The Physics of: Engine Cylinder-Bank Angles – Feature

January 14, 2011 at 11:16 am by John Pearley Huffman and Tony Quiroga

 

Why the angle between banks is critical to a smooth-running engine.

The inside of an internal-combustion engine is a just about the most violent place on Earth. Thousands of explosions happen every minute, resulting in great masses of metal being thrown up, down, and around. It’s almost miraculous that engines can produce civilized, usable thrust at all. Because what an engine would really like to do is blow itself apart.

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Related posts: The Future of the Internal-Combustion Engine – FeatureTags: internal-combustion, The Physics of |

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2012 BMW Z4 Roadster Will Be First to Bring BMW’s New Four-Cylinder Engine to U.S.

January 13, 2011 at 10:11 am by Steve Siler

While there may be no BMW model that the company’s glorious 3.0-liter inline-six cannot propel, nothing says that engine must propel every BMW. Engine downsizing has led the brand to develop a new family of four-cylinder engines, a turbocharged version of which is poised to replace the naturally aspirated 3.0-liter in some U.S.-bound models.

The first model to make the switch from six to turbocharged four is the Z4 roadster. The four-pot, according to our source, will produce at least 200 hp; a torque figure was not shared, but we expect about 220 to 230 lb-ft. The source asserted that the turbo four will be an adequate and thrifty replacement for the inline-six, the latter producing 255 hp and 220 lb-ft of torque in the 2011 Z4 sDrive30i. The engine is expected to be lighter and less thirsty, which should help raise the base Z4’s fuel economy from 18 mpg city/28 highway up to around 20/30, if not higher. Will the four have the same rev-to-the-stars zeal as the magical six-cylinder? Probably not. But it could at least be accompanied by a price drop from the $47,375 currently required to get into a Z4.

The last BMW models to make it onto our shores with just four cylinders were the unloved 318ti and the original Z3. If sneaking the new engine in under the long bonnet of the Z4 seems like heresy, bear in mind that Porsche’s next Boxster is also expected to come with a four-banger, and Mercedes-Benz’s just-revealed 2012 SLK will offer a turbocharged 1.8-liter four starting next spring.

Related posts: Ford Debuts Four-Cylinder EcoBoost Engine Family in FrankfurtCrazy Rally Buggy with BMW Diesel Six-CylinderBMW Won’t Bring M3 GTS to U.S.2009 BMW Z4 Roadster – Official Photos and InfoFuture Saabs to Use Turbocharged BMW Four-Cylinder, More Ties LikelyTags: BMW, BMW Z4, BMW Z4 roadster, engine downsizing, turbocharged |

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John Phillips: Our “Media Adviser” Retires to Oregon to Grow Mold – Column

January 14, 2011 at 11:28 am by John Phillips

“I lived one block from a druggie who killed his girlfriend, buried her on the property, then dug her up again.”

If you write for C/D, every word you submit will be scrutinized by the managing editor, or “M.E.,” who, after reading this very sentence, will ask whether the word “submit” might be replaced by “compose” and whether the word “scrutinized” might be replaced by “considered” and who will further point out that this sentence contains 89 words and might more profitably be replaced entirely by a telling anecdote or a direct quote, and, by the way, might you soon consider an occupation in which writing figures not at all?

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2012 Mercedes-Benz SLK-class – Official Photos and Info

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Aaron Robinson: Cars Get a Low Priority in the Rebuilding of Our Cities – Column

January 18, 2011 at 6:26 pm by Aaron Robinson

 

For many years after World War II, you were as likely to get a grocery store built within walking distance as a smelter.

Coincidentally, my oldest friend is also named Aaron. As fourth-graders on the playground, we called ourselves “Aaron 1” and “Aaron 2,” but I don’t remember with certainty ?who was which.

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Tags: Aaron Robinson, column, highway, mass transit |

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