The automobile has endured many a tweak and fine-tuning over the 140-odd years since its inaugural voyage on New Year's Eve in 1879 as a humble stationary gasoline engine, one-cylinder two-stroke unit developed by Carl Benz.
Over the years, there has been some interesting advancements in the automotive industry; New Zealand’s very own Gibbs Aquada amphibious vehicle, four-wheel steering systems and seat belt airbags to name a few.
But, rightly or wrongly, not all of them took off with great gusto. Modern vehicle design is an evolution of trial and error, and there have been some bold attempts to progress the automotive world.
Four-wheel steering systems is one example. Vehicle manufactures introduced the feature to help improve steering response and increase vehicle stability while driving at higher speeds. The main benefit, however, was enhanced turning and steering capacity at low speed.
Mazda adopted four-wheel steering in its cars early on, displaying the system in its 1984 Mazda MX-02 concept car; the rear wheels counter steered at lower speeds, which made the vehicle very maneuverable. Honda, too, used it as an option in its Prelude and Ascot models from 1987 to 2001.
Four-wheel steering introduces greater complexity to the drive system, adding both weight and cost to a vehicle and generally resulting in a reduction in fuel economy. So while it is still available in more high-end vehicles, like the Ferrari GTC4 Lusso and Lamborghini Aventador S Coupé, many buyers who will be spending most of their time sitting in traffic and driving on paved roads are better served in a two-wheel-drive vehicle.
Arguably, one of the most successful amphibious vehicles is the Amphicar, produced in the 1960s and packaged as a small convertible. A dreary, 1.2-litre Triumph engine located in the rear powered her and a transfer case facilitated switching power to two 12-inch propellers when the car entered the water. She could cruise at eight knots, with the front wheels acting as rudders to steer the vessel with only 43 horsepower. The main downfall of this vehicle was that it was slow on both land and water.
Years later, New Zealand’s very own Gibbs Aquada was developed in Auckland. It was a concept car with limited production between 2003 and 2004 and boasted respectable performance: capable of speeds of more than 160km/h on land and 50km/h, or 27 knots on water. Sure, you may see the odd amphibious boat, like Sealegs, in coastal towns and popular holiday destinations, but to say the amphibious vehicle is being embraced would be an overstatement.
German engineer Felix Wankel conceived the Wankel Rotary Engine, which received its first patent in 1929. The basic idea was to use an eccentric rotating design to convert pressure through a spinning motion. Rotary engines did offer many benefits: a higher power-to-weight ratio than a piston engine, and at a smaller size, the ability to reach superior revolutions per minute, or RPM.
On the flipside, they suffer from poor economy when running on conventional fuel, produce higher emissions, and its apex seals are often faulty. This is probably why there aren’t too many manufacturers in New Zealand who use this style of engine.
Mazda, however, is synonymous with the rotary engine and it showcased this in its RX7 and RX8 models (with the RX9 rumoured to be in development). It also plans to continue developing its rotary engine and use it as a power plant for a range-extended electric vehicle (similar to the BMW Rex).
You wouldn’t buy a vehicle today without a seat belt or air bags. But many buyers aren’t aware that some vehicles come equipped with seat belt airbags. These are designed to inflate and help spread the force of impact in an accident.
The technology was first offered in the 2011 Ford Explorer in North America and it proved a popular choice: 40 per cent of buyers chose the option. Some Ford Mondeos in Australia and New Zealand were equipped with inflatable seat belts that fully deployed in less than 40 milliseconds from cold compressed gas down the length of the lower side of the seat belt away from the face.
Although these ideas haven’t caught on just yet, it’s not to say they won’t in future. Concepts that have faded into the past are sometimes readopted, for instance, EVs were actually invented back in 1828 by Hungarian Ányos Jedlik who designed an electric motor that powered a small model car.
The electric vehicle didn’t gain the same traction as conventional internal combustion engines, but over the last decade we’ve seen a rapid resurgence of the technology across the industry. So, with that in mind, what will our roads look like in future? Watch this space!
Reported for our AA Directions Autumn 2020 issue