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This then leads me on to another question related to this... if this is the case then how can series hybrid vehicles (that store electrical energy from an engine and then power in-wheel motors) have enough power to go? Surely the power's just being collected and not multiplied by gear sets?

Simple but probably silly... I was told that torque is multiplied by the gear ratios and final drive of a powertrain. Is this true? If so, if a car has peak torque of 100 lb/ft with 1st gear ratio 3.6 and final drive 3.1, does that mean in 1st gear at full throttle there will be 1,116 lb/ft...

I don't I'm afraid. I would have the x19 as my sole car. Having said that it's not impossible to get a train to work for a few weeks should something need doing.

Hi Guys, I was wondering if anybody had any advice about something I am considering. I currently have a smart car, which I love and is in good condition. I'm eyeing up the Fiat X1/9 from the late 70s / early 80s. I've always wanted one and I am wondering about trading in my smart car for a...

Does anybody know what the most powerful 4wd car on the market is today? Nobody say Galibier :cheesy:

Sold before being made?? As in people bought on concept drawings only? Sorry to pick your brains but do you know of any other examples where this has happened? I've found two currently... one track focused racer in New Zealand that pre-ordered all 8 that were going to be made, and this new...

Hi guys, I'm doing some research into prestige / performance buying habits. Does anybody know of any cases where a supercar has been pre-sold before production? I.e. bought on manufacturer concepts rather than through testdrives / dealership viewing. Would you consider it? If so under what...

Right... but horsepower is torque per minute. So, surely an engine with more cylinders will have more power strokes per revolution and therefore per minute. That means more horsepower can be given from a lower RPM.

Hi Guys, Please tell me if I'm right or wrong. This is how I understand it. HP x 33,000 / C / (RPM/2) = T HP = Horsepower C = Number of Cylinders T = Torque in lb/ft Is this correct???

So basically, I'm presuming the solenoid has been drilled directly into the exhaust manifold / tract to provide anti lag during shifts? I'm guessing the heat from the exhaust is enough to set it off to create the turbo spooling pressure rush. I know what you mean about turbo mincing! Just to...

Hi guys, In my quest to know more I've been buffing up about anti lag. And I've soon discovered that 90% of people don't have a clue what it is, and the other 10% can't explain it very well. I'd just like to clarify that anti lag basically retards the ignition of an engine to the point where...

Get in, engine on (the key has a function so you don't need to twist and hold it to get the engine started), while the starter motor is doing its thing... seatbelt on, radio on, sunglasses and we're off.

Hi guys, I've just been off the phone to a guy called 'Rick' from a company called CNC Heads (cncheads.co.uk) discussing heads for a 408 small block Chevy. I'd just like to set the record straight because he was possibly the rudest arse I've spoken to and from my experience he's talking...

Might just be where I'm traveling (Up and down the A127 London Bound and around Basildon / Chelmsford way) There are loads of them.

I know, it's just I presumed those types of engine were JUST for the drag strip and unsuitable for everyday road use due to their high maintenance nature. I figured it would need servicing every 15 miles and a rebuild every 100! With regards to that, Morrisons and a few other stores do E85...

Sorry guys... it can only be the Nissan Skyline. It's mainly because massive hp jumps can be achieved for very little work and it's the ultimate in sports saloons (and style in my opinion). To this day, I still have yet to see a stock skyline.

Presumably there are companies that trade ethanol friendly fueling systems? Also, what about exhausts and the emissions thereof. Wouldn't an ethanol engine fail a petrol engine's equivelent emissions test?

Awesome. An idea of mine that would actually work! This is a first :lol:

I understand using Bio-Ethanol such as E85 has been discussed in earlier topics. But I put this to you; If you modified a (turbocharged) engine to take a higher boost and a lower compression ratio with appropriate ethanol friendly injectors... Assuming the rest of the engine was blueprinted and...

