BOUNCE FACTOR: Why cars rebound after crashing
We crack the code of crashes, use that mad science to explain why stamping sheetmetal is black magic, and teach you how to become a Jedi master of nuts and bolts
Advanced High Strength Steels in Modern Cars
This episode: The mad metallurgical voodoo of advanced high-strength steel. That’s right, brainiacs - strap on that propeller cap, and rack that slide rule: We’re goin’ in.
Crash Avoidance: Can aviation teach us how to swerve better?
Put yourself in this position: you’re in the middle of an emergency stop and it becomes abundantly clear that there’s insufficient room to stop. You are either going to swerve or crash. What do you do next?
Can Big Butts save Holden? Ex-Toyota boss to run Australia's failing GM operation.
Can a re-badged Toyota Australia President stop Holden from sinking without a trace in the Great Southern Ocean, or is it already too late?
Should you fit an oil catch can?
Where does this seemingly simple modification sit, exactly, on the landscape of good and bad ideas?
The mad science of rebound in car crashes
How to crack the kooky code of crashes, plus the mad science of stamping sheetmetal, and the black art of becoming a Jedi master with nuts and bolts
The mad metallurgy of advanced high strength steel
The mad metallurgical voodoo of advanced high-strength steel. That’s right, brainiacs - strap on that propeller, and rack that slide rule: We’re goin’ in…
Should I tint my car's windows?
All automotive glass is a good rejector of UVB. Tempered glass typically rejects all UVB and about 20% of UVA - ie allows about 80% of UVA (more)…
The applied physics of three-cylinder engines
Three cylinders: It almost doesn’t seem enough, and yet the BMW i8, and plenty of other cars, are motivated by three-cylinder power. What makes them tick?
The applied physics of boxer engines
Boxer engines: The darling crankcase configuration of Porsche and Subaru - among others. What makes them tick, and what makes them different from inline and vee-style engines?
What is ‘brake mean effective pressure’?
A proper engine-tech brainiac calculates BMEP using a formula and established units. If you want to do this, be it entirely in your head…
Engine tech explained: 4-cyl vs 6-cyl vs V8
Obviously they have a different numbers of cylinders, but have you ever stopped to think more deeply than that about the different operational characteristics of these configurations?
Top 6 ways to beat a car dealer before the end of financial year
Car dealers transact every day. You don’t. They’re match fit. You’re not. They’re ambush predators. You’re not. So … here’s how to win
Can you reduce road noise by changing your car’s wheels and tyres?
The ancient Jedi art of cutting road noise by reverse engineering the car’s wheels/tyre package. Or not…
Can you video police during a roadside stop?
This question about filming the cops - it’s all over the web. So let’s drill down into it. Can you do it legally? And: Is it a good idea?
Ford Powershift transmission problems: $10 million fine
Federal Court hands down a $10 million wrist slap to Ford - but the penalty doesn't go far enough or help nearly enough embattled consumers
Brown coal into hydrogen: Aussie PM Malcolm Turnbull's dumbest idea. Ever.
The PM seems will start on pole position ahead of Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un at the Scientifically Illiterate Leader Grand Slam in Victoria...
Ultimate bad look: When a car dealer threatens a customer
A Holden dealer in Queensland has rolled the dice by threatening to sue an elderly couple over an online video, which seems a bad idea
Why don't cars rust as badly as they used to?
Remember how badly cars from the '60s and '70s got eaten away by rust? This problem went away, quietly. Have you ever wondered why?
Never ask a car dealer for advice
Would you go lunch with this man? Well, for the same reason, it's probably best if you don't ask a car dealer for advice