Over the years Japanese car manufacturers have been introducing new cars with new technology but it seems that of late (in the last 10 years) it appears that the Japanese car manufacturers are losing the plot with their development. They have spent a lot of time developing hybrid technology and pushing their hybrid technology to the rest of the world. The Koreans have caught them in terms of design and also has significantly closed the gap with the Japanese in their design and development of hybrids.
The mainland Chinese have also closed the gap (the gap is still quite big but closing at a very rapid rate) in terms of design (less ugly now) and engineering. The Europeans have moved in a different direction altogether with their alternative hybrid and diesel technology.
The Japanese seems to be stuck in a time warp with their development and they appear to want to hang on to old technology as long as possible to earn as much as possible. Their Prius hybrid is still using nickel metal hydride batteries while the Koreans have introduced Lithium Ions which are far more efficient, lighter and more powerful.
The Japanese hybrids only do well in America and some parts of Asia. The Europeans do not see any benefits in the hybrids as the turbo diesels are far more efficient and offer greater fuel savings than the hybrids and there is no requirement to change the expensive hybrid battery.
The case for Japanese car makers in South East Asia seems to display their lack of direction. For example, Toyota launched their new Vios model with no improvements in terms of engineering by using the same 4 speed automatic and same engine as the previous generation. Creating a new exterior does nothing in terms of product advancement. The direct competitors from Hyundai offer 6 speed automatic transmission and power output levels that are few percent better than the outgoing model.
Japanese car makers are also using the CVT transmission that was abandoned by the Europeans. They seem not keen to take the gamble and move their development further. Everything seems to be stuck in year 2005!
If Japanese car makers are not willing up the ante with their development they will gradually be over taken by Europeans, Koreans and the mainland Chinese.
Thursday, 18 July 2013
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
Air hybrid technology - is it better than electric?
Peugeot recently announced their air hybrid system for their cars. This is quite a shift from the conventional electric hybrid that most car manufacturers are pursuing. The fact remains that the electric hybrid is flawed to some degree as the biggest problem faced is weight and range. The electric hybrid is heavy because of the batteries and the batteries also have a limited use life which also means expensive replacement cost when the batteries are dead.
The electric hybrid also has a problem with the range. The added weight also takes a toll on the range. The more batteries the car has the more range it is suppose to provide but it also means more weight that the car needs to shift. It is quite a trade off.
Peugeot's air hybrid is not a new concept as the inventor in NZ came out with the idea of using compressed air to turn a turbine. The turbine is connected to the transmission which allows it to turn the wheels. The principle is simple in theory. The compressed air tanks are stored next to the transmission tunnel and the rear axle. During deceleration the valve opens to collect air and compress it. The whole process of recollecting the air is only 10 secs which is much shorter than the time taken for the electric hybrids to recharge the batteries.
The range provided by the air hybrids is still very short (approximately 5km) but it acts more like a range assist to the engine. With the fast recharge (air) time, the air hybrid system can cut in more frequently making the range extension function feasible. The compressed air tanks are not as heavy as batteries and also yield less potential pollution as the batteries need to be replaced and disposed off.
Peugeot claims a respectable 560km range for the air hybrid system coupled with a 1.2 Litre turbo gasoline engine.
This concept may challenge the electric hybrid's develop altogether.
The electric hybrid also has a problem with the range. The added weight also takes a toll on the range. The more batteries the car has the more range it is suppose to provide but it also means more weight that the car needs to shift. It is quite a trade off.
Peugeot's air hybrid is not a new concept as the inventor in NZ came out with the idea of using compressed air to turn a turbine. The turbine is connected to the transmission which allows it to turn the wheels. The principle is simple in theory. The compressed air tanks are stored next to the transmission tunnel and the rear axle. During deceleration the valve opens to collect air and compress it. The whole process of recollecting the air is only 10 secs which is much shorter than the time taken for the electric hybrids to recharge the batteries.
The range provided by the air hybrids is still very short (approximately 5km) but it acts more like a range assist to the engine. With the fast recharge (air) time, the air hybrid system can cut in more frequently making the range extension function feasible. The compressed air tanks are not as heavy as batteries and also yield less potential pollution as the batteries need to be replaced and disposed off.