So, in 3 cylinder engines, why don't all three pistons reciprocate 120 degrees from each other to give a constant hum? I know I'm plunging into more and more ambitious waters but could you have a custom crankshaft to give said uniform spacing? Obviously, the cam and timing chain would then have...

re: Modifying your car ? Please think carefully about what your doing MODS! Can we have this story sticky-d or made into an article because I think everyone needs to read it. Best story ever.

I'd say I'm closest to rally. But I'm usually spotted laughing to Radio 1.

Would have to be my suspension. Bilstein shocks and springs... McPherson at the front and fully independent at the rear. Took me 20 hours over the course of one weekend. I was broken afterwards!

...No it's petrol. It's just got a stock remap that stops it wandering further. Besides, with the current setup it's out of torque after 6000. Please note that due to it being a city car, it's 2 valves per head and 2 spark plugs per head. I know... I've seen the vids and I know a few people...

You're probably right. The only reason I want to use the existing engine is because I want to see how far you can take the smart car into high performance without an engine transplant... What if we were to look at this another way... motorbike engines like the Hayabusa 1300 can spin up to...

Okay, so I've got map and increased fuel demand. If I were going to do this, I would ensure that every part of the engine was scruitinised. I would most probably fit a larger turbo with the existing one in a sequential bi-turbo set up to handle the increased rpm range and have it bought in line...

Do 3 cylinder engines not rev well because they have to be internally balanced? Also... double springs would help, so, probably looking at a custom cylinder head on this one. The blueprinting... I know where I can get that done. Are there any other specific dangers to consider when cranking up...

I have a small 700cc 3 pot turbo engine in the back of my smart. I love it... but I can't help thinking it has higher RPM potential. It cuts out at 6,500 rpm... what modifications would be needed to get it up to... say 10,000 rpm? As far as I can think... a better cooling system, stronger valve...

True. But what if I want to make the wheelbase longer by, say, only about 300mm?

Is it possible to artifically lengthen your car... eg. elongate the chassis using wielded inserts so you end up with a longer wheelbase. I'm sure there's a whole plethora of complications I've overlooked... but is it possible?

Funniest thing I probably did was take my friend to ikea in my little smart car to buy a large desk with no fore-thought and realised it was far too big to fit in the car even in flat pack form. So we split the flatpack sections up, put the smaller sections in the footwell and down the back of...

Sounds epic. The only thing that's stopping me is budget. I'm setting myself a limit of about £2500 to make a custom car just for myself. If I can get my hands on one of those engines in budget then awesome... but it was just the best engine I could find in my price range! :P

There's a company not too far from me who do custom props, might get them to give me a hand. You say the handling might be compromised with a longer track at the back, so would it be more sensible to just have a custom prop made so I can run the Jag transmission straight down to the Nissan diff...

If you were to do an engine swap on a car (I'm thinking about a 4L V8 Jag engine & auto box into a Nissan 300ZX) would you just shorten the prop shaft and use the existing diff or try to get a diff from the donor car?

My dad's Ford CMax. Words cannot describe the lumpen joyless plasticy feeling you get when you push pedal to the metal... the pedal thumps against the floor at what seems half way down and it sounds like you've got Adrian Chiles in your exhaust. Boring and intollerable to listen to.

Feel free to mock... I just wasn't sure because I've seen 4x4 setups and they don't appear to be bolted to the chassis and I never found an answer :embarrest:

In a Front engine mounted, RWD car is the differential connected to the chassis, or is it just held in place by the shafts? I know it's a really stupid question but it's been bugging me for a while and I've found no answer.

I just wouldn't because I see what the car represents. Simply shuffling around the carbon footprint marks to give a thin facade of eco-friendliness. The damage is done in the production process before it's even done it's first mile. I'm not an eco-mentalist and I don't care how much CO2 is...

Got a semi-auto so I always engine brake wherever I go. I find if I time the semi-auto clutch coming up in 1st with hitting the brakes I stop a lot quicker... but I don't know about manuals.

When I say "British Grand Touring Cars"... what cars do you think of?