Wednesday, 18 March 2020

Hall Of Cars




  

What is automobile?

Automobile is a vehicle which consists of an engine and has wheels. Different mechanisms result in operation of various parts of a automobile and this makes the same to move from one point to another.

                                       


Why is it so important to us?

Automobile helps us to transport people, goods, logistics, animals etc from one place to another comfortably and with great ease followed by least efforts.


History of automobile

When early men first observed a rolling stone from a hill, it gave them an idea. The funny part was that whatever happened here was just by a mistake. Earlier they used to carry the raw material by themselves or by taking help of animals. It was an effort taking way of transportation and took a lot of time. Early men tried to use a stone like a wheel but didn’t succeed. Later after loads of attempts they found that a trunk or hard stem of a tree can be used as a wheel and later started using it as a wheel. Sometime later they made a cart or a sledge out of a stem and made it to pull by an animal and finally the problem that they used to face while moving reduced to a great extend and this was how automobile became an important part of our lives.

Car: I've searched everywhere in the house. Where're you dad?  

A small conversation was going on between the three brothers in the automobile family.


Steam car: I'm the elder most son of this family. 
Gasoline car: No ways...it is me!! 
Electric car: C'mon you guys! Everyone knows that I was born first. 


After a long debate between the siblings, ultimately they went to their father in search of the answer. Charles answered by showing them the family chart.



Karl Benz is believed to be the father of modern fully functioning car. But we all know that a great invention is a result of chain of different ideas. The bulb may light up in many great minds and result in a noble invention.Back then, destiny was being written by such minds. You might call me a dumpster if I said that Leonardo Da Vinci was also one of these minds who was involved in this chain. But this is one big blow to them who aren't aware of. Way back in 15th century, Leonardo was actually creating designs and models of transport vehicle. So I leave the answer of the question up to you.
What are the different types of automobile?
Cycle, motorcycle, car, bus, truck, ATB, go-kart, train, aeroplane etc whatever is having wheels that move is categorized under automobile.
  • But I’ll be focusing on cars in this blog.


CAR

A car is an automobile having 4 wheels and an engine which helps it to travel from one place to another. Fuel helps an engine to run which ultimately moves the wheels and hence a car drives forward.
Various types of fuels on which a car runs are petrol, diesel, gasoline, battery, solar, CNG, LPG, bio-diesel etc.
When we look around, we find different types of terrain. A simple car can’t move on different and difficult terrains. This gave rise to different categorize of cars which were build keeping in mind the terrains they were going to travel on. Let us take a look at these different types of car we see on the roads.

Types of cars based on:-

  • Space
    1. Hatchback
  • Transmission or gear box system
  • Steering wheel
  • Engine location
  • Purpose
  • Fuel



  • Do let me know about the car that you came across for the first time and also your favorite car in the comment section below.


      •  i. Space
         Hatchback - A type of car which is small in size and has two or four doors. The roof curves down to form the boot lid which is itself a kind of a door. Rear wind shield is fixed to the boot lid. The lid is hinged on one end and free on the other end. Lid can be opened by a key or a button provided on the lid for loading purpose. Boot space is not much but can be increased for storage by folding down the rear row of seat. Hatchback has a capacity of 4- 5 passengers. The car is fitted with a less capacity engine (generally in the front portion) and is covered by an engine lid called a hood giving good fuel efficiency. Hood can be opened by a button located below the dashboard on driver’s end. The overall weight of the car is less. e.g., Tata Altroz, Volvo V40 etc.


            


      Sedan - A type of car in which there is an extra space given in the rear end for storage. This extra space is called a trunk. The space or luggage compartment is separate from the passenger cabin. Trunk helps to provide more storage which can be increased further by folding the rear seat row just like in case of a hatchback. Rear wind screen is fixed to the roof and the trunk can be opened by a key or a button provided on the trunk lid. Sedan car has better capacity engine than a hatchback but less fuel efficiency. It is a four door car and has a capacity of the car is 4-5 passengers. Wheelbase is longer than a hatchback adding extra centimetres to the turning radius. Sedan is heavier than a hatchback. It is an incredibly comfortable and luxurious car. e.g., Audi A6, Mercedes Benz S200, BMW 720 LD etc.








