For all their inventiveness and innovation, aftermarket performance manufacturers and tinkerers very seldom these days come up with new concepts in performance.
Think about the major routes to performance in cars of the last decade: turbos, engine management, variable valve lift and/or timing, and variable intake manifolds. All were introduced on production performance engines before being adopted and exploited by the aftermarket and DIY performance modifiers. Look at the underlying technologies - computer modelling, advanced metallurgy, sophisticated electronics - and it becomes clear why Original Equipment Manufacturer car and component companies lead the performance race: it's all about how much money can be ploughed into development.
In fact, I can think of only one recent technology that was truly developed purely in the aftermarket area - programmable management. And why did the aftermarket take the lead in this area? Once a car has been released, OE manufacturers usually have no need to make changes to the fuel and ignition and idle and emissions maps in engine management systems - instead they put massive amounts of time and money into developing software which is pretty good for all of the individual cars being sold under that model badge. And if it costs $30M to get the mapping right, that's OK - the cost will be spread across hundreds of thousands of cars.
But of course a heavily modified car needs a one-off series of engine management maps - and with further mods, they might need to be changed again next month! Enter fully programmable engine management, something which really is a unique aftermarket product.
(Of course it could be argued that cars with ECU flash memory - able to be updated during service calls - might throw even this argument into doubt. But that's a very recent innovation.)
So if you want to look ahead - to see the technologies that will be impacting modified cars in one, two, three or even five years' time - in most cases there's not much point in focussing solely on the developments that are happening now in the aftermarket area. Those are just changes to technology that's already been introduced.
Instead, it makes a helluva lot more sense to watch closely the technologies that are about to be introduced as Original Equipment, the innovations that are having - in some cases - billions of dollars poured into their development.
That's a primary reason why over the last few years AutoSpeed has run more and more OE automotive technology stories. We've covered 42V electrical systems; the laser welding of car bodies, BMW's Valvetronic system; fuel cells; the Scotch Yoke engine; auto stability control systems; hydroforming; Saab's Combustion Control System; plastics; Bosch ME-Motronic torque-modelling engine management; electric power steering; refrigerated intercooling (patented by Ford!); direct injection (both diesel and petrol types); navigation systems; electronic throttle control; brake-by-wire; camless valvetrains - and many other topics.
At the time of writing this editorial, we have in the pipeline stories coming on intelligent lighting; magnetically adjustable shock absorbers; the now widespread automotive use of what were previously specialised metals like magnesium; and a breakthrough design of flat panel speaker.
None of these are technologies that you can currently go out and buy in the aftermarket - just try sourcing a camless head for your Honda! However - as just one example - electronic throttle control has the potential to give immense driveability gains in an aftermarket application. And when the first fully programmable aftermarket electronic throttle control ECU is released, I know exactly the questions that I will be asking of its manufacturer. Each query will be premised around the existing systems - I'll already be an educated customer of the technology, if you like.
So if you wonder at the relevance of running stories on new automotive technologies in a performance car medium, don't think of the car that you are currently driving and/or modifying. Think instead of the pace of change in the auto industry, and how ABS and engine management and good aerodynamics are now taken for granted in new cars of the last decade. Engine management - in almost one fell swoop - pushed carbies and points right off the agenda; with the massive development now happening in OE valvetrain technologies, the same could well happen to traditional camshafts.
We like to think that readers of AutoSpeed won't be surprised by any of the coming automotive technical revolutions... or even the ones that are already on us. So when you read, "The MY01 Subaru WRX has B-pillars and side sills made from tailor-welded blanks, and a hydroformed front subframe," finding out what each of these things mean is as easy as doing an AutoSpeed search.
(And of course, if you can spot a major coming automotive technical change that we haven't covered in an article, let me know!)
Every car company in the world sends out what are called press releases - packages of words and pics which describe to the media their latest and greatest. These days, most press releases that AutoSpeed receives are by email - in the past they used to come in A4-sized envelopes. In fact, I clearly remember when - as a freelance journalist - I first started getting sent press releases. I avidly fell upon the envelopes, tearing them open to reveal the brilliant knowledge that I was sure would lie within.
But I soon realised that what I had hoped would be contained in the packages very seldom actually was. Instead there was-.....nope, let me give an illustration. I had a friend around when those envelopes first started lobbing into my letterbox. A total car nut, he hungrily consumed all and everything to do with cars - from gear ratios to engine bore and stroke dimensions. And when he saw the press releases sitting in a pile on the floor - each containing a few pages of typed info and a colour photo - he fell upon them. Quickly he opened each, scanning it, looking at the pic before then grabbing the next one.
