Aerodynamics
It wasn't until the 30s that it really struck car designers that a sleek exterior shell, flat underbody and lack of protruding extremities made cars go faster and consume less fuel: before that, going faster was a matter of fitting ever-larger and more powerful engines.
Early cars to get the aerodynamic treatment were the 1934 Chrysler Airflow and Czech Tatra T77. Neither were quite the shape of things to come, but both ushered in a new era of wind tunnels, raked rooflines and straked sides. It took a while: designers got diverted in the more-is-more fin-tastic 50s and style-led 60s, but aerodynamics now informs everything from the curve of a windscreen wiper to the surface of a wheel-trim.
It wasn't until the 30s that it really struck car designers that a sleek exterior shell, flat underbody and lack of protruding extremities made cars go faster and consume less fuel: before that, going faster was a matter of fitting ever-larger and more powerful engines.
Early cars to get the aerodynamic treatment were the 1934 Chrysler Airflow and Czech Tatra T77. Neither were quite the shape of things to come, but both ushered in a new era of wind tunnels, raked rooflines and straked sides. It took a while: designers got diverted in the more-is-more fin-tastic 50s and style-led 60s, but aerodynamics now informs everything from the curve of a windscreen wiper to the surface of a wheel-trim.
Channel4.com/4Car
We couldn't resist a chance to blow our own trumpet here. One of the first motoring magazines on the net, since 1999 we've been bringing you the latest in automotive news, reviews and features – all independent, authoritative and well-informed.
We're not simply the online wing of a print magazine, just regurgitating cut-down content from that week's issue or having to save our best news so as not to steal the mag's thunder. We' re not owned or funded by any commercial organisation that might have an influence over our opinions. We just have a small, full-time team of dedicated staff working to bring you the best aspects of a magazine, such as in-depth road test analysis and detailed features, as well as the best features of the net, such as video content, games, interactive competitions, forums and chat rooms.
People sniggered when we left magazine jobs to set up an internet site: who's laughing now?
We couldn't resist a chance to blow our own trumpet here. One of the first motoring magazines on the net, since 1999 we've been bringing you the latest in automotive news, reviews and features – all independent, authoritative and well-informed.
We're not simply the online wing of a print magazine, just regurgitating cut-down content from that week's issue or having to save our best news so as not to steal the mag's thunder. We' re not owned or funded by any commercial organisation that might have an influence over our opinions. We just have a small, full-time team of dedicated staff working to bring you the best aspects of a magazine, such as in-depth road test analysis and detailed features, as well as the best features of the net, such as video content, games, interactive competitions, forums and chat rooms.
People sniggered when we left magazine jobs to set up an internet site: who's laughing now?
eBay motors
It's transformed the second-hand car market and the way we trade cars. From the chance to jump the waiting list for the latest must-have supercar to sourcing obsolete spares for a classic, bits to build a track-day special or a way to clear out your garage, anything automotive goes on eBay. Whatever old heap you need to offload, there's a nutter out there that'll want to buy it and restore it, and via eBay, they can find you. And give you money.
Conversely, if you're desperately seeking something ultra-specific and obscure, you can instantly find if there's one for sale anywhere in the world – or you can simply track down your next affordable, practical second-hand runaround. Just keep your wits about you, apply all the usual rules of caution, and don't get too carried away with the Bid button.
If you really can't bear the thought of buying a car sight unseen, then a local seller should let you go and kick the tyres, though that's not really in the spirit of things. Far more exciting to buy a Mk1 Mustang and have it shipped from Michigan, an early LHD M3 from Munich, a Saab 96 from Stockholm... or simply to waste away hours at your desk browsing and dreaming.
It's transformed the second-hand car market and the way we trade cars. From the chance to jump the waiting list for the latest must-have supercar to sourcing obsolete spares for a classic, bits to build a track-day special or a way to clear out your garage, anything automotive goes on eBay. Whatever old heap you need to offload, there's a nutter out there that'll want to buy it and restore it, and via eBay, they can find you. And give you money.
Conversely, if you're desperately seeking something ultra-specific and obscure, you can instantly find if there's one for sale anywhere in the world – or you can simply track down your next affordable, practical second-hand runaround. Just keep your wits about you, apply all the usual rules of caution, and don't get too carried away with the Bid button.
If you really can't bear the thought of buying a car sight unseen, then a local seller should let you go and kick the tyres, though that's not really in the spirit of things. Far more exciting to buy a Mk1 Mustang and have it shipped from Michigan, an early LHD M3 from Munich, a Saab 96 from Stockholm... or simply to waste away hours at your desk browsing and dreaming.