      Estate/Station Wagon - This type of car is a two box spacious version of a sedan. It is a four door car excluding the boot lid. The roofline is extended back to the trunk portion and curves down to form the boot lid like a hatchback. The trunk is included in the passenger cabin to give ample space for passengers. The capacity of this car is 8 passengers due to the extra row of seat in the rear end of the car. The cargo space is less than a sedan however the room for storage can be increased by folding the rear seats down. The boot lid can be opened like a hatchback lid. e.g., Buick Road master, Volvo V60, Audi RS6 etc.









      Sports Utility Vehicle or SUV - A car which is the known for its power and off road abilities is a big boxed shape car with long bonnet and height. The most distinctive feature of the car is the chassis which is in the shape of a ladder known as ladder frame chassis which is usually found in trucks, buses for heavy cargo carrying ability. The car is fitted with a high power turbo charged engine making it capable enough to move in any off road conditions. This engine powers all the four wheels to avoid slipping of them giving enough grips. The lower portion of the car has tough panels to protect the car from sharp and pointed rocks. The suspension setting is high to provide maximum comfort in any terrain and so a SUV has high ground clearance. Tires with large thickness are used to serve the purpose for which the car is build for. High roof also gives enough headroom and interior space for passengers. Multi-terrain car is also used for a SUV. The roof curves down to form boot lid just like a hatchback. There is a third row of seat in the rear end which is either parallel like the second row or perpendicular but on the either side of the car. This extra row increases the car capacity to 7 passengers. The cargo space is not much due to this reason and all these factors make a SUV the heaviest car. e.g., Jeep Cherokee XJ, Mahindra Alturas, Cadillac Es.






      Multi-purpose Van or MPV/Minivan - This is an extended type of hatchback. Minivan focuses more on passenger space and has a capacity of 6-8 passengers. This is possible due to the presence of a third row of seat. The car can be recognized by its sliding door provided in the middle portion in between front and rear axle. Sliding door gives an easy open close operation for the passengers. The cargo space is not much but can be adjusted just like the way it’s done in a hatchback car. The head room in a minivan is high but the ground clearance is low unlike a SUV. The boot door or lid in this car may be single or double door .e.g., Toyota Vellfire, Mercedes Benz Sprinter, VW Van etc. 






      Crossover/CUV – This type of car is based on single body construction and is a combination of a SUV and a hatchback. CUV is also known as compact SUV but is more luxurious. The car has more interior comfort with good fuel economy. CUV has high ground clearance but low off road capability. The capacity of a CUV is 5 passengers and the arrangement inside the cabin is similar to a hatchback. A high power engine which drives all the four wheels like a SUV makes it capable of gaining the necessary grip on loose terrain. This is the most complete car within all the segments. e.g., Lamborghini Urus, Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos etc.    


          







      Pickup car/truck – This is a SUV consisting of a separate cargo bed. Also known as light duty truck. Pickup trucks may be two doors or four doors. The separate cargo bed gives more than enough vertical loading space. A small cargo lid or tailgate is provided which is hinged from the bottom to the car body and can be opened in the downward direction. This tailgate protects the luggage from falling off the car while moving. Often a removable mat is used to cover the bed area to protect the luggage from getting exposed to different weather conditions. This car is powered by a high capacity turbo charged engine to carry enormous loads. The engine drives all the four wheels just like a SUV. The car capacity is 2-5 passengers depending on the variant. Pickup truck has longer wheel base and this makes it an extra long vehicle. Similar to a SUV, pickup truck has high suspension setting which can be adjusted according to the terrain. Big diameter tires along with high suspension setting gives it a high ground clearance. e.g., Dodge Ram, Ford Raptor, Tata Xenon.









      Coupe - A coupe is a two doors car comprising of a hard roof with a sloping rear roof-line. The logic behind this type of roof-line is to make it aerodynamic so as to achieve high speed. A coupe is fitted with a high speed engine as the main focus of a coupe is “speed and acceleration”. Quick in acceleration with high toque and power makes a coupe reach high speeds making it the best performance car among st other cars. The car has a capacity of 2-4 passengers. The area for luggage is very less to make the car light weight because speed and space cannot be considered together. Either of the two has to be compromised in order to meet the desired performance.  The rear end is basically smaller than other average cars making the overall size small. The front end is low and close to the ground and the level rise gradually towards the rear end. Coupes around the globe have set several lap and speed records. e.g., Ferrari 250 GT, DC Avanti, Nissan GT-R etc.