Peugeot claims a respectable 560km range for the air hybrid system coupled with a 1.2 Litre turbo gasoline engine.
This concept may challenge the electric hybrid's develop altogether.
Monday, 25 February 2013
China made Sportscars?
China automotive industry is no doubt booming with nearly all the automotive giants clamouring for a piece of the pie. China's own car manufacturers are also growing by leaps and bounds. China car companies have focused their efforts on designing (a bit like copying for some models) and making mainstream cars such as compact cars, mid sized sedans, small MPVs and mid sized SUVs. The car companies have also started to move towards making large luxury sedans. In more recent years they have focused their efforts on EVs which seem to be the trend these days and especially fuel prices are high in China and combined with the fact that fuel rationing takes places almost every month is various parts of China.
The question remains if China car companies will deviate slightly and start making sportscars. They don't quite have the racing heritage nor any of them engaged in racing activities. making a sportscar may be a tall order for them since markets outside China will very likely shy away from a China made sportscar. Ownership of cars is still very new to many Chinese and embarking on making a sportcar for their domestic market is also not a very wise economic decision.
However saying this, at the rate China cars are improving it is not out of the question to see a China made sportscar hit the streets in China in the next 10 years. The amount of wealthy Chinese is staggering and the lifestyle sportscar can be a lucrative venture.
Korean car companies like Hyundai and Kia have yet to even make a real true sportscar. The Genesis coupe cannot really qualify as a sportscar as it is more like a Gran Tourer rather than a sportscar. In the last 15 years Kia and Hyundai have grown the fastest and they focused more on quality, design and technology rather than outright performance.
It will be interesting to see how the automotive industry will shape up in the next 10 years. The real companies to keep a look out for are:
- Volkswagen - their MQB platform is expected to be a real game changer for platform and component sharing
- Hyundai / Kia - further improvements in quality and bold steps in technology and design
- China car companies - big investments in luring top designers and engineers from Europe to improve car design, refinement and quality
Many of the Japanese car manufacturers are too conservative in their approach and this will be their Achilles heel. American car companies will continue to suffer as their quality standards have yet to see major improvements and being too US centric their cars are not sold in right hand drive countries which will limit their sales. In order for any car company to be strong it has to be a global player catering for both left and right hand drive markets.
The question remains if China car companies will deviate slightly and start making sportscars. They don't quite have the racing heritage nor any of them engaged in racing activities. making a sportscar may be a tall order for them since markets outside China will very likely shy away from a China made sportscar. Ownership of cars is still very new to many Chinese and embarking on making a sportcar for their domestic market is also not a very wise economic decision.
However saying this, at the rate China cars are improving it is not out of the question to see a China made sportscar hit the streets in China in the next 10 years. The amount of wealthy Chinese is staggering and the lifestyle sportscar can be a lucrative venture.
Korean car companies like Hyundai and Kia have yet to even make a real true sportscar. The Genesis coupe cannot really qualify as a sportscar as it is more like a Gran Tourer rather than a sportscar. In the last 15 years Kia and Hyundai have grown the fastest and they focused more on quality, design and technology rather than outright performance.
It will be interesting to see how the automotive industry will shape up in the next 10 years. The real companies to keep a look out for are:
- Volkswagen - their MQB platform is expected to be a real game changer for platform and component sharing
- Hyundai / Kia - further improvements in quality and bold steps in technology and design
- China car companies - big investments in luring top designers and engineers from Europe to improve car design, refinement and quality
Many of the Japanese car manufacturers are too conservative in their approach and this will be their Achilles heel. American car companies will continue to suffer as their quality standards have yet to see major improvements and being too US centric their cars are not sold in right hand drive countries which will limit their sales. In order for any car company to be strong it has to be a global player catering for both left and right hand drive markets.
Sunday, 3 February 2013
Hypercars
These days we hear the new term hypercar as the supercar term is outdated. It all started with the sportscar which then became the supercar in the 1990s and then hypercar in the last 5 years. All these terms just signify the direction of the car development which sees the car manufacturers push the performance envelope.
