Re: RX8 Need For Speed History (Carbon)

Er because the seals wear out.

Efficiency at full throttle is pretty good. It's not a bad design for marine and aircraft applications where the engine is running wide open most of the time.

The main reason everyone else abandoned the principle is that it burns oil, and there's no way to get around the need to burn a little bit of oil. This means passing US emissions standards is difficult, even if you specify a low-ash oil.

--scott

Piston engine goes boing, boing, boing.

Well so's a gas turbine, but car makers gave up on them in the '50s. ;-)

And the dreadful real world fuel consumption. ;-)

Long may they continue to.

I suspect the current way of multiplex wiring is actually cheaper in mass production than the old way. Copper prices have gone though the roof.

Oh, it absolutely is. But what is the impact in total cost of ownership?

--scott

I dunno. No problems on my 10 year old E39 with switches etc. Only electrical problems have been the heater motor final stage resistor and the aux fan. And heater motor speed control is common enough on cars which use simple resistors - sometimes burning out part of the loom. The aux fan tends to get jammed with debris. Oh - the rain sensing wipers are a bit of a waste of time. But all the other toys I like. I like the way the interior lights fade up and down instead of switching off and on. I like the way the nearside mirror tilts down when you select reverse. I like the auto dimming mirror. Would you go back to the days when your mixer had no eq? ;-)

I think you're silly, but I'll defend your right to have these things if you want, anyway.

Some days I would. Some days I'd rather take a horse to work, too.

--scott