The piston skirt and pin account for about 17 percent of the frictional loss in a combustion engine as they are the most difficult to keep lubricated and have the largest contact surfaces. OE powertrain manufacturer Federal-Mogul has announced two new-generation coatings that are claimed to reduce this friction by up to 15 percent compared to standard coatings.

Engineers have attempted to overcome the friction losses at the skirt and pin by optimizing the geometry of the piston’s clearances and, more recently, by utilizing advanced coatings on the cylinder wall and piston skirt. Each advance has meant improvements in engine longevity, fuel economy, and power output. Federal-Mogul Powertrains says that its latest EcoTough coatings for gasoline and diesel engines take this a step further, reducing skirt wear in a gasoline engine by up to 40 percent compared to today’s market standard.

The coating is a metal oxide-reinforced resin with embedded solid lubricant particles. It’s applied [...]

I was at the 2016 Osaka Auto Messe last week and saw a car that stopped me in my tracks. The lines of this car and the pure aggression left me mesmerized and speechless.
The car that had this effect on me you ask? The Toyota FT-1 Concept Car.
Imagined by Calty Design Research in the Sony PlayStation Gran Turismo game environment, the FT-1 which stands for ‘Future Toyota” is the ultimate expression of coupe design building upon Toyota’s rich sport coupe heritage going back to the legendary 2000GT, Celica, Supra, MR2 and Scion FR-S.
The thing that really jumped out to me when I first laid eyes on this [...]

On January 15 through 17, 2016, the Tokyo Auto Salon was held at the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba City, Japan. The Tokyo Auto Salon is one of the leading modified and custom car shows in the World. Started in 1983 as a way to promote custom car culture in Japan, auto manufacturers have been known to launch new vehicles at the show.
One vehicle that debuted at the Tokyo Auto Show but was also shown at the Tokyo Auto Salon was the Mazda RX-Vision. The center-piece of Mazda’s stand is a long and sleek coupe with an all-new rotary engine. Does this vehicle hint at a new flagship sports car?
The Mazda RX-Vision
The Mazda RX-Vision carries over the front-engine, rear-drive formula from the RX-7. However, it has a ‘next generation’ rotary engine called the 16X which uses a new rotary technology called SKYACTIVE-R. Mazda says that the new engine addresses the [...]

It is January 2016 and a new assortment of amazing cars that were not ever sold in the United States are now eligible for importation under the Department of Transportation 25-year rule.  The 25-year rule states that cars that are more than 25 years old are exempt from EPA and DOT requirements.  This means that many great cars that were not previously available for sale in the United States can now be imported and driven legally on American roads.  In this post, we will be looking at 9 cars worth importing under the 25-year rule in 2016.

Alpina B7 Bi-Turbo

The B10 BiTurbo (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpina_B10_Biturbo)is a high performance version of the BMW 5 Series E34.  Starting in 1989, the B10 BiTurbo was based on the BMW 535i and received several upgrades by Alpina including engine, transmission, and suspension.  The Alpina B10 Bi-Turbo was much faster than BMWs own M5.

At the time of its release, it [...]

In the automotive industry, the search is always on for materials that are lighter, cheaper, stronger, and can last longer while maintaining its efficiency. In those terms, Flash Bainite could be revolutionary in what it has to offer.

In terms of strength, Flash Bainite is stronger than titanium weight wise. It is also ductile to a point where it can be pressed into shape without cracking. Flash Bainite is a material that is up to 30 to 50 percent lighter and also cheaper than steel.

Strength wise Flash Bainite is capable of providing 7 percent higher specific strength compared to martensitic steel. What this means is that any product that currently uses martensitic steel can be replaced with Flash Bainite and deliver exceptional results while lasting longer.

Initial data recorded by carrying out tests using the Flash Bainite showed that mass production and expenses can be reduced by up to [...]

The launch of the latest 550bhp hybrid Honda NSX has been postponed till 2016. The much awaited supercar features three electrical motors. It was originally supposed to be launched in the market year ending 2015. However, now there is news that the release might be delayed by six months.

The Honda NSX is sold in North America as Acura NSX and is a mid-engine, two-seater sports car by Honda. A company spokesman confirmed the news of the delay and said that it will also have an impact on the NSX in Europe. A change in the layout of the engine during the development phase has been announced as the reason for the delay.

Bulk production in Europe to be affected

 The first-generation model of the car made its debut in the year 1989 (Chicago Auto Show) with the [...]

Mazda Roadster Named The Japanese ‘Car Of The Year’

The latest Mazda Roadster from Mazda Motor Corp has won the title of the Japanese ‘Car of the Year’ for 2015-2016. The 6th model for the new generation vehicle lineup, Mazda’s new Roadster, features the entire range of KODO-Soul of Motion designing and SkyActiv technology. Mazda Roadster is a lightweight open-top, rear-wheel drive, front engine sports vehicle created for the ultimate driving experience.

The two-seater got a lot of praise from the JAHFA judges for its high-end open-top sporty design as well as the modern SkyActiv technology. The judges also spoke about the extraordinary fuel efficiency and driving performance of the Mazda Roadster, owing to the lightweight frame of the vehicle. Even though the car is light in weight, it has a rigid body.

Successive wins [...]

If you’ve been following recent automotive updates, you would have probably heard by now that Toyota is getting ready to launch the all new hybrid Prius. However, this time buyers will get to choose between two battery packs.

The choices include the old-school nickel-metal hydride batteries and the latest lithium ion batteries.

You’re probably wondering what the key difference between the two is. Well, to start off, the lithium ion batteries weigh 35 pounds less and will be available only with the high-end variants of the Prius. It is because the higher end variants already weigh quite a bit due to the increase in mass, as a result of adding extra features. To make up for the weight gain and also, to improve fuel efficiency, Toyota has decided to use lithium ion batteries [...]

Honda has taken center stage at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show with six world premieres out of the 42 world debuts in the year’s hottest motor spectacle. To go along with the six world premieres, Honda also got the Japan debut done for Honda Project 2&4 powered by RC213V, NSX and the 6-speed manual transmission Civic Type R.

What caught the fancy of motor enthusiasts was the Honda Wander Stand Concept that can have two adults ride beside each other revolutionizing the way we will be driving in the near future. With the use of Omni Traction Drive System, narrow roads will be easy to maneuver. This is the better version and perhaps the beta version of future smart cars.

The NSX showed off Honda’s tireless pursuit in chasing and offering car lovers immense driving satisfaction. Boasting a V6 twin turbo engine, a 9-speed Dual-clutch [...]

The Mazda CX-5 SUV marks a few firsts for Mazda. It will be the company’s first production vehicle sporting the new KODO – Soul of Motion design language seen originally in the Shinari concept vehicle, the first vehicle featuring Mazda’s efficiency-boosting Skyactiv technology, and the first to feature Smart City Brake Support (SCBS) – a system designed to avoid or reduce the damage from low speed collisions.

Similar to Volvo’s Auto Brake system, the SCBS system uses a laser sensor mounted at the top of the windshield glass to scan for other vehicles or obstacles in front of the car when traveling at speeds of around 4 – 30 km/h (2.5 – 19 mph). If a potential collision is detected, the system reduces the brake rotor (or disc) travel distance so that braking is faster when the driver applies the brake. If the driver fails to apply the brake or maneuver to avoid an impending [...]