Porsche prototype from 1969, the B17, previewed the search for a workable four-place Porsche. The car, designed by Pininfarina, was a traditional 911, but then stretched 204 mm to allow for extra legroom. The roof was also stretched and raised over the rear seat, giving the car a vaguely hunchbacked feel. Management were not pleased with the design and decided not to go forward with it.

Tony Lapine and his design team with a clay model of a proposed 928 shooting brake

Later, during the design phase of the 928, a shooting brake variant of the car was developed along with the coupé. Both variants made it to the clay model stage, but the first oil shock of 1973 delayed the whole project and the development of the shooting brake was canceled.

Ferry’s Birthday Surprise

The Porsche 942 was built in 1984 to commemorate Ferry Porsche’s 75th birthday. Though in many ways a standard 928, it was lengthened 250mm, the ‘B’ pillars were repositioned in a more upright placement for better access to the rear of the cabin, and the roof was stretched over the cabin at full height to create a true shooting brake.

The Porsche 942 – a shooting brake 928

Additional touches suggest some ongoing engineering projects at Porsche. The engine was an advanced 32-valve, five-litre V8. The front fenders were raised a little and new front and rear bumpers were included, a preview of the S4 model that would be introduced a couple of years later. Also, the headlamps were an advanced projector beam type set under glass dome, rather than the standard retractable round lamps.

The 942 was never meant for production, or even for the motor show circuit. It was a gift to Ferry Porsche, with special touches from each Porsche design and engineering department. Still, it was well resolved and a tantalising glimpse of what could be possible if the 928 was developed one step further.

Beyond the Shooting Brake

The ideas expressed in the design of the 942 would stay around the Porsche design studios and give birth to another four-place concept, the Porsche 928 H50 of 1987 (above).

Again a squared-off 928 form was used for passenger comfort and the chassis lengthened even more. A pair of short coach doors was placed behind the main doors making this a four-door hatchback or (gasp!) an estate car or wagon.

The 928 H50 – not quite an estate, not quite a saloon, certainly not a shooting brake.

The H50 was a fully working test mule. It was driven 5,000 miles in various conditions and endured some wear and tear (note worn paint and ill-fitting body panels) Although specific details were not released, it seems that Porsche engineers decided that the chassis was not up to Porsche rigidity and performance standards in this elongated form.

The 928 H50’s side view. The long wheelbase proved troublesome.

The H50 was quietly put back in storage and not shown to the public for 25 years. It was finally introduced at Pebble Beach in 2012 sitting alongside the Panamera, a not-so-subtle hint that it was the ancestor of Porsche’s new four-door flagship.

The 928 H50 was revealed at the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours (photo: Autoblog)

Porsche would continue down the trail blazed by these two concepts with complete sedan prototypes, the 911-based 989 Panamera concept of 1989, designed by Harm Lagaay, and the 932 Panamera II. These were full sedan concepts, and while the 989 had a very distinct Porsche 911 flavor, the 932 did not. A severe downturn in 928 sales and overall Porsche revenues brought the projects to an end.

Porsche 989 Panamera concept (1989). What might have been…

It can be argued that the 928 paved the way for the Panamera, and the Macan, and perhaps the whole of modern Porsche design. That’s a debate for another day, but as we can see these two concept cars, derived from the 928, and largely hidden from the public view, certainly helped create a path for the Panamera two decades later.

Edited February 18, 2018 by DACH

[Carbon82]

Mercedes-Maybach, a name plate that many have associated with ultra-luxurious motoring experience, has a new trick up it sleeves, and it has something more to do with safety...

 

New Mercedes-Maybach Headlights Can Project Symbols On The Road

 

The new headlamp technology is called Digital Light, and though they are designed to deliver exceptional visibility without blinding oncoming traffic, they can “dazzle” Maybach drivers by projecting a set of specific alert pictures on the road in front.

 

How does it all work? Each light has a chip with over a million micro-reflectors, meaning more than two million reflectors are available. The lights are tied into the car’s various sensors and cameras as well as the navigation system, and they can automatically adjust depending on conditions and known location. That’s how the anti-dazzle part comes into play, as the car can detect oncoming traffic and dial down some of those two-million reflectors for maximum visibility without blinding other drivers.

 

I shall now let the photos do the talking...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mockngbrd]

Can show middle finger?

[DACH]

Not so useful if the streets are brightly lit.