The few car manufacturers that are consistently pushing the limit are Ferrari, Bugatti, Pagani, Mclaren, Mercedes Benz, Koenisegg, Lamborghini, Lexus, Porsche and more recently Hennessey which is a relatively new comer to this scene but has rocked this fraternity with its Venom!
Ferrari is about to release its new hypercar code named the F150 (actual name to be announced soon). This model is expected to push the power level beyond 700hp. The development was not centered around high horsepower only but also usable torque. This model is claimed to offer maximum torque from 1,000rpm which is incredible for an naturally aspirated engine. The engine's redline rev limit is 9200rpm making it one of the highest of any engine exceeding 6,000cc in capacity!
With Bugatti holding on to the 400km/h speed record, all the other car manufacturers are working hard at showing what they can do to beat the Veyron. It is about bragging rights rather than making money from selling these cars. In the case of Lexus with its LFA, they actually lose money on each money they produce as so much time and research went into the LFA but having only produced a limited quantity, Toyota knew it would never recover its investment for the LFA project.
In the case of Hennessey their development approach is somewhat different compared to the full fledged car manufacturers as its development was focused around efficiency in performance meaning keeping the weight low by using a light weight chassis and squeezing out as much power as possible from the engine to achieve the best possible power to weight ratio which will provide amazing performance. In the eyes of Hennessey the Bugatti Veyron can be called fat as the Veyron is a much heavier car than the Venom and the Veyron is far more complicated to build than the Venom.
It will be interesting to see where the hypercar development is headed with more new technologies are made available.
The few car manufacturers that are consistently pushing the limit are Ferrari, Bugatti, Pagani, Mclaren, Mercedes Benz, Koenisegg, Lamborghini, Lexus, Porsche and more recently Hennessey which is a relatively new comer to this scene but has rocked this fraternity with its Venom!
Ferrari is about to release its new hypercar code named the F150 (actual name to be announced soon). This model is expected to push the power level beyond 700hp. The development was not centered around high horsepower only but also usable torque. This model is claimed to offer maximum torque from 1,000rpm which is incredible for an naturally aspirated engine. The engine's redline rev limit is 9200rpm making it one of the highest of any engine exceeding 6,000cc in capacity!
With Bugatti holding on to the 400km/h speed record, all the other car manufacturers are working hard at showing what they can do to beat the Veyron. It is about bragging rights rather than making money from selling these cars. In the case of Lexus with its LFA, they actually lose money on each money they produce as so much time and research went into the LFA but having only produced a limited quantity, Toyota knew it would never recover its investment for the LFA project.
In the case of Hennessey their development approach is somewhat different compared to the full fledged car manufacturers as its development was focused around efficiency in performance meaning keeping the weight low by using a light weight chassis and squeezing out as much power as possible from the engine to achieve the best possible power to weight ratio which will provide amazing performance. In the eyes of Hennessey the Bugatti Veyron can be called fat as the Veyron is a much heavier car than the Venom and the Veyron is far more complicated to build than the Venom.
It will be interesting to see where the hypercar development is headed with more new technologies are made available.
Big wheels and big tyres
As the years go by the wheel sizes have steadily increased with each new car model released. One of the main proponents for using big wheel is BMW. The wheels on their cars have grown significantly since the 1990s. The BMW 3 series in the 1990s were using 15" wheels and the current model F30 3 series is using 18" and 19" wheels.
The big wheels craze we driven by the after market sector where tuners started using large wheels to accentuate the looks of the car and also to improve traction after modifying the engine for more power. The real large wheels craze started to take off in early 2002 where 22" wheels were seen fitted on tuned cars. This lead to further large wheels craze and the size increased to 24"!!
In the US, big SUVs were fitted with massive wheels to fill up the big wheel arches. The sizes of the large wheels were approaching the point where it became ridiculous as tyre manufacturers were struggling to keep up. Wheel manufacturers were able to make big wheels but tyre manufacturers didn't have the tyre sizes to fit these large wheels. The tyre manufacturers needed to justify their investment in making large tyres and with low demand the tyre cost will be extremely high.