But it wasn't long before he rocked back on his heels, looking up and saying with great emphasis, "These are all just crap!"
And he was right. Unfortunately, the vast majority of press releases are so full of spin that it's surprising that they don't get dizzy. There's also absolutely no connection between the quality of the press release and the engineering of the cars produced by the manufacturer - or even between the quality of the words and the pics! DaimlerChrysler, for example, have exceptional photographs produced by their in-house photographers - their press release words, on the other hand, are often total garbage.
Want to see an example? OK, this is an excerpt from a recent DaimlerChrysler release on the new Mercedes-Benz SL-Class:
Impressive lines symbolise the new SL sports car's technological superiority and, at the same time, ignite feelings of passion, enjoyment and excitement at the prospect of open-top motoring. The designers have captured the spirit of the great grandfather of the SL family from 1954 discreetly yet effectively.
And, in so doing, they have given the SL a bright future to go with a past steeped in tradition. Classic SL features stylishly and harmoniously combine with more recent Mercedes forms which propel the roadster far into the future. The headlamps are one example, a new and markedly more dynamic variation on the familiar "four-eyed" theme.
Further proof of the sheer design quality of the new SL can be seen in the perfect integration of the newly developed vario-roof which communicates the same messages whether open or closed: uninhibited driving pleasure and unmistakable elegance.
For a car which really does have worldwide significance in its technology and styling, that's one massive amount of rubbish...
So you can imagine how bad the press releases are that actually deal with cars or events that don't really have a lot going for them in the first place!
Who do global corporations exist to serve? The answer to this fundamental question is for customers and shareholders. Companies like Volvo Car Corporation also have an important role to play in society - by creating employment and as contributors to society's welfare. "The first Volvo Cars Corporate Citizenship report 'Volvo. for life 2000' marks the beginning of an important process - to acknowledge our responsibility and act on it in a result oriented manner" says Hans-Olov Olsson, CEO Volvo Car Corporation.
According to a recent survey (the Millennium Poll), 40 percent of the world's consumers has considered or has actually refused to buy products from companies that do not meet their standards of corporate citizenship. In North America, this figure is 70 percent. With these figures in mind, being a good corporate citizen is not to be regarded as a luxury to be indulged in when times are good. Being a responsible corporation is a prerequisite to reach our business goals. 'Volvo. for life 2000' takes into consideration the different roles Volvo Car Corporation has in society and how we act or will act responsibly in these roles. We consider the areas related to our products, our suppliers, customers, employees and society.
That it took me less than a minute to find these two examples gives you an idea as to their prevalence...
Then of course there are the aftermarket company press releases, some of which - unbelievably - are even worse.
It's sad but true that so many companies ride on the back of others carrying continued success. Of course it's [sic] prevalence isn't confined to specific industries, with Clarion battling many new brands in the car audio arena. Of course it's a matter of choice whether car audio buyers take the gamble of buying a 'new' product from a 'new' company without a track record of quality or reliability.
Clarion is combating the dilemma of 'cheap' products flooding the market by continuing to 'deliver the goods' with their 2001/2002 product range. An incredible array of new hardware including class leading multimedia systems, Radio CD players, Cassette players, CD stackers, amplifiers, subwoofers, two-way, three-way and component speakers is on offer.
But there are companies that tell it all relatively straight - Mitsubishi, Ford in their short releases, and some others. And there are even a few press release writers with a sense of humour, though that is rare.
But the release that we got the other day was absolutely bloody superb.
The envelope came from Citroen and was of unexpectedly greater thickness than usual. Once opened, out fell a folded A4 sheet, a colour photo - and a packet of condoms!
The release was about the use by a Sydney company of a fleet of Berlingos for its 'Urgent Condom Delivery Service', and the text went like this. The double entendres make it a delight to read:
"The Citroen Berlingo fought off stiff opposition to win this contract," explains Graham Porter, Director of Australian Therapeutic Supplies. "We chose the Berlingo because it could carry a bigger load than any of competitors, but still get in and out of tight spaces quickly and easily. With front wheel drive and Michelin tyres, it can handle wet and slippery conditions effortlessly, while the large rear entry barn doors making loading the Berlingo a breeze."
I can't imagine DaimlerChrysler ever sending out one quite like that...
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