Engineering Explained: 6 Times Car Makers Had You Fooled
Car adverts and reviews are often a barrage of marketing terms (DOHC, VTEC, Quattro) and misconceptions. Here are six times when what you've been taught to believe, might not actually be true . . . . .
2. “Audi Quattro Is Better Than Subaru Symmetrical AWD”
The point here isn’t to claim that Audi, Subaru, or any other manufacturer for that matter make the best AWD system. Instead, it’s that the statement “Quattro is better than Symmetrical” holds almost no meaning. The terms Quattro, Symmetrical, S-AWC, SH-AWD, X-drive, etc. are all just marketing terms to state that the car can drive all four wheels. As you might assume, the Audi R8 doesn’t run the same AWD technology as the Audi A4. Even higher end Subaru offerings like the WRX and STI have drastically different AWD setups, though both are marketed as “Symmetrical AWD.” While the STI boasts front and rear limited-slip diffs, the WRX makes do with open front and rear axles. Ultimately, cars need to be analysed individually in order to determine which AWD solution will be best for a certain condition.
3. Steel vs Aluminum Body
Chevrolet has put out extensive advertising campaigns to discredit Ford’s work with the aluminium bodied F-150. Along with insinuating the idea that trucks need not care about efficiency and weight, they state boldly at the end of their Aluminum Man ad that “some things shouldn’t be made of aluminium.” Chevy engineers probably hung their heads in shame after watching the ads. After all, nearly all engines these days are made with aluminum blocks and heads, and it’s been reported that Chevrolet will be increasing the use of aluminium in future trucks. Of course they will. Aluminium is strong, light in weight, and has great corrosion properties. But do you think they’ll advertise the new truck as unsafe at launch? Unlikely. Repair costs may be slightly higher, however since insurance costs remain comparable it’s a non-issue for many of consumers (especially considering how common it is in the States to buy a truck for no utilitarian purposes). The weight reduction also helps save on fuel costs.
Complete list (CarThrottle.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment