Automobile Design

This work is on the aerodynamics design of the body and frame of a motor tricycle using SolidWorks 2011 modeling system. Its Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) feature was used to run simulation tests at a target speed of 150 km/h to evaluate the aerodynamic performance of the tricycle. Simulation results presented shows that lift and drag forces are diminished considerably and that 170 km/h is the maximum speed to be travelled by the tricycle for a smooth and stable ride. Also, the design reduced drastically the effects of lift and drag forces, increased the tricycle’s stability, traction and performance as well as minimized the weight of the tricycle as a result of the use of high performance to mass ratio materials such as carbon fiber for the body and alloy steel for the frame and rims.

A vehicle door protector that includes a lightweight single unit construction shell member configured to overlie and superimpose substantially the entire exterior of a sole vehicle door, said shell member having a durable exterior surface and a pliable interior surface, wherein the shell member is releasably securable to the vehicle door by means of a plurality of securing straps, whereby the finish and paintwork of the vehicle door to which the device is attached is protected from dings, dents, scratches and other blemishes rendered thereto by the opening of doors of adjacently parked vehicles.

Purpose: This paper presents a design study undertaken to develop a concept motorcar interior based on the Hulme F1 supercar exterior prototype. The study focused on generating an appropriate visual design proposal with the support of the Perceptual Product Experience (PPE) framework to guide design progress and validate design work. Methodology/approach: Throughout the project, the PPE framework was used as a tool to specify, direct and evaluate design work and to support design decision making. Design research work was categorised in the stages of contextual research, contemporary design analysis, design development, and design evaluation. Evaluation was done using a small quantitative-qualitative survey with external respondents, employing VAS scales, Likert scales and open ended questions. Findings: This paper illustrates how the PPE framework can be applied as an effective tool for establishing an appropriately and creatively managed design direction during the design developme...

This is a PDF/Scribd version of the PowerPoint material for a SAWE seminar given initially at the 2017 SAWE Regional Conference (Irving, Tx), and then again at the 2019 SAWE International Conference (Norfolk, Va). The course objective was to enable the student to make reasonably accurate maximum lateral acceleration, rollover lateral acceleration, directional stability, and steering responsiveness determinations in the course of vehicle design. The student was also to become acquainted with such things as the calculation of roll resistance, suspension roll center location, sprung mass roll axis inclination, sprung mass roll inertia, sprung mass roll moment arm, sprung mass roll angle under lateral acceleration, vehicle roll gain, vehicle dynamic index in yaw, transient center of rotation location, and transient yaw inertia. There was also considerable time spent on the behavior of tires under lateral load and “Ackermann Steering Geometry” relationships.
This seminar is very important for anyone engaged in vehicle design, in particular those designing with an emphasis on performance, and special effort has been expended to make it particularly relevant for those involved in the SAE Student Formula Design Competition. However, no one completing this course will walk away without having acquired some degree of enlightenment.

The main purpose of the paper is to determine the change in vehicle energy efficiency due to using the air conditioning system. There is a connection between the changes in vehicle energy efficiency and fuel consumption together with time needed for vehicle acceleration. The paper comprises the measurement results performed at stabilized speeds as well as during vehicle acceleration. The final part of the paper outlines the result of calculation of change in vehicle energy efficiency resulting from air conditioning unit used during New European Driving Cycle.

This article was originally published in the Winter 1982/83 Issue of the Society of Allied Weight Engineers (SAWE) Journal, pp. 10 to 15, copyright Brian Paul Wiegand/SAWE. It was the precursor to the SAWE Paper #3528, “Mass Properties and Automotive Lateral Acceleration”, presented in 2011 for the 70th Annual International Conference of the SAWE at Houston Tx. It was also the seed for what ultimately sprouted into the SAWE seminar “Automotive Lateral Dynamics and Mass Properties” given initially at the 2017 SAWE Regional Conference (Irving, Tx), and then again at the 2019 SAWE International Conference (Norfolk, Va).
The maximum lateral acceleration level which an automobile can attain in turning is an important index of performance and safety. The obtaining of high maximum acceleration levels has certain inherent weight and center of gravity implications of great significance for the automotive design engineer. The purpose of this article is to examine the physics of automotive turning maneuvers so as to make those weight and c.g. implications explicit.

