Professor Elam

Note to Students

I urge you to stretch yourselves. We require written assignments for several reasons. Writing stimulates critical thinking, you have a tangible product. Too often we get the question, how long should the paper be?  Did Michaelangelo  ask about the budget for the Cistine Chapel?  No he painted the way he thought it should look, centuries later it is in every art book. 

You should be accumulating a series of written articles, they reflect who you are and how you think and view the world. Having said that, I still write a weekly column for a small newspaper, it allows me quite a bit of freedom. so here goes.

Same

The manufactured world of automobiles is chock a
block full of THE SAME. The Administration which ran on Change is determined to
fit us, each and every one, into SAME. The same refrigerator, auto, home,
medical plan, and yes salary.  Over
$250,000 is too much, save for athletes, trial lawyers, actors, and
musicians.  Too little is
apparently the entire state of Michigan. I shall have none of it thank you very
much. Here and now, while auto makers everywhere struggle to regain ground, my
advice, back to future, innovate or die, you had it right to begin with.

In 1950 every auto from Detroit had a straight
six cylinder engine driving the rear wheels. Now only BMW can  manage that.  Only BMW remains pure to its straight six roots, Lexus,
Mercedes, and Hyundai have succumbed to the compact V shape.  What happened?

In 1976 VW copied the Sir Alec Issigonis Mini design of a
transverse  engine driving the
front not rear wheels. The British Mini was born..  This allowed all mechanical to be up front, freeing space
from the cockpit back.  Space
efficient, cheap and fun, yes but….And it is that but that perturbs.  A tiny front drive engine plows its
understeering self, a larger engine does it more and more.  And that is the problem for anyone
enjoying that rear drive sensation known as oversteer.

BMW has recently revived the Mini to wild
success. Buyers like the idea so much their cars are named on the internet. The
thing to be learned here is that, buyers come to the showroom to buy things
that excite them, be it autos or lingerie. Chrysler had it right with its slant
six, where is the new Dodge Dart, a possible  low buck alternative to the BMW 3?

Automakers are pining for someone to come to the
showroom and without the latest discount coupon. Offer something different I
say, no one stays famous by imitation, originality is the ticket. Roger Moore
is an adequate Bond, Sean Connery is the real thing, no mistaking the
difference.

Enzo Ferrari decided his cars would be powered
by twelve tiny pistons. Ferdinand Porsche deemed a horizontally opposed boxer
engine in back would push him to fame. Both different, from each other and the
rest, there’s the ticket. While most of the ordinary rabble have never driven
either marquee, we all know what they are, and that is all the difference.

Nissan re Datsun added tow cylinders to the four
cylinder engine of  its
successful  510 sedan. Presto the
econobox four became the 240Z faux 
Jaguar for the masses.  And
as they say, a star was born.

I would eschew electric mirrors, my 1981 Audi
had wonderful T shaped manual controls inside the car for the outside mirrors.
No gps or Bluetooth, a iPod connection, well okay.  We are building the most pleasant personal transportation
possible,  not home stereos.  We will do without heated seats or left
and right HVAC controls, simplicity is the thing.  A mechanical torsen limited slip for the rear and a fore and
aft engine placement. It will multiple torque through  a five or six speed manual. We will pass on the paddle
shifting automatics. Front doors will have proper window frames.

 Every manufacturer now has a fine dohc four cylinder and many
of them in all aluminum no less. Do two more identical  cylinders really cost more than a
turbocharger on a four?  Do it now,
add the cylinders, put the axle to the rear where it belongs, and set yourself
free from the econobox rent car mentality.

I would begin with a coupe on a 106 inch
wheelbase. One could shorten it ten inches for a two seater. It should sound
like a proper internal combustion engine, not a cuisinart.

Two well shaped front seats and a proper boot in
back. Mercury Marine had it  right
with its six cylinder outboard, this design will do the same for whoever
embraces it first. Understeer is no fun, a straight six both sounds and feels
right ripping right through 5,000 rpm in a way a four never can/

Build it and they will come, to the
showroom,  I say.  Who knows, people might even change
their own spark plugs again, just because they can. They might go for the
Sunday drive, just because they want to. And until that happens, cars like
refrigerators will suffer from the SAME.