In the picture above the SUV is fitted with 32" wheels and the wheels manufacturer had to make their own tyres to suit this massive 32" wheel as other tyre manufacturers either didn't make them this big or there were very limited selection.
In terms of practicality the massive 32" wheels were down right useless as they were susceptible to damage from potholes. The massive wheels were purely for cosmetic appeal. It would not serve any purpose for traction.
With the super low tyre profile the tyres would also wear out much faster than normal tyres. In comparison a typical low profile tyres of 40 series profile would last about 1 year (20,000 to 25,000km) when used normally on a car but on a large 32" wheel with ultra low profile tyres the tyres itself would last no more than 6 months (10,000km).
The big wheels craze we driven by the after market sector where tuners started using large wheels to accentuate the looks of the car and also to improve traction after modifying the engine for more power. The real large wheels craze started to take off in early 2002 where 22" wheels were seen fitted on tuned cars. This lead to further large wheels craze and the size increased to 24"!!
In the US, big SUVs were fitted with massive wheels to fill up the big wheel arches. The sizes of the large wheels were approaching the point where it became ridiculous as tyre manufacturers were struggling to keep up. Wheel manufacturers were able to make big wheels but tyre manufacturers didn't have the tyre sizes to fit these large wheels. The tyre manufacturers needed to justify their investment in making large tyres and with low demand the tyre cost will be extremely high.
In the picture above the SUV is fitted with 32" wheels and the wheels manufacturer had to make their own tyres to suit this massive 32" wheel as other tyre manufacturers either didn't make them this big or there were very limited selection.
In terms of practicality the massive 32" wheels were down right useless as they were susceptible to damage from potholes. The massive wheels were purely for cosmetic appeal. It would not serve any purpose for traction.
With the super low tyre profile the tyres would also wear out much faster than normal tyres. In comparison a typical low profile tyres of 40 series profile would last about 1 year (20,000 to 25,000km) when used normally on a car but on a large 32" wheel with ultra low profile tyres the tyres itself would last no more than 6 months (10,000km).
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Lotus cars
Lotus was founded by a man whose passion led his engineering mind to create many iconic cars. Colin Chapman's creativity was second to none during his era. Lotus created the Esprit (which was featured in James Bond film), Elan and more notably the Elise which surprised the motoring world with its simplicity by proving that light weight cars can be more fun than big heavy cars with massive horsepower.
Lotus was sold to Proton in the 1990s and the company was almost run into the ground by Proton as Proton only used Lotus's engineering department to develop Proton car's suspension and chassis. Lotus was left floundering and only sold the Elise to survive. The Exige model was introduced in several years later but did not really make any impact on the Lotus car sales. Lotus's business direction was going in the wrong direction as the world economy started to take a nose dive and sports cars were second priority to most car buyers.
Lotus until today only have sports cars for sale and did not ride on the luxury sports saloon wave where Porsche and Aston Martin were making good money. Lotus also did not develop any SUVs like Porsche did. By limiting the models to only sports cars the sales volume will always remain low.
Lotus's reputation for a sports car manufacturer alone would not guarantee its survival. Lotus did not have the racing pedigree reputation like Ferrari which the brand value alone was worth billions of dollars. Lotus needs a car that would appeal more to the masses that was capable of selling in large numbers globally in order for it to survive in this difficult economic climate. Sacrifices need to be made by cutting back on sports car development and focus on luxury sports saloons and SUV model that could be sold in key markets such as US, Japan, China, India and Middle East.
One major downside for Lotus is that is does not have its own engine and transmission. Transmission aside, the engine was a major component that was missing. Transmission wise Lotus can always work with reputable manufacturers such as Aisin, Borg Warner or Getrag. Lotus have gone from working with Rover and then Toyota for engines however, Lotus really need to have their own engines to truly call the car their own.
Lotus's current owner DRB-Hicom can only inject a limited amount of money to keep Lotus afloat. Drastic changes in management direction has to be made in order for Lotus to survive beyond 2020.