      Convertible/Spyder/Roadster - A head turning car which may be used with or without a roof. This type of roof which is removable is called a soft roof. Unlike other cars, a convertible has no permanent roof. The passenger cab structure is open to air so that the driver can feel sunlight, cold breeze etc to give a different and unique driving experience. Soft roof can be fitted back to make it a coupe as per desire. The soft roof when not desired can be removed by a specific mechanism designed for the purpose. A small rear panel opens up below which a small storage to fit the folded roof. This folded roof slides and opens up slowly taking the shape of a roof and fits firmly to the A pillar. This roof is soundproof, waterproof and has properties similar to a hard roof. Simultaneously the roof slides backward, folds itself, and slowly fits in a small rear space and  rear panel closes again. The same mechanism is repeated but in reverse order to reopen the soft roof and all these can be done by just a push of a button located on the dashboard. This soft roof is called retraceable roof. Car of this segment is a two doors car with a capacity of 2- 4 passengers. Due to soft roof, the overall structure is not rigid when compared to other cars. e.g., Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster, Mini Cooper S, Lexus LC convertible etc.








      Micro car – As the name implies, this car is the smallest car amongst all the other cars with a capacity of only 1 passenger. Micro car is a rare car because of the kind of design and also because of very small space for passenger and luggage. As only one passenger can fit in hence luggage space is the least. The car is a two doors car with three or four wheels. Generally the engine inside this car is below 1000cc and designed for motorcycles. Also the wheel base of a micro car is quite same as a motorcycle. e.g., BMW Isetta, Corbin Sparrow etc.

      Limousine – Limousine or just limo is a car with a stretched length and is driven by a trained driver called chauffeur. The car is the longest car amongst all other cars. The car has two compartments –driver and passenger which are separated by a partition. This partition is provided for the privacy of the passenger travelling inside. The passenger may contact the chauffeur through a phone or simply through a push button microphone. By pressing the button, passenger can talk to the chauffeur and also hear the passenger through a speaker located in the driver’s cabin. Both can talk and hear each other by this system. This car has more than four doors and can fit 8 or more number of passengers inside. Because of the enormous length of the car, wheel base is very long. The car has many luxurious features inside like comfortable recliners, couch, drinks, high definition home theater system with big screen TV, DJ light system, karaoke system and many more. Limo is actually a normal car which is customized to one. The car is cut from the middle and an extended body is added in this portion with identical appearance, size etc. Just imagine a rail coach added in between two other coaches to increase the overall length of the train but all the coaches are identical. This car often is booked for pick and drop facility for airport passengers. Basically businessmen, executives, celebrities and ministers have Limo as it is very costly and needs a special license from the government to use it on the streets because of its stretched length. e.g., any car can be customized to a limo.









      Muscle Car – A muscle car is a mid size sports car which is known for its power. Muscle car is cheaper than a pure sports car with a powerful and loud engine inside the hood which powers the rear wheels. The body of car is made of heavy steel material which increases the curb weight making it not good in handling. Muscle car finds its origin from USA and the name was given to the car keeping in mind the heavy bulky model and the powerful engine. The car is a two doors car and has a capacity of 2-4 passengers. e.g., Dodge Charger R/T, Plymouth Hemi Cuda, Plymouth Super bird etc.  














      Pony car – A type of muscle car which is compact in size and affordable. Everything is similar to a muscle car except a longer hood and a shorter trunk lid. The car is two doors and has a capacity of 4 passengers. The skeleton of the car is a compact chassis and the body is designed in such a way that the front is moved little back to allow a longer hood e.g., Chevrolet Camaro, AMC Javelin SST etc.







      Grand Tourer or GT - GT is a high speed car which can be taken on a tour or long distance drives which is why the name has “tourer”.  GT is a derived version of a coupe having both performance and luxury. Unlike a coupe, GT has an extra row of seat, increasing the capacity to 4 passengers. In addition to passenger space, luggage space is little more than a coupe and these all things make a GT, a better touring car. It is superb in handling at high speed due improved aerodynamics, low ground clearance, light dry weight chassis and advance suspension system. However, this car costs very high because of the material, technology, high power engine, high performance tires used to build it. e.g., McLaren 570 GT, Ford Mustang GT etc.







