Autoblog

If anyone were to come along and do an updated version of Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing," the could change the background vocal from "I want my MTV" to "I want my MPG" or "I want my low Cd." Coefficient of drag, that is. Carmakers are taking every step they can, starting with aerodynamics, to give cars better gas mileage right now while they wait for more substantial technologies to come online in the near future.

But the tweaks don't stop with aero finessing. The 2009 Dodge Ram spent 200 hours in the wind tunnel, and it also received tweaks to its ECU, which means it spends more time in its cylinder cutoff mode. That, plus eighty pounds of weight savings, adds up to one more MPG on the EPA sheet. Said Ford's Derek Kuzak, "We need to treat every joule of energy in a vehicle like a precious commodity."

In fact, that song hook could also be "I want my XFE." The Cobalt XFE, developed over 18 months to offer the best gas mileage in the Cobalt line, is selling six percent better than expected. Fuel economy, instead of design, is the number one reason people buy a Cobalt now. And the XFE has the lowest on-the-lot time of any Cobalt model. That's how important the price of gas has become.

[Source: Automotive News, sub req'd]

Much like the automotive crash test industry utilizes "dummies" of different statures and body weights to simulate different passenger types, Nissan engineers have developed a special suit to "simulate" the elderly. Nissan went to all this trouble because it anticipates that Baby Boomers will soon command a larger share of automotive sales. It's a preemptive plan to design vehicles that accommodate their needs. Well, some of them, as we don't expect in-dash prune juice dispensers anytime soon.

This innovative suit is comprised of several different components that are each designed to restrict physical movement or reduce vision (interestingly enough, donning the suit does not make the wearer crave early bird specials or migrate to Palm Springs). Dark colored glasses simulate the poor vision and gloves simulate reduced dexterity. Casts on on the body also weigh down the wearer's limbs to simulate arthritic pain. Our favorite is the big thick waist belt designed to simulate the "middle aged spread."

[Source: Nissan via WorldCarFans]

Audi has seen the future, and the future is exciting; at least in Ingolstadt. Engineers at Audi have cooked up the automotive equivalent of the Focusrite Liquid Mix. An A8L has been pressed into service as the basis for Audi's emulator, having been modified with extra hydraulics, an active steering system and hardware to steer the rear wheels, as well. Dubbed HORST, for Handling Online Research Simulation Tool, the car was initially developed to ape the dynamic responses of an E-Class Benz. More cars have been added as "presets," and engineers can switch from a range of vehicles, including a VW GTI, a Lotus Elise, even a Hyundai Getz, all at the behest of a laptop.

[Source: Auto Express]

Fun though it may be, racing is still an applied science. Perhaps this is most evident in the tech heavy F1 cars. BMW uses a very trick wind tunnel to test their Sauber F1 car in virtually all dynamic conditions to ensure that the aerodynamics give the desired result. This video has a bit of a Kubrick/2001 feel to it, but it's fascinating watching the car "drive" on this gigantic treadmill. As usual, the video does a much better job than a whole bagful of words, so check it out after the jump.

[Source: MotorAuthority]

Don't go getting too excited, it probably won't mean a crate version of the S65 or N54 for Roundel fans. Running an automaker is expensive, especially a manufacturer that leans more toward niche status than casting a wide net. BMW is looking at all options for future revenue, and one of the thoughts that's occured to the well-respected manufacturer of cars with chutzpah is to bank on its engineering chops and sell engines to other carmakers. Lotus has pimped themselves out for years to other automakers, and the Porsche name has ended up on things like hard drives, so BMW selling their award-winning engines to gain an extra stream of return on their investment is a far less radical move. Hey, if selling their more mundane powerplants to emerging markets like India and China keeps the coffers full and awesome performers rolling our way, we're all for it.

[Source: Motor Authority]

We're punchy for this one (just check out our outtakes at the end, even better than last time!). We start off with a lively debate over Hyundai's rumored full-size RWD truck on the BH platform and whether it will be good or bad. No consenus was reached, but it will be exciting to see if Hyundai can morph the concept of the Honda Ridgeline into something a little more haul-friendly.