Fuel cells
Hotly tipped as the powertrain type of the future, a fuel cell converts hydrogen into electrical energy via a catalysed chemical reaction; this energy is then stored in batteries, to drive a motor or series of motors to propel the vehicle. The only emissions are water vapour.
The major carmakers have had prototypes up and running for over a decade now, but problems such as accommodation of the battery packs, battery life and supply infrastructure for hydrogen have not yet been fully resolved. Brave promises to get fuel cells on the market by the millennium have not been kept. DaimlerChrysler (a forerunner, with its NECAR concept of 1994), General Motors and Ford are all vying to get there by 2010 now, but it looks as if Honda will be the first to bring a fuel cell car to private consumers: its FCX has undergone extensive testing via a lease programme, and is now under trial with a 'real-life' family in California.
Hotly tipped as the powertrain type of the future, a fuel cell converts hydrogen into electrical energy via a catalysed chemical reaction; this energy is then stored in batteries, to drive a motor or series of motors to propel the vehicle. The only emissions are water vapour.
The major carmakers have had prototypes up and running for over a decade now, but problems such as accommodation of the battery packs, battery life and supply infrastructure for hydrogen have not yet been fully resolved. Brave promises to get fuel cells on the market by the millennium have not been kept. DaimlerChrysler (a forerunner, with its NECAR concept of 1994), General Motors and Ford are all vying to get there by 2010 now, but it looks as if Honda will be the first to bring a fuel cell car to private consumers: its FCX has undergone extensive testing via a lease programme, and is now under trial with a 'real-life' family in California.
Hybrid powertrains
An idea that's been around since the earliest days of motoring (the 1901 Lohner-Porsche was one of the first petrol-electric hybrids) but which lay dormant for nearly a century. But thanks to the endorsement of the Toyota Prius by the stars of Hollywood, everyone's heard of hybrids now.
Not everyone realises, however, that they don't need to be plugged in to recharge their batteries, nor that those on the market as yet have a pretty limited range in all-electric mode (if indeed they can run only from their electric motor at all). But the availability of petrol-electric hybrids such as the Prius, versions of the Honda Civic and Accord and, in the US, the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV, has brought eco-friendly motoring onto the agenda – and into the fashion magazines. It's cool to have a hybrid.
In a nutshell, these cars have a small petrol engine, which is supplemented by an electrically-driven motor or pair of motors under acceleration. Energy otherwise wasted under braking or deceleration is captured and stored in the batteries – hence no need for recharging – and an integrated starter-generator automatically switches the engine off when idling and restarts it (such a Stop-Start mechanism is also compatible with petrol-only cars, such as the Citroen C2 and C3 Stop-Start). Fuel savings – and reduction in carbon dioxide emissions - around town are generally significant, though less impressive on the open road; if you do a lot of motorway or inter-city driving, a diesel would be more economical overall.
They're not going to save the planet, but petrol-electric hybrids are a useful stepping stone to the really clever stuff – including diesel-electric versions which really will save a lot of fuel. They're also suited to reducing the fuel consumption in the US, where drivers don't go for diesel anyway.
An idea that's been around since the earliest days of motoring (the 1901 Lohner-Porsche was one of the first petrol-electric hybrids) but which lay dormant for nearly a century. But thanks to the endorsement of the Toyota Prius by the stars of Hollywood, everyone's heard of hybrids now.
Not everyone realises, however, that they don't need to be plugged in to recharge their batteries, nor that those on the market as yet have a pretty limited range in all-electric mode (if indeed they can run only from their electric motor at all). But the availability of petrol-electric hybrids such as the Prius, versions of the Honda Civic and Accord and, in the US, the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV, has brought eco-friendly motoring onto the agenda – and into the fashion magazines. It's cool to have a hybrid.
In a nutshell, these cars have a small petrol engine, which is supplemented by an electrically-driven motor or pair of motors under acceleration. Energy otherwise wasted under braking or deceleration is captured and stored in the batteries – hence no need for recharging – and an integrated starter-generator automatically switches the engine off when idling and restarts it (such a Stop-Start mechanism is also compatible with petrol-only cars, such as the Citroen C2 and C3 Stop-Start). Fuel savings – and reduction in carbon dioxide emissions - around town are generally significant, though less impressive on the open road; if you do a lot of motorway or inter-city driving, a diesel would be more economical overall.
They're not going to save the planet, but petrol-electric hybrids are a useful stepping stone to the really clever stuff – including diesel-electric versions which really will save a lot of fuel. They're also suited to reducing the fuel consumption in the US, where drivers don't go for diesel anyway.