      Shooting Brake – A shooting brake is a type of station wagon with sports features in it. It is basically a combination of station wagon and a two doors sports coupe with cargo space. The first shooting brake was used by hunters or shooters for the sport of hunting. Here, brake means chassis of a wagon and hence the name. High performance engine combined with enough space in the cabin makes this car a great choice for the customers but is little costly to own. As described earlier, it is a two doors with capacity of 4 passengers. The rear of the car is similar to a station wagon in design with little cargo space but in an aerodynamic manner. Low ground clearance gives the car the perfect close to the ground quality which helps less air to pass below the car helping the driver to manoeuvre easily at high speeds. e.g., Ferrari 365 GTB, Aston Martin DB etc.   







      • The category is further extended. The motive behind this article is to give a brief knowledge about various types of car cultures followed in different countries.
      • Cars are modified according to the usage and purpose.Lets look at the different types of modified cars which make them distinct from the others and give them a unique identity. 




      Rat rod – Modifications carried out here is to enhance the look of the car for vintage exhibitions and shows to showcase an individual’s imagination and creativity.  A rat rod is a car which lack paints and other coatings to make it look old and obsolete. The appearance looks unfinished with primer polished body panels which looks rusty and also uses non-automobile parts like knife handle for gear lever, oars for side panels, spanners for door handles, bomber seats etc. Engine in a rat rod is usually a modified and loud V8 engine with modified parts cosmetically and looks bigger than the original One. This is why the hood is removed to give an overall retro look. Wheel track or the distance between two wheels on the same axle is increased so that they are out of the plane of the car body. Fenders are removed and wide exposed tires with white painted walls are installed. Actually rat means scrap or junk and old in automobile world. The car even after modification looks unfinished and is an imitation of a war car. The capacity of a rat rod is 2-4 passengers.   





           





      Hot rod – A hot rod is a finished version of rat rod. Rod in the name means the crankshaft which is replaced by a high performance one to make the car fast. The car is painted with bright and contrast colours with mostly flame stickers on. Often chrome is found on maximum parts to add up more shine to the car. Chrome also gives that old 70s, 80s look when the parts like front and rear bumpers, engine grills and many more were used to give shinny new look to the car. It looks like a new car due this reason and the unfinished body work is a signature style of a hot rod. Just like a rat rod, non – automotive parts are used in a hot rod too for the same purpose. Large engine with cosmetic modifications is fitted in the car for good high speed runs. The engine is without hood to keep it exposed. Like the engine, tires are wide and broad with white painted walls and are kept exposed by eliminating the fenders. Shinny chrome straight exposed exhaust pipes add up to the look and sound, making the car loud and eye catchy. Ground clearance of the car is low like a rat rod and the capacity of the car is 2-4 passengers.









      Cal lookers – Mainly seen on the beaches of California, a Cal looker is a customized (mostly) VW beetle in a style which was once originated from California. Cal in the name stands for California. Scrapped and dumped car is bought on which mechanics work to make it a new one by installing a new engine or repairing the old one, installing aftermarket parts followed by paint job. The original or basic look remains the same. By this process, the overall cost is less. Beetle is the choice for lookers because of its low cost and ease of customization. Shinny bright paints are used to paint the car with lots of chrome coated parts. Often spoke wheels are used for mod. The car retains the seat capacity and number of doors which is 4 passengers and two doors resp.










      Low Rider – Low rider is a full sized modified car with low ride height and heavy chrome detailing. Low in the name is a different class of cars. Small size chrome spoke wheels with white painted walls and spinners gives the car more attractive look. The wheels on a low rider are fitted with independent hydraulic suspension system that can be raise or lower the height of the car. Hydraulic on each wheel can be regulated to adjust the height accordingly. These series of raising and lowering the suspension makes the car appear as if it is dancing. Hydraulic system is controlled by a control system which is either provided in the car itself or a separate remote control. Cars are extremely comfortable due to this type of suspension. Low rider is two doors and has a capacity of 4 passengers. Painted with shinny paints followed by some stickering job makes it a spectator’s car.







