Automobile racing began soon after the first cars were built. Although some cars used for racing are so specialized that they are quite useless on the streets, most differ only slightly from standard makes and thus can be used for ordinary driving as well as racing. Racing cars are usually single seaters built solely for racing. Sports cars that seat two people are true dual purpose cars which can be raced or used for street driving.

The kinds of races are typically differentiated by the courses on which they are run. One kind is the oval track while another is a run on public roads closed off for the race or on a special track designed to simulate the conditions of actual road racing. Still another is a run on a straight course which is actually a race against the clock rather than against other cars.

The different types of gasoline car engines are identified by the number of cylinders and the manner in which these cylinders are laid out. The 3, 4, 5 and 6 cylinder engines have their cylinders arranged in a row while the V-6, V-8, V-10 and V-12 configurations have theirs arranged in two side by side banks of cylinders forming a V. Another variation uses two opposing banks of cylinders found in flat engines used in vehicles such as the Porsche and Subaru.

A gasoline car engine starts working when the ignition key is turned which closes a switch that provides electricity to the battery. Energy for the starter is given by the electricity which turns the geared flywheel attached to the crankshaft’s gear. This in turn makes the fuel pump draw gasoline from the gas tank to force it into the carburetor where it will mix with air. The vaporous mixture produced is received by the individual cylinders through the intake manifold and intake valves.

The mixture of gasoline and air is essentially what internal-combustion is all about. Upon reaching each cylinder, the combustible air-gas mixture is ignited by an electric spark from a spark plug. The mixture’s rapid combustion creates hot expanding gases which push the piston down the cylinder. The crankshaft is kept turning by the repeated combustion of gasoline-air vapor. The mixture consists approximately of 14.7 parts of air to 1 part of gas.

An engine works basically through the four stroke process of Intake, Compression, Power and Exhaust. Pistons travel down the Intake, travel up on Compression, down again on Power and up again on the Exhaust Stroke. While the engine is running, oil is pumped out to its different parts. A coolant is circulated throughout the engine by a water pump to be able to maintain a stable operating temperature. The oil and coolant ensures that the engine do not self-destruct while working.

BMW prides itself as the maker of the ultimate driving machine but it is quite interesting to note that it started out as a manufacturer of aircraft engines. The 3-letter acronym stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke or Bavarian Motor Works. Motor forms the key part of every product built by BMW.

The personalities behind the original BMW included Karl Friedrich Rapp who earlier established Rapp-Motorenwerke and Gustav Otto of Gustav Flugmaschinefabrik. Otto was the son of the man who invented the four-stroke internal combustion engine. Bayerische Flugzeug-Werke or Bavarian Aircraft Works was formed when the two companies merged. It soon became the Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH and was formally reorganized as such in March 7, 1916.

BMW turned to other products when the manufacture of aircraft engines went through a tough business climate. These products included brake systems fro railway cars, motorcycle engines, cut-down aviation engines for the marine industry and even office furniture. BMW only started building cars in 1928 when it was given the license to build the BMW Dixi. The company went on to prove its products’ worth through new motorcycle records, excellent sales of its air-cooled radial engines and development of several car models recognized both for beauty and efficiency.

The Second World War temporarily changed the course of BMW as a manufacturing company. It was closed and dismantled in 1945 because it participated in rocket construction for the military. It made a comeback in 1949 when it introduced its first motorcycle since 1941. Its first post-war car model was the 501 luxury sedan, admittedly not one of BMW’s most glamorous products but went on to produce classic models, racing cars and luxury sedans.

BMW was one of the pioneers in the development of electronics and computers in cars. Its main strength however remains in its world-renowned engines, now fully complemented by impressive sleek designs. Probably as a fitting tribute to its beginnings, the existing BMW logo was based on the circular design of an aircraft propeller.

Primarily designed to carry people from one place to another, cars should be equipped with features that would ensure safety of its passengers. Car safety becomes an even more major concern when the vehicle is intended to serve the needs of a family. Although entertainment features ensure that kids stay pacified during the trip, it is the safety features that could guarantee that the family is protected enough to be able to enjoy the many joys of life such as entertainment.

Car safety basics include anti-lock brakes (ABS), side-curtain bags and electronic stability control (ESC). Through the rapid application of intermittent brake pressure, ABS is able to prevent a vehicle’s wheel from locking up. This feature provides an average driver more control during emergency situations. Generally offered for front occupants only due to potential injury risk to kids in child-safety seats, the side-curtain bags provide protection to the torso in side-impact crashes and also help keep passengers inside the vehicle in an event of a roll-over. ESC gives the driver more control during maneuvers that are urgent in nature. It uses sensors for close monitoring of the vehicle’s actual path as related to the intended path using inputs on steering, brake and throttle.

Families with small children should also consider child safety-seat compatibility. It would even be a wise move to bring the safety seats during the test drive to determine correct fit. Rear parking sensors or rear-mounted cameras make the driver aware of objects behind the vehicle when it is in reverse. This feature is especially useful in areas where there are small children who can easily not be seen by a driver of a large vehicle. Other features to look out for include a tire-pressure monitoring system, active head restraints and advanced frontal airbags. An onboard crash notification system is designed to summon emergency assistance. Incidentally, a vehicle’s crash test scores provide an important insight to its protection capability.

The development of an automobile or car typically takes two and a half to three years to complete before actual production takes place. This is quite understandable since car manufacturers are not only concerned with the aesthetics of its creation but also with the efficiency and safety standards that should automatically come with any car model offered. Even with such time devoted to development, product recalls have become quite common in the past years with some defects manifesting themselves only several years after introduction to the market.

Production has several stages including engineering research, styling, product and production engineering, tooling, parts manufacturing, testing and assembly. Staff members of the engineering research department specifically of major car producing companies conduct continuous research activities in the hope of providing the best vehicle that would answer the needs of its target market. Artist’s drawings or graphic illustrations are usually the first step in vehicle styling. Small clay models or full-scale models may be produced for detail specification. Style also takes into consideration several factors such as passenger comfort, visibility and headroom, aside from the external appearance.

Production engineers will then work to adapt the proposed design to enable it to be mass produced. A considerable length of time is used for the tooling stage as patterns, dies and special tools are readied for production. The manufacture of automobile parts is made at several separate plants. A prototype needs to be built before actual production. This would allow for the thorough study of the new car design including test driving in all kinds of weather and road conditions. This is usually the phase where mechanical and design changes are done in direct connection with test results. Assembling an automobile generally consists of mass production’s three major elements including the assembly line, standardization of parts and division of labor. The end product is what consumers see in the car showroom.

One technology that is all too easily taken for granted is that of transmission. Under normal use, modern transmissions last long enough thereby causing no real worries for most new car shoppers. What is important pertains to the matter of smooth shifting, good performance and fuel economy. Traditionally, manual transmissions provide better mileage than automatics but this is beginning to change with the new generation of electronically controlled automatics.

The transmission’s job is to strike the right balance between responsiveness and efficiency by matching a vehicle’s driving speed to the engine speed. Having more gears provide a better match and smoother shifts which explains why the number of speeds in transmissions has been increasing.