The intent of this paper, again revised (Rev. G), is to show that a vehicle designed in true accordance with the balanced viewpoint of a professional mass properties engineer may not only demonstrate superior acceleration, braking, and handling, but superior ride, stability, fuel economy, and safety as well. If a design begins with the first principles of how mass properties affect automotive performance in all its aspects , and is optimized accordingly in an integrated manner, then the resulting advanced automotive design may truly “go where none have gone before”.

The Federal Military Government under the leadership of General Yakubu Gowon initiated plans to establish the Peugeot Automobile of Nigeria (PAN). The idea was concretized on October 6, 1969 when the Government invited sixteen (16) reputable vehicle manufacturing companies in the world to establish a vehicle assembly plant in the country.

The purpose of prototyping is to validate the material and geometrical shape of the design created for a product. The properties and quality of the prototype created plays a vital role in validating the design. The selection of an appropriate process parameters for making the prototype has more influence over the mechanical properties and quality characteristics of the finished prototype. In other words, the success and market life of a product entirely relies upon the prototyping results. Rapid prototyping techniques generally involve numerous process parameters which need to be optimized to build a prototype with superior performance. Fused deposition modeling is one of the familiar and fascinating RP technique which has gained interest in the field of prototyping products of Engineering, Architecture, Medical, Automotive and Aerospace due to its simplicity and flexibility in creating conceptual models and functional parts with desired quality. In the present work Impact Hammer testing of FDM processed PolyEthylene Terephthalate Glycol-modified(PET-G) and Acronitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastics is conducted to observe the influence of FDM process parameters. The major FDM parameters such as Infill Density (ID), Layer Thickness (LT) and Printing Speed (S) are considered to obtain Frequency Response Function (FRF) for PET-G and ABS plastics. The test results have shown considerable changes in vibration properties (Frequency and amplitude) in both the materials. A 23 (2 Levels, 3 Factors) design L4 Orthogonal Array is created using Minitab 17.0 is used for conducting the experiments.

This work is on the aerodynamics design of the body and frame of a motor tricycle using SolidWorks 2011 modeling system. Its Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) feature was used to run simulation tests at a target speed of 150 km/h to evaluate the aerodynamic performance of the tricycle. Simulation results presented shows that lift and drag forces are diminished considerably and that 170 km/h is the maximum speed to be traveled by the tricycle for a smooth and stable ride. Also, the design reduced drastically the effects of lift and drag forces, increased the tricycle’s stability, traction and performance as well as minimized the weight of the tricycle as a result of the use of high performance to mass ratio materials such as carbon fiber for the body and alloy steel for the frame and rims.

There are a number of automotive performance aspects which are associated with accelerations in the lateral direction: maneuver (transient and steady state), roll-over, and directional stability. For each of these automotive performance aspects certain mass property parameters play significant roles; it is the intent of this paper to make explicit exactly how those mass property parameters affect each of those automotive performance aspects.
With regard to maneuver, the maximum lateral acceleration which can be attained in steady-state turning is an important index of performance and safety. The obtaining of high maximum lateral acceleration levels has inherent vehicle weight and center of gravity (longitudinal, lateral, and vertical) implications. However, before attaining a steady-state condition, a turning maneuver must first go through a transient phase. When the transient phase is included in the full maneuver picture, the previous list of significant vehicle mass properties parameters acquires two more members: the mass moments of inertia about the roll and yaw axes.
For modern passenger vehicles, the lateral acceleration point at which roll-over can occur is generally at a level significantly greater than the maximum lateral acceleration. That is, a modern car will tend to slide out of control long before there is a possibility of overturn. Accidents involving rollover generally occur because the vehicle was “flipped” by obstacles in the roadway, not because the vehicle traction was great enough to reach the critical lateral acceleration level. However, the level at which rollover could occur is still an important index of safety, and the most significant mass property for the determination of that level is the vertical center of gravity.
Lastly, there is the matter of directional stability, which has to do with the lateral tire traction force balance front-to-rear, and the front-to-rear “drift angle” relationship of the vehicle tires due to those forces. The lateral force/drift angle relationship is dependent upon normal load, so the most significant mass properties with regard to directional stability are the vehicle weight and static longitudinal and lateral weight distribution.
However, the static normal loads are dynamically modified in response to lateral directional “disturbance” forces. Such disturbances generate initial lateral inertial reactions at the vehicle c.g.; the consequent roll moment not only causes lateral changes in the normal load distribution, but also longitudinal changes due to the front-to-rear suspension roll resistance balance. Such changes readjust the initial lateral force/drift angle relationship front-to-rear, and thereby affect the lateral inertial reaction. If this reaction augments the effect of the original disturbance, then the vehicle is termed unstable or “oversteering”; if the reaction is such as to diminish the effect of the original disturbance, then the vehicle is termed stable or “understeering”. Therefore, for directional stability, the primary mass property parameters are the vehicle weight, and total weight distribution (longitudinal, lateral, and vertical).

The primary forces which determine the dynamic behavior of aircraft are aerodynamic forces generated by pressure differentials acting over the aerosurface areas. In contrast, the primary forces which determine the dynamic behavior of automobiles are friction forces generated by contact pressure acting over the tire-to-road contact areas.
It is the tires that transmit the forces that accelerate, decelerate, and maneuver the automotive road vehicle. It is the tires that play a major role in isolating the vehicle, its cargo and passengers, from the shock and vibration effects of road surface irregularities. Last, but not least, the tires play an absolutely critical role in providing vehicle directional stability. What tires do is necessary and very complex, so much so that in nearly 125 years of development no adequate substitute has been found for the pneumatic-elastic rubber and cord structure known as the tire. The tire has prevailed over all those years, undergoing innumerable improvements and refinements, despite still not being fully understood in its mechanisms and behavior.
This document attempts to fully explain and understand tire mechanisms and behavior, and is an excerpt from a larger work entitled "Mass Properties and Advanced Automotive Design"  presented at the 74th Annual International Conference of the Society of Allied Weight Engineers Inc. in May 2015. That paper, and this excerpt, have undergone considerable revision since then in an ongoing attempt to eliminate all spelling, grammatical, typographical, and other errors.

The roll cage of Baja vehicle can be of various types, comprising a tubular structure of various dimensions, but all complying with the official rulebook issued by Baja SAE India. Since the vehicle is expected to perform in off-road conditions, various static and dynamic forces are applied on the chassis, and during these off-road conditions, the main motive of roll cage is to ensure total safety of the driver and to assemble and mount other vehicle components. The chassis of the vehicle is first designed in Solidworks 2018 and then analysed in ANSYS 2019.

“Advanced Topics” is Part 8 of a ten part presentation series "Automotive Dynamics and Design". The intent is to form a comprehensive series of lectures providing instruction in the design of automobiles from both a practical and a stylistic viewpoint. The ten segments constitute the core (reading assignments, homework, and test material not included) of a class to be given over a period of about twelve weeks. The ten course segments are:
1) "Automotive Dynamics and Design"
2) "Longitudinal Dynamics"
3) "Lateral Dynamics"
4) "Vertical Dynamics"
5) "Mass Properties Analysis and Control"
6) "Tire Behavior"
7) "Aerodynamics"
8) "Advanced Topics"
9) "Design (Styling)"
10) "Summary"
Part 1 is essentially an introduction to, and a syllabus for, the course of study. Part 2 constitutes a study of automotive acceleration, braking, and crash deceleration. Part 3 constitutes a study of oversteer, understeer, directional stability, rollover, lateral acceleration: transient and steady state. Part 4 constitutes a study of springing, damping, shock attenuation, road contact, road vibration transmissibility, ride motions. Part 5 constitutes a study of the ten mass properties equations, the ten mass properties uncertainty equations, standard deviation, normal distribution, regression analysis, coefficient of determination, correlation, degrees of freedom, total weight estimation, unsprung weight estimation, sprung weight estimation, estimation of the total weight c.g., estimation of the unsprung weight c.g., estimation of the sprung weight c.g., estimation of the total mass moments of inertia,  estimation of the unsprung mass moments of inertia, estimation of the sprung mass moments of inertia, estimation of the total products of inertia, estimation of the sprung roll moment of inertia. Part 6 constitutes a study of friction vs. traction, normal load vs. deflection, normal load vs. contact area, load capacity, vertical stiffness, lateral traction, longitudinal traction, %Slip, Slip Angle, Traction Ellipse, rolling resistance, temperature effects, speed effects. Part 7 constitutes a study of Navier-Stokes Equations, dimensionless indicators (Reynolds Number, Mach Number), streamlines, Bernoulli’s Equation, drag, lift, boundary layer, separation, wake, vortices, center of pressure, aerodynamic stability, wings, fences, spoilers. Part 8 constitutes a study of camber, caster, toe in/out, scrub, kingpin angle, scrub radius, effective spring rate, roll stiffness, suspension geometry, roll axis, steering geometry, turn centers, geared and equivalent gearless systems, products of inertia, gyroscopic reactions, fuel economy, standing wave, hydroplaning. Part 9 introduces the concept of Design (a.k.a. Styling), Design Schools, Design Practitioners, Design Process, Exterior Design, Interior Design. Part 10 deals with the business and manufacturing aspects of automotive endeavors: business plan (product, market, cash flow, P&L, capitalization, ROI, etc.), profit and loss statements, break-even analysis, in-house or subcontract decisions, plant location and layout, jigs and fixtures, equipment, supply and inventory, customer service & relations strategy.

The first-ever electronic car was introduced as early as 1890 in the United States of America by William Morrison. In the car sat six people and had a maximum speed of 6-12 miles per hour, traveling at a stretch of 100 miles before needing to be recharged. During the early 1900s, electronic cars in use surged up to 28%. However, in 1912, the invention of electric automobiles made gas-powered cars easier to start. Adding to the later electric cars could only cover short distances and gasoline was abundant and cheap.

The quantification of automotive directional stability may be expressed through various stability metrics, but perhaps the most basic of these automotive stability metrics is the “Understeer Gradient” (Kus). The Understeer Gradient (in degrees or radians per unit gravity) appears extremely uncomplicated when viewed in its most common formulation:

                                                          Kus = [Wf / (g Csf)] - [Wr / (g Csr)]

This metric appears to depend only on the front and rear axle weight loads (Wf, Wr), and on the front and rear axle cornering stiffnesses (Csf, Csr). However, those last quantities vary with lateral acceleration, and the nature of that variation is dependent upon many other parameters of which some of the most basic are: Total Weight, Sprung Weight, Unsprung Weight, Forward Unsprung Weight, Rear Unsprung Weight, Total Weight LCG, Sprung Weight LCG, Total Weight VCG, Sprung Weight VCG, Track, Front Track, Rear Track, Roll Stiffness, Front Roll Stiffness, Rear Roll Stiffness, Roll Axis Height, Front Roll Center Height, and Rear Roll Center Height. Note that exactly half of these automotive directional stability parameters as listed herein are mass properties.

The purpose of this paper is to explore, through a skidpad simulation, the relative sensitivity of automotive directional stability (as quantified through the Understeer Gradient) to variation in each of the noted vehicle parameters, with special emphasis on the mass property parameters.

The simulation is constructed in a spreadsheet format from the relevant basic automotive dynamics equations; the normal and lateral loads on the tires are determined as the lateral acceleration is increased incrementally by a small amount (thereby maintaining a “quasi-static” or “steady-state” condition). The normal loads are used for the calculation of the lateral traction force potentials at each tire, with the required (centripetal) lateral traction forces apportioned accordingly. From those required (actual) lateral tire forces the corresponding tire cornering stiffnesses are determined; this determination is based upon a tire model developed through a regression analysis of tire test data.

This construction of a fairly comprehensive lateral acceleration simulation from basic automotive dynamic relationships, instead of depending upon commercial automotive software such as “CarSim” (vehicle model) and Pacjeka “Magic Formula” (tire model), constitutes a unique aspect of this paper; this return to basics hopefully provides a clearer view and understanding of the results than would be the case otherwise. Even more unique is this paper’s emphasis on, and exploration of, the role specific mass property parameters play in determining automotive directional stability.

This paper aims at developing a technically sound and conceptually engineered ATV called quad bike. This paper describes in detail the procedure followed, methodology used and the considerations made in the entire design process. First the design approach is discussed and then the resulting design procedure and design analysis has been explained. Due efforts have been put to validate the design by theoretical calculations, simulations and known facts. Through this paper, an effort has been made to introduce a reliable yet cheaper methodology for industrial quad bike designing and simulation that may be used as a reference for many upcoming industries as well as many research and development projects.

“Lateral Dynamics” is Part 3 of a ten part presentation series "Automotive Dynamics and Design". The intent is to form a comprehensive series of lectures providing instruction in the design of automobiles from both a practical and a stylistic viewpoint. The ten segments constitute the core (reading assignments, homework, and test material not included) of a class to be given over a period of about twelve weeks. The ten course segments are:
1) "Automotive Dynamics and Design"
2) "Longitudinal Dynamics"
3) "Lateral Dynamics"
4) "Vertical Dynamics"
5) "Mass Properties Analysis and Control"
6) "Tire Behavior"
7) "Aerodynamics"
8) "Advanced Topics"
9) "Design (Styling)"
10) "Summary"
Part 1 is essentially an introduction to, and a syllabus for, the course of study. Part 2 constitutes a study of automotive acceleration, braking, and crash deceleration. Part 3 constitutes a study of oversteer, understeer, directional stability, rollover, lateral acceleration: transient and steady state. Part 4 constitutes a study of springing, damping, shock attenuation, road contact, road vibration transmissibility, ride motions. Part 5 constitutes a study of the ten mass properties equations, the ten mass properties uncertainty equations, standard deviation, normal distribution, regression analysis, coefficient of determination, correlation, degrees of freedom, total weight estimation, unsprung weight estimation, sprung weight estimation, estimation of the total weight c.g., estimation of the unsprung weight c.g., estimation of the sprung weight c.g., estimation of the total mass moments of inertia,  estimation of the unsprung mass moments of inertia, estimation of the sprung mass moments of inertia, estimation of the total products of inertia, estimation of the sprung roll moment of inertia. Part 6 constitutes a study of friction vs. traction, normal load vs. deflection, normal load vs. contact area, load capacity, vertical stiffness, lateral traction, longitudinal traction, %Slip, Slip Angle, Traction Ellipse, rolling resistance, temperature effects, speed effects. Part 7 constitutes a study of Navier-Stokes Equations, dimensionless indicators (Reynolds Number, Mach Number), streamlines, Bernoulli’s Equation, drag, lift, boundary layer, separation, wake, vortices, center of pressure, aerodynamic stability, wings, fences, spoilers. Part 8 constitutes a study of camber, caster, toe in/out, scrub, kingpin angle, scrub radius, effective spring rate, roll stiffness, suspension geometry, roll axis, steering geometry, turn centers, geared and equivalent gearless systems, products of inertia, gyroscopic reactions, fuel economy, standing wave, hydroplaning. Part 9 introduces the concept of Design (a.k.a. Styling), Design Schools, Design Practitioners, Design Process, Exterior Design, Interior Design. Part 10 deals with the business and manufacturing aspects of automotive endeavors: business plan (product, market, cash flow, P&L, capitalization, ROI, etc.), profit and loss statements, break-even analysis, in-house or subcontract decisions, plant location and layout, jigs and fixtures, equipment, supply and inventory, customer service & relations strategy.

A new vehicle named as “MPV-1 (Multi-Purpose Vehicle-1)” is to be made and launched in the automobile market of Pakistan. MPV-1 is a two seater passenger car targeted for the middle class people of Pakistan and therefore, needs to be cost-effective. Our project is to adapt an appropriate working braking system for MPV-1 that meets its requirements, is easily available in the market and is of lower costs.
      In order to accomplish this, first of all, we established the requirements of the braking system for MPV-1 that were braking distance and braking deceleration. We then performed out the necessary calculations of braking forces, dynamic weight transfer, skidding forces, pedal force, braking torque, hydraulic pressure, master cylinder bore size and wheel cylinder bore size. We then selected appropriate parts from the market like master cylinder, disc rotors, brake drums etc. that fulfilled our requirements and gave the desired calculated values of the braking forces and hydraulic pressure. While selecting these parts, we ensured that they were easily available in the market and of reasonable price.
      After that, we integrated our selected parts and assembled them to make the prototype for the braking system of MPV-1. We experimentally tested our prototype in two ways. Firstly, we practically achieved hydraulic pressure of 35 bars in our model whereas the theoretical hydraulic pressure was 42.4 bars. Secondly, we stopped a rotating shaft by applying the brakes of our prototype

The basic intent of this paper is to counter the commonly held simplistic concept of the role mass properties play in determining ride and road-contact. For those that have never undertaken any study of the matter, the general presumption seems to be that all that is required to achieve optimum performance is to minimize the weight and to obtain a balanced mass distribution. The reality is that there are many aspects to automotive performance, and what constitutes an optimum mass properties condition is generally a very complex matter which often necessitates difficult compromises. Tailoring some mass property parameters so as to achieve a desirable level of behavior with regard to one performance criterion will often adversely affect other performance criteria.

Although this paper is restricted to mass properties issues related to performance resulting from motion in the vertical direction, occasional reference will be made to those mass properties requirements necessitated by performance considerations associated with the longitudinal (acceleration, braking) and lateral (maneuver, roll-over, and directional stability) directions, as revealed in the previous investigations noted earlier. To do otherwise would be to work in a vacuum; the nature of reality tends to be such that all things are ultimately interrelated. To the fullest extent possible, the greater intent herein is to approach reality through the totality of the papers and articles written by this author on the subject of mass properties and automotive performance.

Today in a highly competitive and globalized market, to cater to increase in market demand, the objective of a manufacturing firm will be to deliver its products to its customers with zero defects and within target date. To compete successfully in the market, adoption of lean manufacturing techniques will help the manufacturing firms to stay at the top. This study focuses on reducing the cycle time of a manual assembly line for the first two stations, manufacturing four variants of light commercial vehicle at XYZ firm. Results showed that with introduction of fastener tray and two kitting trolleys as counter measures, there was significant reduction in cycle time. This study also highlights that with successful and proper implementation of kaizen applications has reduced ambiguity, overburdens on the operator and unevenness in the workplace.

Optimum operation of clutch systems is dictated by their dynamic as well as thermal performance. Both of these aspects are closely related to the interfacial frictional characteristics of the clutch lining material, which also affects the noise, vibration and harshness response of the entire vehicular powertrain system. Severe operating conditions such as interfacial clutch slip and increased contact pressures occur during clutch engagement, leading to generation of contact heat, and higher clutch system temperature. Therefore, any undesired oscillatory responses, generated during clutch engagement, such as take-up judder phenomenon can exacerbate generated heat due to stick-slip motion. The paper presents an integrated thermal, and 9-DOF dynamic model of a rear wheel drive light truck powertrain system. The model also includes experimentally measured clutch lining frictional variations with interfacial slip speed, non-linear contact pressure profile and generated surface flash temperature. It is shown that severe torsional oscillations known as take-up judder lead to an increased overall clutch temperature. It also shows that ageing of clutch lining material alters its dynamic and thermal performance.

Gasoline direct-injection engines generate the air/fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. During the induction stroke, only the combustion air flows through the open intake valve. The fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber by special fuel injectors.Direct injection gasoline engines promise the highest potential to minimize fuel consumption. The first gasoline direct injection engines of the " second generation " with spray-guided combustion systems were introduced to the market in 2006. The thermodynamic potential of such engines for significantly enhanced fuel economy, transient responsehas led to a large number of research and development projects. These engines are able to operate in lean operation mode throughout a wide operating range. Fuel savings of 10–20% can be achieved compared to conventional gasoline engines with port fuel injection.

In a multilingual and divergent national realm similar to Nigeria, communication, mutual trust and nationalism amongst the various distinct groups would be difficult if not impossible, without an independent and neutral language which many people can speak and understand freely and effortlessly. In such setting, there is always foreseeable necessity for people of sundry tongues to interact and operate smoothly in social, educational, political, economical, and cultural settings or institutions without any iota of distrust, mutual suspicion, abhorrence and insecurity. If these interactions yield positive and visible inference, climaxing the growth and development of the individuals and the nation at large, they must be done via a language and technical education. To this extent, the English language and Technical education have the capacity to unite and integrate the chaotic tongues of the various national and linguistic groups, by providing a soft landing pad and a level playing ground for all Nigerians to mutually communicate and contribute their quota to the overall growth and development of the geographical entity called Nigeria.

Keywords: Language, English Language, Technical Education, National Unity and Integration

Gasoline direct-injection engines generate the air/fuel mixture in the combustion chamber. During the induction stroke, only the combustion air flows through the open intake valve. The fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber by special fuel injectors.Direct injection gasoline engines promise the highest potential to minimize fuel consumption. The first gasoline direct injection engines of the "second generation" with spray-guided combustion systems were introduced to the market in 2006. The thermodynamic potential of such engines for significantly enhanced fuel economy, transient responsehas led to a large number of research and development projects. These engines are able to operate in lean operation mode throughout a wide operating range. Fuel savings of 10-20% can be achieved compared to conventional gasoline engines with port fuel injection.

Im Lauf des 20. Jahrhunderts ist es für die EuropäerInnen Bedürfnis und Gewohnheit geworden, Gegenstände und Tätigkeiten des gewöhnlichen Lebensvollzugs 'schön' einzurichten: sinnlich reizvoll und emotional ansprechend, in prägnanter, gefälliger Gestalt und aufgeladen mit symbolischen Botschaften, die dem Dasein eine Dimension jenseits der Alltagspragmatik verleihen.  Kaum eine Entscheidung, in die nicht ästhetische Ansprüche einflössen. Und wo die Basics der ökonomischen und physischen Reproduktion gesichert sind, da richtet sich die Lebensführung zunehmend nach Gesichtspunkten der Schönheit - häufig und durchaus bewusst auch zu Lasten von Funktionalität und ökonomischer Rationalität.
Dies wird am Beispiel der Wahrnehmung "des Autos" betrachtet; als Quellen dienen Testberichte. Deren Diskurs steht nicht in der langen Tradition oberschichtlicher Geschmacks- und Einrichtungsratgeber. In den Testberichten lassen sich vielmehr für die Nachkriegszeit die Relativierung der ingenieurtechnischen Argumentation und die Transformation von technischen in Anmutungs- und Erfahrungsqualitäten verfolgen.
Ich gehe davon aus, dass die Autoren gerade im nicht-technischen Bereich nicht auf tradierte Darstellungs- und Bewertungsmuster zurückgreifen konnten; dass sie vielmehr bei der Ausweitung der Dimensionen, in denen sie das Testobjekt und seine Erfahrung beschreiben, vergleichsweise synkretistisch-kreativ auf unterschiedlichste Diskursressourcen zugriffen. Sie waren und sind gewissermaßen Pioniere bei der Versprachlichung ästhetischer Erfahrungen, die sie mit dem durchschnittlichen Autonutzer teilen, ihm stets nur einen halben Schritt voraus und durch das Feedback auf dem Medienmarkt ständig genötigt, den Kontakt mit den Empfindungen der Alltagsfahrer zu halten.

European ethnology, former folklore studies, has a long and respectable tradition of focusing on things. The study of traditional house and dress, of tools and housing inventories, of folk art and ceramics, of the banana as the symbol of German reunification, of trench art from World War One and of the moveable belongings of migrants point to the broad spectrum of objects that have received attention. Equally broad and varied are the methodologies and theoretical contexts from which the studies of things derive. They all share an interest in the material nature of their objects of inquiry; their analysis, though, can be equally inspired by aesthetic considerations or by questions cultural historians and theorists of the forces of production ask, and of course völkisch thinking has also played a role. During the past decade Daniel Miller and his school of British material culture studies have been influential.