      Bosozoku car – The term was originated from Japan which means “violent running gang”. It is a car subculture where customized car is fitted with either one or more than one long exhaust pipes and extra long bumpers. Fenders are added to the body to give a wide body design. In addition to wide body, wider and shiny chrome cambered wheels are fitted to make it low to the ground. On the trunk lid is a big wing or spoiler. The stock bumper is replaced with a big and long bumper which is a wild mod. Many long straw shaped exhaust pipes are fitted which rise several feet high in the air and are very loud. The whole purpose is to make it look different and to do this, contrast and bright colour scheme is selected to paint the car and adding to it is the heavy chrome work on different parts of the car.















      Hi-Riser/Donk car – A type of customized car that is found in America and is associated with hip hop culture. The car that is selected for a Hi riser is a full size sedan car with basically a V-8 engine. It is a rear wheel drive car with body on frame structure. The main feature of the car is the huge wheels installed in it. The wheels have chrome and are very big in diameter (approx 50 inches) which increases the ground clearance of the car and is a characteristic feature of Hi riser. The name Hi riser is given to it because of the over sized wheels which makes the car rise high above the ground. The front suspensions are set little higher than the real ones which make the front end look higher than the rear one. The car after customization looks like a donk which means round in shape like a bubble. Passenger capacity and the number of doors depend on the car used for mod. Just like in other segments; donk car is also painted bright and fitted with different chrome parts.









      Drifter - A drifter is a customized car used for drifting. Driving a car at high speed makes it impossible to turn at that speed without applying continuous the brake. Japanese resolved this problem by introducing a new way of cornering called drift. When a curve or turn approaches, driver in the car travelling at high speed lifts the hand brake and simultaneously steers the car in the direction of the curve and continues to give power to the wheels. By doing this, the car can exit the turn without slowing down. A car with special modifications done on it for drifting is called a drifter. The main change is done on the body by converting it into a wide body structure. This is done by adding wide fenders. Splitter, side skirts and a fancy spoiler are added to the body giving an improved down force and stability while drifting. Improved aftermarket suspensions are installed which can be adjusted to a desired height. Bucket seats are installed helping the driver not to sit on but fit in the seat tight making the driver to be in his place while drifting. The seat is lower than the stock seats providing improved center of gravity. 5 – 8 harness point seat belt serves good safety purpose. The cockpit of the car has crash proof frame which helps to protect the driver in case of an emergency. High performance thin walled wide tires are one of a spectator part on a drifter giving it a low and wide look. Cambered wheels are responsible to make this car drift well. Unnecessary interior parts like rear seats, door sheets and other such parts that may add up to the overall weight of the car and make it unstable are removed. Mostly two doors car with a capacity of 2 passengers. The owner focuses more on brand promotion rather than the paint by putting stickers all over the body. High performance engine is installed to make the car perform well at corners. Drifting produces a lot of smoke outside and inside the car as well so the cockpit often has small exhaust fans to remove this smoke from driver’s cabin. Driver has to put on safety gears like helmet, racing suit, boots, gloves which collectively prove to be a life savior.













      Go kart car – This is the smallest modified car and is built for circuit racing where many such cars are made to run on a closed circuit at high speeds driven by professional drivers and the car that crosses the check flag first wins. It is an open wheel car which means that all the wheels are stretched outside the body of the car. A Go kart is a single seater open car in which every part is exposed outside. The engine is in the rear end with driver seat in the middle and front end is occupied by a steering system and necessary foot pedal controls. A light weight chassis combined with a high performance engine which is connected to the rear wheels makes the car easy to drive. The small sized tires have diameter of 5-6 inches. It is obvious from the explanation that there is no body on a Go kart. However, small side skirts and front body panel covers the steering wheel column that helps to fulfill the purpose of sticking sponsor name, racer number to get identified easily. The posture of the driver when sitting inside a Go kart is like an L alphabet. The driver sits tight on a small seat which is made for specially for racing purpose and not for luxury or comfort. Purely committed to racing, this car has good cornering ability, low ground clearance racing tires.










      Kit car – Kit car is basically made by selecting parts from different manufacturers, later assemble all the parts from scratch to make a fully functioning car. Parts like engine, transmission etc are bought from the best sellers. The process proceeds according to the book of plans. The car can be built on the buyer’s demand and requirements. Kit car has capacity of 2 passengers with low ground clearance. The car is built in such a way that the axle stretches out of the body on the ends of which, tires (approx 14 inches) are fixed making them exposed openly. The design of the car may be a three or four wheels. Triangular trellis frame is the skeleton of this car which gives a good crash proof feature for driver’s safety e.g., Caterham 7, Sterling Nova etc.









