Don't count out the internal combustion

[island911]

Originally Posted by tcar

Mazda has been using an Atkinson Cycle gas engine for a number of years as opposed to the almost universal Otto Cylcle gas engine that everyone else uses.. more efficient.

Atkinson cycle is just a kinematically modified Otto-cycle. --not your typical crank shaft set-up.
This makes for a longer power stroke, compared to the intake stroke.

Wikipedia has a good write-up on this.

Here's their animation of the 1887 patent.

[island911]

I'll add that the piston travel is moving farther to eek-out the last bit O pressure... in a lot of ways this is what turbo chargers do. ...use the last bit of burn pressure to make useful work.

[Fly Mach .86]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Can you imagine what mazda could come up with if the US gubmint was paying all their friggin bills for them?

The same can be said for defense contractors.

[wayner]

Originally Posted by RANDY P

this makes sense of Tesla:

https://hbr.org/2015/05/teslas-not-as-disruptive-as-you-might-think

"To investigate, Bartman’s team posed five questions it uses to evaluate disruptive innovations. First, does the product either target overserved customers (by offering lower performance at a lower price) or create a new market (by targeting customers who couldn’t use or afford the existing product)? Second, does it create “asymmetric motivation,” meaning that while the disrupter is motivated to enter higher performance segments over time, existing players aren’t motivated to fight it? Third, can it improve performance fast enough to keep pace with customers’ expectations while retaining its low cost structure? Fourth, does it create new value networks, including sales channels? Fifth, does it disrupt all incumbents, or can an existing player exploit the opportunity?

As Bartman worked through the questions, it became clear that Tesla is not a disrupter. It’s a classic “sustaining innovation”—a product that, according to Christensen’s definition, offers incrementally better performance at a higher price. There’s nothing rudimentary about Teslas, which compete on price against cars by BMW and Mercedes."]]



...snip

"Our analysis concludes that a competitive response won’t happen until Tesla expands outside its current niche of people who prefer electric vehicles to gas-powered cars—but if it expands by creating more variety (such as SUVs) and more-affordable vehicles, competition will be fierce.”

In other words, Tesla appeals to the fad crowd that likes the novelty of owning an electric car that cost as much as a BMW- there is no other "innovation" around Tesla. Once that goes away (due to the fact they are impractical and that crowd moves on to the next big thing, and buys new cars-)

- adios, Tesla.

Rip

Disruptive is all of those little electric push scooters that are laying all over the sidewalks in major cities just ready to go at the swipe of a credit card.

That simple little device eclipsed both segways and Teslas for urban commuting.

Im amazed how popular they are with all sorts of people zooming to a fro

This from 2018.

[drcoastline]

On a similar note, the two stoke outboard engine has been abandoned by all manufacturers except Evinrude (Bombardier). It was said the two stoke could never meet the ever stricter federal regulations so most manufacturers switched to four stokes. Evinrude proved them all wrong. The Etech runs cleaner, has more torque, more horse power, better fuel economy, no oil changes, no maintenance periods, and fewer moving parts.

[wayner]

I was interested to see a 356 on the downtown street of sanfrancisco while I was there.

My train of thought went like this:

I like motorcycle
there are many motorcycles here
smaller motorcycles seem to do well in this environment where small displacement is really big power for the city use

Then I started admiring all sorts of cool innovative styled small motorcycles that I saw

Then a very nice 356 went by, and I thought, of course! Who need a 10 liter V-8 and a 5000lb vehicle?
At less than 2000 lbs and 70 hp or so, I'll bet a 356 is the perfect city car?
+Low weight, =ddecent power to weight ratio
+Low displacement = good fuel economy
+Good fun economy means less fuel burned
+less fuel burned = less emissions.


Therefore, I think that we should all be driving light weight, fast small Porsche 356 cars in order to save the world!

[Rawknees'Turbo]

^^^

And you can use wheelbarrow wheels and tires on those clown cars, too - cheap and readily available!

[drcoastline]

Originally Posted by wayner

I was interested to see a 356 on the downtown street of sanfrancisco while I was there.

My train of thought went like this:

I like motorcycle
there are many motorcycles here
smaller motorcycles seem to do well in this environment where small displacement is really big power for the city use

Then I started admiring all sorts of cool innovative styled small motorcycles that I saw

Then a very nice 356 went by, and I thought, of course! Who need a 10 liter V-8 and a 5000lb vehicle?
At less than 2000 lbs and 70 hp or so, I'll bet a 356 is the perfect city car?
+Low weight, =ddecent power to weight ratio
+Low displacement = good fuel economy
+Good fun economy means less fuel burned
+less fuel burned = less emissions.


Therefore, I think that we should all be driving light weight, fast small Porsche 356 cars in order to save the world!

Since there aren't enough 356's to go round can some of us drive 912's or fake 356's with VW motors?

[wayner]

Mine was going to be a 550 spyder kit with a 914 engine.

But, my ex forced that "Stupid car" out of my garage.
Round two was a 911. Apparently that must have been too much car so me AND the car had to go.

So, perhaps electric scooters ARE the way to go,
(either that or a full-on big turbo'd 935 and say the hell with it! )

[Rawknees'Turbo]

Your last sentiment sounds good to me!

[wayner]

I miss reading about the progress of this car...

[Rawknees'Turbo]

Same here - the dude totally lost interest in that machine, soon after he completed it. I suppose you are aware of what became of it after he sold it?

[wayner]

Originally Posted by Rawknees'Turbo

Same here - the dude totally lost interest in that machine, soon after he completed it. I suppose you are aware of what became of it after he sold it?

Sometimes other events in life totally suck the life out of you.

At least in my case for awhile, but, I was smart and locked my RSR replica away until I could think clearly again.

But yes, if my understanding is correct that 935 replica is polluting the mountainside and having fun doing it! :-)
I haven't heard much about it lately though after it was painted white and made its first run

[petrolhead611]

The whole world,with the exception of the USA, are using smaller lighter weight cars to get around .To no- Americans the pickup truck is a small lorry.

[red-beard]

Originally Posted by wayner

I miss reading about the progress of this car...

I feel sorry for that poor 914

[wayner]

Originally Posted by petrolhead611

The whole world,with the exception of the USA, are using smaller lighter weight cars to get around .To no- Americans the pickup truck is a small lorry.

Thats true.

When I travel to abroad, the Mini cooper is a BIG car.
Then again they don't have the roads in most places to support larger cars, so zippy cars feel really fast

If I never travelled a freeway I would be quite happy with the performance of a 356

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by wayner

When I travel to abroad, the Mini cooper is a BIG car.
Then again they don't have the roads in most places to support larger cars, so zippy cars feel really fast

What I was last in Amsterdam I saw a full-sized F-150 trying to squeeze along the narrow strip of street between the buildings and a canal. It looked HUGE!

[wayner]

Spotted in Italy

THIS is a HUGE motorhome, and in North America that bike trailer would be pulled by a four wheel drive 10 liter diesel crew cab duelly, not a minivan :-)

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Can you imagine what mazda could come up with if the US gubmint was paying all their friggin bills for them?

Mazda, like all large Japanese companies, gets tons of help from their own government.