11 Different Types of Car Keys

types of car keys

Let’s take a look at one automotive item we take for granted that has changed a lot since it was first created. In an increasingly digital age, car keys have gone from something totally foreign to us today to fobs that can start a car from inside your home on … Read more

6 Different Types of Window Tint for Cars

types of window tint

Back in the 1980s, cars and vans began to employ darker window tints as a means of boosting privacy and adding a little more insulation to the single-pane windows. Gone were the days of having to hang actual curtains in your station wagon or van, and the improved affordability meant … Read more

What is a Dual-Clutch Transmission?

dual clutch transmission

Many people consider dual-clutch transmissions to be just as engaging as regular manual transmissions but without any of the downsides. To some extent, that’s true. That’s what helped Audi dominate the Group B rally scene in 1985. Dual-clutch transmissions are one of the few choices around that allow you to … Read more

What Are Radial Tires?

radial tires

Radial tires are a Michelin invention. Tires are the most important component found on your car and are sometimes still overlooked. They are the only way the car touches the ground to create grip. Thus, tires were a significant concern for engineers, who managed to discover and revolutionize the tire … Read more

Heated Seat Subscriptions and Other Tomfoolery

heated seats buttons

Car manufacturers are pushing subscriptions on buyers to bolster their bottom lines. If automakers have their way, you may soon pay a monthly charge for heated seats, remote start, infotainment system connectivity, and a host of other features or services included in the upfront price. Yes, tomfoolery abounds in an … Read more

The Function and Purpose of a Catalytic Converter

catalytic converter

Thanks to strict pollution norms enforced around the globe, catalytic converters have become mandatory. That’s because a catalytic converter can change highly noxious gases into agreeable compounds due to the clever usage of precious metals and chemistry. Platinum, rhodium, and palladium aid a chemical reaction by working as a catalyst, … Read more

Nissan is the Latest to Ditch V8s

2023 Nissan Armada

Car manufacturers are running away from V8 engines at a steady clip or at least it seems that way. This week, we learned that Nissan will replace the 5.6-liter V8 powering its Armada SUV with a twin-turbocharged V6. We cannot say for certain if the Titan pickup truck will be … Read more

How Do Manual Transmissions Work?

manual transmission

Manual transmissions are the original kind of transmission, as ancient as the first cars produced. However, their design changed massively over the years. Even so, manufacturers and people alike wish to phase them out, thanks to the convenience of automatics and the emergence of electric vehicles. Two or Three Shafts … Read more

What is a Boxer Engine? (How It Works)

Subaru boxer engine

Every engine has a V-engine layout to some degree. The regular in-line engines have a cylinder bank angle, that’s the angle between two nearby connecting rods, of 0 degrees, hence the name of “in-line”. Consequently, we can find 60-degree angle V-engines, 90-degree, 15-degree in the case of VR engines, or … Read more

6 Different Types of Turbochargers

types of turbochargers

A turbocharger does the same operation as a regular supercharger, with a slight caveat. A turbocharger is powered by the engine’s exhaust gases, not directly by the engine via a belt or chain. Consequently, we can utilize those fumes’ energy to develop more power, and not just expunge them into … Read more

4 Different Types of Superchargers

types of superchargers

To extract more power out of an engine something is for certain: you need more air. The larger the quantity of air that enters the engine, the more fuel can be burnt. Consequently, the engine will develop a deeper and more powerful explosion inside the cylinder, translating into more power … Read more

What is Regenerative Braking?

regenerative braking

Regenerative braking is one of numerous efficiency systems installed on all manners of electric vehicles worldwide. Simply put, they tap the vehicle’s inertia to use the electric motors as generators, thus stopping the automobile via the motor’s mechanical resistance and recharging the batteries in the process. The system has been … Read more

All-Wheel Drive vs Four-Wheel Drive

Ford Focus RS

What are the similarities and differences between all-wheel drive and four-wheel drive? When you look at the names, AWD (all-wheel drive) and 4WD (four-wheel drive) cars seem to be the same. But the differences are simple and quite a bit obvious when you learn a thing or two about what … Read more

How Do Electric Vehicles Work?

Edison Electric

Electric vehicles are the craze nowadays. Tesla considers electric vehicles to be the future. Toyota has gone heavily into electrification as part of its plan. Many manufacturers produce electric vehicles left, right, and center. But what’s the big deal about them anyway? How do they even work? Why are they … Read more

Hydrogen Power: About Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles

chemistry hydrogen

The future of motorized vehicles is highly debated. Most people believe that all-electric vehicles are the future, regardless of their purpose. Others believe that hydrogen is the future, by using Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles, or FCEVs for short. There are big disadvantages to hydrogen, and some people even have legitimate … Read more

What Does an Octane Rating Indicate?

gas pump

An octane rating is something you notice at the gas pump. But what does it mean? Simply put, the octane rating shows how difficult it is for said gas to ignite from temperature and pressure. The higher the octane rating, the more challenging it is for it to ignite. Indeed, … Read more

What is a Flat-Plane Crank Engine?

GM 5.5L flat plan crank engine

Engines are complex pieces of machinery that are built entirely on a “best decision for the supposed use” basis. Notably, one such choice is the design of the engine’s crankshafts, or more precisely, the crankshaft’s weights. A flat-plane crank engine is basically an engine where the crankshaft’s counterweights are alternating … Read more

Diesel Engine Runaway: Cause and Effect

diesel engine runaway

Diesel engine runaway is rare, to say the least. These days, the chances of such an event happening are low, as most of the contributing parts are electronic. But first matters first: what exactly is “diesel engine runaway”? As defined, a diesel engine runaway, diesel runaway, or runaway diesel is … Read more