      Formula 1 car/Grand prix – A F1 car is bigger version of a Go kart and comes under open wheel car category. F1 car is a supreme aerodynamically designed open car which has a capacity of only one driver who sits back tight to race against other such cars to win. It is purely a track legal and focused car which means it can only be driven on a highly supervised closed circuit for racing purpose and not on streets. Aerodynamic package in the car consists of front splitter, side skirts on both the sides, inclined wings and rear diffuser. When the car reaches its top speed, the air that drags against the motion of the car tries to lift it which may make the car airborne. Aerodynamic package helps much smoother flow of air over the body to solve lift and drag problem resulting the car to accelerate faster and reach higher speeds. The engine is generally a screaming V-8 2.5 litre naturally aspirated depending on the class of the race and positioned behind the driver cabin. The top speed could exceed 370 km/h mark. Tires are open or exposed with a diameter of 18 inches. Center bolt wheels are fitted to help wheel change faster. The car moves so fast that a set of tire doesn’t even last a whole race distance. To stop the car at this speed, carbon ceramic rotor disk brakes are used which can withstand the heat generated while braking. High performance fuel is used to move the beast and perform well in the race. Crash proof fuel tank avoids the car from exploding at the time of an accident. There is no dashboard in this car like other public cars due to less space in the cockpit. A small and special type of steering wheel which consists of knobs, dials and switches helps the driver to use the controls in no time. Chassis is made of carbon fibre which is ultra light and also very strong making it the same.  The body of this car only serves the purpose of giving aerodynamic advantage and not for hiding the parts. It is painted according the team official colour and has room for stickers to display the car number, team name and sponsors. Driver has to wear safety gears to survive any type of crash. The car takes several pit stops where any damaged part is replaced with a new one. For this reason, all the parts are designed and assembled in such a way that any of them can be changed in less time. Every second wasted in the race may cost a position down in the race. The team comprises of officials, executives, mechanics and engineers, designers etc.  Regulation governing body decides the rules and regulation of the race and details of every part to build a F1 car. Any violation leads to disqualification of the team from the race.
      Nascar racing car – A closed wheel car in which modification done is purely for racing purpose. By looking at the body, it is clear that the wheels don't stretch out of the body rather they remain inside the confined area of the car so it is a closed wheel car.The stock car gets the aerodynamic package which uplifts the speed and down force of the car wherever it is necessary. The parts like doors, trunk lid and hood are all welded to the adjacent body portion to give the car a one body structure. One body structure means there is no loose, hinged and moving body part which is generally there on a stock version. This type of structure avoids the problem of any loose part after any collision or any similar impact which can make it unstable. Headlights and taillights are removed; instead decal of the parts are put to give a look somewhat like the original production car from where this car is derived. Also, all circuits have best light arrangements to enhance the vision of the driver post sunset time. Driver enters the car through the window space. Wing or a spoiler which is an elevated horizontal bar on the trunk lid gives it a perfect down force and also helps in tearing more air to reach even higher speeds. Spoiler is fixed at an angle which is perfect to diffuse the air. It is made of carbon fiber to make it stiff, strong and light weight. Ordinary tire may face a blowout at high speed and thus racing performance bald two layered 10 inches wide tires are used to provide necessary traction. High speed engine which runs on green colour E15-98 octane unleaded high performance fuel. All the parts in the car are assembled in such a way that in any damage, it could be changed within seconds. Just like other race cars, the cockpit has trellis frame with removed unnecessary interiors. Except driver seat, all the other seats are removed. Dashboard is full of dials and electronic devices to display and record the details of the car in the race. Safety gear is a must for the racer. The whole body is painted with a colour pattern decided by the team with sponsors and racer number on it. Speedway closed circuit is in shape of a wheel where the cars can move at high gears. On the periphery is the space for spectators to witness the race with necessary protective frame and railing in front of them.
      Endurance race car – The name itself suggests that the cars in this race are driven for more duration of time to cover more number of laps than other race events. Car in this race is tested to its durability with endurance of the team of drivers. The car need to cover number of laps in the shortest time. There is 24 hour, 12 hour similar race events where all the cars have to drive for the 24 or 12 hours non stop respectively. However, the team is allowed to take pit stops for driver change and also change of any damaged part. Generally, a team consists of 2-4 drivers. Overall team includes officials as mentioned earlier.Improved aerodynamics of each car with modified engine and body parts help the car to perform well. Modifications carried out are similar to other race cars but last longer. The paint used has better thermal threshold point. The body is covered with sponsors, owner and driver race number stickers . Parts like front splitter, side skirts, spoiler and diffuser improve the overall aerodynamic and down force coefficient. It can reach a speed which is more than 200 mph. This is also done by loud, high performance engine powered by high octane fuel. Tires are the only part that has direct contact with the track, that is why broad and high sticking value tires of about 18 inches are fitted to the car. Tires are bald or having no grip. The special material of the tire on increase of the temperature starts sticking to the track and hence an even traction is achieved. All the parts in the car can be replaced within very less time when the car arrives to the pit. This helps to repair the damage fast so that the driver can join the race asap. The reason behind this race is to test the durability, performance of every part that forms the car. Car that wins the race proves that the car along with all the part in it have high strength, will last long and could bear any tough condition for 24 hours on a single stretch. There is room for only one person i.e. the driver. Rest of the space is occupied by the crash proof frame, controls and dials with a small computer that  records everything going on in the race. This race is a test for both – man and machine. For promotion purpose, big brands like Ferrari, Ford, Mclaren etc take part in the race. If the brand wins, it means that specific brand is producing high grade parts which last longer and have good strength. This will attract buyers to buy stock version of the endurance racing car. The car running on the track in the race is a modified production car.
        







