With the arrival of the COVID-19 epidemic, gathering events around the world have been canceled one after another. For car enthusiasts, the last thing they want to see is that major international auto shows cannot be held as scheduled. Although many car companies have switched to releasing new cars online, due to various conditions, it is inevitable that there are some advanced black technologies that cannot be displayed in detail. For example, the following top technologies from top car manufacturers may not be known to you yet. Even if they have heard about it, they probably don’t understand the specific functions of these black technologies.
Koenigsegg’s free-valve three-cylinder engine
Three-cylinder engines have always been criticized, but in fact as long as the technology is perfected, the performance of the three-cylinder engine far exceeds that of the four-cylinder engine. cylinder engines, such as Koenigsegg’s camshaftless engine.
You read that right, supercar brand Koenigsegg has also begun to use three-cylinder engines, and there is no camshaft design that traditional engines are known for. It is reported that this three-cylinder engine will be used in the new model Gemera.
In terms of performance, this three-cylinder engine has a displacement of 2.0T and can output a maximum horsepower of 600 horsepower. When combined with three electric motors, it can output a total of 1,70 horsepower, making it The vehicle accelerates to 100 kilometers in just 1.9 seconds. Such outstanding performance is thanks to free valve technology and twin-turbocharging technology.
Among them, free valve technology refers to the elimination of the camshaft responsible for controlling valve closing in traditional automobiles, and instead uses high-pressure oil rails, solenoid valves and other components to control the valve opening and closing time and opening and closing size to achieve control. The purpose is to be more precise and efficient. In other words, the opening and closing time and opening and closing degree of the valve are all controlled by the computer. This design can control the amount of fuel injection more accurately than a mechanical mechanism. It is worth mentioning that Qoros Automobile also participated in the research and development process of this technology.
Everyone is probably familiar with twin-turbocharging technology. In order to solve the physical characteristics of the three-cylinder engine, Koenigsegg arranged two intake manifolds for each cylinder to drive the engine separately. Two exhaust gas turbines, and take advantage of the small exhaust interference of the three-cylinder engine, allow the exhaust gas turbine to generate continuous power output, thus ensuring the stability and strong power of the engine. If these two technologies of Koenigsegg can be fully verified in the market, they are likely to become the development direction of internal combustion engines in the new era.
Ferrari’s four motors
In order to enhance acceleration performance, some supercars often equip the wheels with motors, but the most common solution on the market is a three-motor solution with two fronts and one rear. Plan, this is already a relatively crazy state. In order to achieve the ultimate, Ferrari installed a motor on each of the four wheels of the vehicle. In other words, a car is equipped with four motors.
Although four motors sound like only one more motor than three motors, the results are completely different. When the wheels on both sides of an axle use one motor, a differential is required to ensure that there is a speed difference between the wheels on both sides. If each wheel is controlled individually by a motor, the differential can be eliminated to achieve a 100% intelligent electric four-wheel drive function.
In fact, four-motor power forms have appeared in the automobile market before, such as wheel hub motors. However, due to various physical constraints, loading the wheel hub motor behind the vehicle will cause the motor's power output to become low and occupy space. As a result, many manufacturers' four-motor power forms only exist in the conceptual stage.
Ferrari’s four motors adopt an L-shaped layout, which can be placed in different ways to form the structure of the front axle or the rear axle. For example, when the motor is placed on the front axle of the vehicle, it can occupy The components of the space are placed in the engine compartment, and when the motor is arranged on the rear axle, the short half-shaft design can be used to allow the motor to free up part of the central space to place the battery pack without encroaching too much on the tail space. In other words, Ferrari's four-motor has effectively solved the problems that existed with wheel hub motors in the past, and Ferrari has also applied for a patent for its four-motor technology. Perhaps the first pure electric sports car built by Ferrari will be equipped with four-motor technology.
Hennessey’s ultra-light cockpit
According to statistics, if the overall weight of the car is reduced by 10%, the acceleration time can be reduced by 8%. In order to pursue faster acceleration, super sports cars have The pursuit of lightweighting can be said to be endless. They are keen to continuously use new materials and processes to structurally optimize the weight of the car. In this regard, the new model Venom? F5 launched by the American high-performance car manufacturer Hennessey (Hennessey) is exactly this. Typical example.
Many people may feel unfamiliar with Hennessey, but in fact its strength cannot be underestimated. Hennessey is a high-performance car manufacturer from the United States. It once used its own products to break the top speed record set by the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport on the NASA runway.
The new model Venom? F5 built by Hennessey also reaches new heights in terms of lightweight body, using a carbon fiber monocoque cockpit and weighing only 86kg. You know, the McLaren P1, which also uses a monocoque carbon fiber cockpit, weighs 90kg in this part. It can be said that the Venom? F5 has the lightest single body shell in the supercar world.
While being light in weight, the Venom? F5’s cockpit also has strong torsional strength, reaching 51,999Nm. In terms of price, the starting price of this car is US$1.6 million, and it provides US$600,000 in options. But it’s not something you can own if you have money, because Hennessey only produces 24 units of the Venom? F5.
McLaren’s “Air Mask”
Even though McLaren is surpassed in terms of vehicle cockpit weight, it has innovatively created a jaw-dropping design in the field of electronic technology. The latest technology - active air management system.
As we all know, McLaren recently launched an Elva? M1A? MSO model to pay tribute to the 1960 Elva? M1A racing car. In fact, in addition to its commemorative significance, another highlight of this car is that it is not equipped with a front windshield in the traditional sense, nor is it A\B\C pillars, and the top of the cockpit is completely open.
The airflow generated when the vehicle is traveling at high speed will be organized by the dynamic air management system to form a "bubble" separation area, thereby creating an invisible but real cockpit. To put it simply, you will not be blown away by the wind when driving Elva M1A MSO without wearing helmets, leather caps and other equipment, and the shape structure above the cockpit can also provide sufficient protection for the driver and passengers.
Of course, the driver can also choose to wear a helmet and manually turn off the active air management system, so that the Elva? M1A? MSO has a driving experience similar to the Elva? M1A racing car.
The ruthless COVID-19 virus has dealt a heavy blow to the global auto industry, but it cannot stop top automakers from developing new technologies. Although the above-mentioned new technologies applied to supercars are not accessible to most people, they can at least play a guiding role in the development of the automotive industry and well demonstrate the top charm of the automotive industry. Among the above new technologies, which one makes you feel the most fragrant?
This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.