We segue from unibody pick 'em ups into the exciting story of the 2nd most expensive car ever auctioned. That is, if the buyer doesn't fink out (Too late, already did! - Ed.) when it comes time to hit the old PayPal. John Schneider's personal "General Lee" Charger with history (if you can call 80's TV camp real history) was sold on eBay for 9.95 million dollars. The cash isn't going to fund some humanitarian effort, rather, it will be used to finance a sequel to Mr. Scheider/Duke/Kent's Collier & Co. - Hot Pursuit movie. We're sure it's the next Citizen Kane. Speaking of movies, we also touch on the despicably obvious product placement in the Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, which is essentially a popcorn-bucket-length Dodge spot.

Wrapping it all up, we ring the bell on the "duh" category a couple times for the Lutz. The Zeta is back on, not that we really thought it was dead. B.L. has decided that it's likely wiser to tweak powerplants than to toss away an entire product renaissance worth of engineering. Whew, and we thought he might actually do it. Speaking of questions, we had no question about GM's committment to developing the Volt's battery technology. It will require an infusion of hundreds of millions of dollars, which seems like a good deal to us. Someone somewhere will have to put some time, money and effort into working out the batteries, so why not GM? It beats just sitting around and waiting. We just hope that when Chevy drops the series hybrid on us, it's wrapped in a prettier shell than the Prius. That's it for this week, enjoy!

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Nose-grafting with common-platform cars is always fun. You could put an '84 LTD front clip on your Fox-body Mustang if you wanted to. While that would look, ahem, unique - this Charger has had a face transplant in the name of science. The long-lensers at KGP spotted this modified LX running around with a 2009 Challenger's front end, likely to determine airflow levels. You'd think that the 300, Magnum, and Charger would have served as a rigorous testbed for the Challenger's modified LX platform underpinnings, but the styling and underskin changes make careful study a must. Nobody will be happy when their 6.1 liter Hemi boils over in July heat. Perhaps that could be spun as a real return to the good old days when hydrocarbons roamed free and Hemis were built with loose tolerances, but we're guessing nobody wants to reminisce about those details. From what we can tell, under the camo lies a front end virtually unchanged from the show car. That's what we've been promised, so it's nice to see that it didn't end up with rectangular sealed beams, or something.

Thanks to tipster Phil

[Source: edmunds]

With all the attention that General Motors has gotten since the introduction of the Chevy Volt concept in January at the Detroit Auto Show, they have decided that they need to actually do more work in the area. So now they're looking for up to 400 engineers and technicians to help them develop advanced powertrain technologies like hybrids, diesels and fuel cells. They're also looking for information technology staff and people to work on the OnStar telematics systems. If you're interested in helping to make the Volt a reality, head over to www.gmcareerfair.com and submit a resume. Details are after the jump.

[Source: General Motors]

The engineers over at Automotive DesignLine have performed some modifications to a Prius, adding lightness. Actually, it's more of a dissection, but it's interesting to see the stripping-down of the Hybrid's Hybrid. This disassembly wasn't just for kicks; the car was taken apart ahead of its appearance at the Embedded System Conference in a couple weeks. All of the pieces will be there, as well, for interested parties to peruse. Embedded systems are all over modern automobiles, and with its multitude of systems that need to work together and hand off functions, the Prius has quite a bit of electronic command and control. The total time of the modifications was about seven hours, compressed down far shorter in the video, which is after the jump.

[Source: Automotive DesignLine]

This is cooler than the Marcos. Aston Martin is calling on Volvo's formidable safety expertise to help develop the forthcoming Rapide. Volvo's safety systems will be integrated into the new four-door Aston, which means we should look to see an active stability control system and possibly some of Volvo's newer tricks like blind-spot monitoring, collision avoidance and at-the-ready brakes. Volvo's skill at developing a strong safety cage into a rigid unit-body will also play a part in developing the Rapide.

We're dreaming, but it would be fun to see that development work lead to a new 1800. Not bloody likely, but once the work on the Aston is done, there'll be all that pent up fast-car energy in Goteborg. Regardless of what Volvo ends up doing, the Rapide is set to drop in late 2008, at which point we're looking forward to a Panamera/Quattroporte/Rapide three-way smackdown.

[Source: Auto Motor & Sport via Motor Authority]