Lotus was sold to Proton in the 1990s and the company was almost run into the ground by Proton as Proton only used Lotus's engineering department to develop Proton car's suspension and chassis. Lotus was left floundering and only sold the Elise to survive. The Exige model was introduced in several years later but did not really make any impact on the Lotus car sales. Lotus's business direction was going in the wrong direction as the world economy started to take a nose dive and sports cars were second priority to most car buyers.
Lotus until today only have sports cars for sale and did not ride on the luxury sports saloon wave where Porsche and Aston Martin were making good money. Lotus also did not develop any SUVs like Porsche did. By limiting the models to only sports cars the sales volume will always remain low.
Lotus's reputation for a sports car manufacturer alone would not guarantee its survival. Lotus did not have the racing pedigree reputation like Ferrari which the brand value alone was worth billions of dollars. Lotus needs a car that would appeal more to the masses that was capable of selling in large numbers globally in order for it to survive in this difficult economic climate. Sacrifices need to be made by cutting back on sports car development and focus on luxury sports saloons and SUV model that could be sold in key markets such as US, Japan, China, India and Middle East.
One major downside for Lotus is that is does not have its own engine and transmission. Transmission aside, the engine was a major component that was missing. Transmission wise Lotus can always work with reputable manufacturers such as Aisin, Borg Warner or Getrag. Lotus have gone from working with Rover and then Toyota for engines however, Lotus really need to have their own engines to truly call the car their own.
Lotus's current owner DRB-Hicom can only inject a limited amount of money to keep Lotus afloat. Drastic changes in management direction has to be made in order for Lotus to survive beyond 2020.
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
tokyo auto salon
The Tokyo Auto Salon which is held every January in Tokyo is by far one of the best automotive shows to visit. This event showcases the craziest and most innovative tuning technologies as well as heavily modified cars that we don't usually see on city streets. Nearly all the famous Japanese tuning houses will display their best tuned cars and their latest products. This show is ever popular with car enthusiast. This year's show boasted an attendance of 280,000 people spanning 3 days.
This event is also used by car manufacturers to launch new models and also face-lift models. The whole event is centered around tuning, modifications and product innovation.
This year's event was much a Toyota GT86 / Subaru BRZ show as most tuning companies displayed their tuned version of the Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ. This car has taken Japan by storm as the car of choice for an entry level car for tuning. Different versions of tuning ranging from supercharging, turbo charging and NA tuning styles were on display. There were over 40 different types of bodykits on display for this car.
This year's Tokyo Auto salon is by far one of the biggest spanning 11 exhibition halls. A big difference compared to last year's show that only filled up 8 halls. Despite being the biggest show in several years some of the major tuning companies were absent from this show. Big names such as HKS, M7, Apexi, Pivot and Spoon were missing.
The D1 drifting team also did exhibition drifts in the rear carpark for spectators to enjoy. Big names in drifting were there to show their skill and meet the fans.
The Tokyo Auto Salon is truly one of the coolest event to attend for any car fanatic.
This event is also used by car manufacturers to launch new models and also face-lift models. The whole event is centered around tuning, modifications and product innovation.
This year's event was much a Toyota GT86 / Subaru BRZ show as most tuning companies displayed their tuned version of the Toyota GT86 and Subaru BRZ. This car has taken Japan by storm as the car of choice for an entry level car for tuning. Different versions of tuning ranging from supercharging, turbo charging and NA tuning styles were on display. There were over 40 different types of bodykits on display for this car.
This year's Tokyo Auto salon is by far one of the biggest spanning 11 exhibition halls. A big difference compared to last year's show that only filled up 8 halls. Despite being the biggest show in several years some of the major tuning companies were absent from this show. Big names such as HKS, M7, Apexi, Pivot and Spoon were missing.
The D1 drifting team also did exhibition drifts in the rear carpark for spectators to enjoy. Big names in drifting were there to show their skill and meet the fans.
The Tokyo Auto Salon is truly one of the coolest event to attend for any car fanatic.
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