[DACH]

Touring Superleggera Sciadipersia is a hyper-exclusive coachbuilt coupe

 

http://www.evo.co.uk/maserati/granturismo/20894/touring-superleggera-sciadipersia-is-a-hyper-exclusive-coachbuilt-coupe

 

Italian for ‘Shah of Iran’ the Sciadipersia from Touring Superleggera will be limited to ten units

Italian coachbuilder Touring Superleggera has revealed its latest project and it’s called the Sciadiersia. Literally translating as Shah of Persia, the model is inspired by a previous commission of bespoke Maserati 5000GTs completed by Touring in 1958. Ordered by the then ruler of Iran, a total of three units were completed and they form the inspiration for this new car, which Touring Superleggera says is a four-wheeled version of the Orient Express.

Starting life as the two-door Maserati GranTurismo coupe, the Sciadipersia shares that car’s 454bhp 4.7-litre V8 engine and six-speed ZF automatic or single-clutch semi-automatic gearboxes. The interior is also based heavily to the GranTurismo sharing a similar basic layout, albeit finished with luscious waxy leather and solid polished aluminium trim pieces.

From this point though the changes are far more substantial, as Touring Superleggera has completely redesigned the body, based on the 1958’s low three-box silhouette and a substantial amount of glazing. The main body’s simple horizontal crease is a distinct contrast to the muscular haunches and aggressive snout of the GranTurismo.

Polished aluminium also plays an important part of the exterior design, featuring on the nose and tail. Brushed aluminium panels on the c-pillar and tail also hark back to the original, framing a wrap-around rear windscreen. The surfacing is classic Touring, fulsome, with crisp body-lines and artful integration of the lighting units and glass roof.

Touring Superleggera didn’t release an estimated price, but each of the ten cars planned for production will likely vary in price depending on owners’ specific specifications. As usual, Touring’s penchant for luxury and sophistication rather than aggressive performance-orientated style is all over the Sciadipersia, which make its public debut at the 2018 Geneva motor show.

[Carbon82]

If I ask what is an "iconic" feature you can find on an electric car (pure EV, not hybrid), I guess many could have name it: The car has no front grille, or that the grille is for cosmetic purpose (with functional / no large opening), since EVs has no inner combustion engine (air intake and cooling is not required). That has been the case for say Nissan Leaf, Tesla 3, BYD E6, etc.

 

But the latest EV from Jaguar is set to change that perception, and even set a new trend for EV going forward. It look just like a conventional gasoline driven SUV, with large and prominent corporate style grille in the front. And to add to that, it even have an air scoop, much like one you can find on a typical turbo-charge vehicle, e.g. the WRX, EVO, etc., but in reverse position. 

 

Jaguar I-Pace

 

 

 

Here lies the secret behind the unconventional design (for EV)... The grille actually serves two vital functions. The first purpose of the functional grille at the front of the I-Pace is to provide airflow to aide cooling the big 90 kWh battery. Airflow for battery cooling and the climate control system passes through the grille and active vanes in apertures in the front bumper, which open when required. But it serves a second, even cooler purpose.

 

Have you noticed from the above photos, that the I-Pace do not seems to have a rear wiper, which is a standard item on all hatchback and SUV? Well, that can be linked to the second function of the grille...

 

 

The intake grille is actually segmented in half behind the cat badge and mesh, with the lower half directing air to cool the batteries, and the top half directing air through the front of the car, up and over the windscreen and down the back through a hole in the hood.

 

I-Pace evolves the classic grille design to be a bold aerodynamic feature, channeling airflow through the integral bonnet scoop and over the windscreen onto the roofline to reduce drag. Jaguar claims the directed airflow is powerful enough over the top of the car and down the rear window that there’s no need at all for a rear wiper blade. Evidently, water will just get blown away thanks to the directed airflow!   

 

If I may borrow a tag line from Skoda, this is Simply Clever! 

[Carbon82]

Without consulting Mr. Google, do you know what is Baur? This is an automotive forum, so it has something to with ... Cars.   Now, if I were to add E21, E30 and E36, does it ring a bell?

 

OK, I am referring to BMW's original 3 series cabriolet, which is nothing but unique (and a collector item now).

 

E21 Baur

 

The convertible came courtesy of a Stuttgart-based coachbuilder named Baur, who had a long history with BMW and apparently saw the market for a BMW convertible before BMW did. So the two teamed up to make a convertible 3-Series – with only one little problem. It wasn’t quite a convertible.

