Great Grandad what is a Petrol Car ?

[Paul3200]

Probably not a question us SM'ers are worried about at our stage in life. Just watched PBS channel 166 on Sky. Repeated tonight at 00:15 ( record it ). A great insight into what is coming across all technologies. Ethanol, Litihium,Hydrogen, Clockwork. They're all on this programme arguing for the future of what will power our cars tomorrow. My favourite ( The Tessler ) but needs to come down in price.

Would you be bothered if your car performed just as well without a V8 ? Or is that the whole point of owning one ?
What if a microchip connected to a speaker gave you that burble with a power unit to match. Would it matter to you ?
What do you think will win the race for future power ? Discuss



Paul

 

[safrane]

If it sounded, vibrated, and powered like it does now I would not care if it ran on electrons, cow poo, plants or a Flux Capasitor...but the VAT man would still sting us for our well earned

 

[Parisien]

Dunno...hoping its a long transition period.......its the fact that it resembles a living breathing entity that sets the heart racing......................


P

 

[Emtee]

I subscribe to the Jay Leno school of thought.... The car as a means of transportation (price, economy and residual) has long since separated itself from the car as a means of pleasure (top trumps stats, sound, emotional connection).

The future of the former is amplified hydrogen,... the future of the latter is petrol (and lots of it) and if it burns it through either 8, 10 or 12 holes, then all the better.
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This is a time limited post and if your viewing it on Dave in 3012......what the **** is a car and what the **** is petrol?? !!

 

[dem maser]

Haha good post miles....

I do see elcetricity replacing petrol but in 10 years there will be tax on that and congestion charge will be used.....wherever theres a way they will find it

Diesel was always cheaper, now 60% of cars are diesel its more expensive.....

 

[Dan!]

Having driven a Tesla I can tell you the future isn't too bad.
The noises and smells will change, but there will always be like minded nutters like ourselves that will demand high perfomance satisfaction from our future transport.

Yes it will be an end of an era, and yes it will be sad, but it's progression.
Do you miss "dialing" a bakelite phone or do you embrace being able to do so much with your new communication device?

 

[Parisien]

I miss steam trains.....................


P

 

[Parisien]

Tesla......French aren't they..............don't much like the sound of that....or the lack of sound.....


P

 

[2b1ask1]

The oil companies have been doggedly resisting change as petrolium distillates are used in so much more than petrol; we are totally reliant upon every level of the distilling tree from tars to super fine vapours at the top. This alone is a major concern to them at the moment because so many cars are now diesel it has put an imballance andI'm sure you have all noticed that diesel is more expensive than petrol as a result. Most modern plastics are reliant upon some or all of their component parts comming from this process. The implications are massive.

I know it sounds ironic but I have a cousin who owns oil wells in Texas (sadly we are not particularly close). When we last spoke he was telling us that there was an estimated 3.6 billion barrels of crude oil around the plannet before the industrial revolution. The first billion to 150 years to use up, the second in less than 60 and we are something like 20% into the third. This is now the small pockets and stuff that is hard to extract (this is what he does), previously it was not worth them persuing it so they would just move on...

Should we be worried; **** yes, am I going to sell my Maserati; **** no, Ive worked bloody hard all my life and I want something to show for it (besides the kids).

What we need to do is make petrol engines totally efficient as the optimum combustion ratio of petrol is nowhere near what we have achieved, if it were we would all be getting 800 - 1,000 miles to the gallon - yes that is how far off the mark we are with the suck, squeeze, bang & blow lumps available at the moment. The potential of coal is only just becoming known and the figures for this look to be mind blowing, after all it is virtually pure carbon.

I never wanted to be a bio chemist as a kid but I get it now; I am however ering on the side of calling myself an engineer at last... Now I shall content myself with a large single malt whilst I await the knock on the door from the Nobel committee.....

 

[BennyD]

Super unleaded, 5 star or Avgas, all the rest is new-fangled pish.

 

[Dan!]

They're American, built on a Lotus Elise chassis.
They are silent, which was a surprise as I was expecting a sound like an underground train pulling out of a station. Although with the endless torque they do pull like a train. Imagine the feeling of being sat at 4,000rpm in 2nd gear, well it's like that but whatever speed you're doing. As you might be able to tell, I'm a fan.

That said, I think it would be better for some futuristic electric motor noise rather than the silence.

 

[Parisien]

Close then........oooppsss....maybe it was because it was tested in the S France on 5th Gear.

They can put out some aurally suitable sound track.....mini speakers inside then, huge megaphones out the back....


P

 

[BennyD]

But it's still a fake noise. It's a bit like alcohol free lager, all a bit sh!t. As you can tell I'm not a fan. For big torque, I'll stick to a big chipped diesel. Another case of horses for courses.

 

[NickP]

I love getting nearly run over each day on the streets of London by these silent electric cars and vans, it keeps you on your toes!

 

[dem maser]

So many about aint there nick.....they gettng silly now