 

Baur had to start its convertible 3-Series by taking an already-built 3-Series coupe and sawing off the roof. As a result, there wasn’t any extra rigidity built into the body or the chassis – since the car was never intended to be a convertible in the first place. So Baur had to engineer this rigidity into the top.

 

The result of this was a convertible of … unusual proportions. For one thing, it isn’t a full convertible: the top panel comes off, and only the soft top over the rear window retracts like a typical convertible top. But then there are the pillars. In “roof open” mode, the A-pillar is still in place, of course. But so are the B-pillar, and the C-pillar. And there’s a huge bar connecting the B-pillar on the left side of the car to the one on the right side – even when the top is off.

 

The result of all this top engineering is that the Baur E21 isn’t really a convertible – but rather more like BMW’s take on the targa top, which was all the rage back in the ‘70s. But unlike a Porsche 911 Targa, which only had a removable roof panel, a top-down Baur E21 had the roof off and the rear window removed, giving it slightly more of a convertible feel.

 

In the end, Baur manufactured this unusual 3-Series – officially called the “TopCabriolet,” and referred to in BMW circles as the “TC” – for four years: 1978 to 1981. A total of 4,595 units were produced during the E21 production run..

 

 

E30 Baur

 

The E21 "TopCabriolet" was such a success that BMW decided to make actual convertible versions of subsequent 3-Series models, and everyone lived happily ever after... but that isn’t quite the rest of the story.

 

Even though there was a factory BMW 3-Series convertible on the E30 body style, it didn’t start out that way. Instead, Baur made another 14,426 E30 3-Series convertibles, with the unusual targa-ish convertible roof and all the pillars and bracing in place before BMW finally took the reins and did a factory convertible with a normal roof and no extra pillars or bracing.

 

 

E36 Baur

 

And here’s the crazy thing: it still didn’t end there! The E36 Baur was actually a four-door sedan with a folding roof over both front and rear seats. Once again, the sole roof brace joined the B-pillars, meaning that the rear seats enjoyed a limousine-style landaulet look.

 

Unfortunately, the Baur 3-Series stopped there: there was no E46, no E90, and certainly no F30. But sometimes, it’s nice to remember the classics. Especially the ones wearing a hat.

[Mockngbrd]

Sg had a couple of E21/E30 Baurs. Prob scrapped by now.

[Beehive3783]

Oh? Unimog ah? I was still driving one back in 2016.

 

Total of 16 gears. 8 forward and 8 reverse, including C1 and C2 if I remember correctly.

 

Now no more Unimog in my unit liao. Phased out and replaced with new MAN 5 tonners.

 

I believe most male Singaporean would have came across the Mercedes Benz Unimog during your NS training. There is one very unique and useful feature:  It is equipped with a “Super Crawler” gear.

 

 

 

Most off-road vehicles have crawl ratios—extra gearing to increase forward thrust—between 30 and about 100. But the Mercedes Unimog, with its “Super Crawler” gear, has an absurd crawl ratio over 3000. That means two things: a hilariously low top speed, and unstoppable crawling power.

 

In first gear and in “super crawler” mode, the Unimog 406/416 is said to have a crawl ratio of over 4000, and a top speed of only about 0.08 km/h (~1.33 m/min or 2 cm/sec). By comparison, a three-toed sloth can walk three times as fast. As the saying goes, "My grand mother can walk faster than you, Mr. Unimog!"

 

 

So what is good with having the Super Crawl gear? The slow speed actually translate to superior climbing / scrawling abilities, as the ~950Nm torque at the engine become >2.7mil Nm torque at the wheel!!!   The video below will give you a good idea of what it is capable of...

 

 

Edited April 9, 2018 by Beehive3783

[Carbon82]

Sg had a couple of E21/E30 Baurs. Prob scrapped by now.

 

I have never came across one so far. Do you happen to have any photos of them?

Oh? Unimog ah? I was still driving one back in 2016.

 

Total of 16 gears. 8 forward and 8 reverse, including C1 and C2 if I remember correctly.

 

Now no more Unimog in my unit liao. Phased out and replaced with new MAN 5 tonners.

 

Unimog have been in service for a long long time, easily 30 years or more. Good al terrain vehicle, but I guess FC and emission sucks...