      Rally car – Car which is modified to run on dirt and mud surface. Bumpy road with loose gravels and water accumulated areas is the circuit for a rally car racing. The body of the car is changed to wide body by adding fenders on all the four sides resulting in increased G – force and center of gravity. Car runs very fast on such uneven loose surfaces and thus stability is the top most priority for the driver. Car has front splitter, side skirts, roof air intake vent, a spoiler and a diffuser which improves the aerodynamics of the car and also gives the much needed rear down-force at the time of cornering at high speed. The car has high ground clearance to successfully tackle the difficult off road conditions. To make the car fast, weight is reduced by removing unnecessary interior parts as mentioned earlier in other segments. To maintain a good grip all the time, high performance rally tires with increased grips are fitted for desirable results. Strong, durable and quick responsive suspensions helps to give damping and reduces the effect of the jerks to reach the body as the road sometimes has slopes which may cause the car to go airborne. Suspensions setting is changed to increase the height of the car to overcome ups and downs on the way. Headlights with fog lights which are called rally lights help the driver to see the road clearly in low light conditions. Mudflaps find their way behind every wheel and avoids mud, flying debris to stick to the body or fly high in the air by rotating wheels. Inside the driver cab is a crash proof frame which protects the the person inside in any tragic incident. High performance engine powers all the four wheels to give perfect traction in off roading conditions. The car is covered with stickers of the brands, sponsors, and racer number etc. It is a two doors two seater car. The driver is accompanied by a person who instructs him about the speed, turns and directions called a navigator. At every moment, car should travel fast but in a control speed so that the car doesn’t lose the grip. Driver can’t finish the race or even last long in the race without the navigator. Navigator has the map and has ready calculations to make the driver give the best timing. Car goes through different road conditions which ultimately is a test for both man and machine. Here, the cars don’t drive all at once but start the race one by one. There are various checkpoints which helps the team to know the exact location of the car. To win the race, team has to cross the check flag in the shortest time. 















      Off road race car – Car powered by a turbo charged high performance engine with all wheel drive system and high ground clearance is a basically what an off roader is. SUV and pickup truck are the first choice for off road car modification. Car should be able to travel on any terrain and for this, specific modification is done. Large sized and high bumpers with front tubular frame guards are installed to avoid engine compartment from getting damaged in case of any hit by any hard object. Flexible Suspensions with improved dampers help the car to withstand and overcome high jumps and jerks. Larger diameter wheels (18 inches) with deep open thread tires help the car from losing grip in muddy situation where ordinary tires may lose traction. All wheel drive system along with these deep grip wheels work together for this purpose. Mud after getting dried up becomes hard which sticks all over the body of the car blocking the air intake system. A special pipe called snorkel which is placed high on the car and travels down to the intake manifold is installed. When the conventional intake ducts gets chocked, the air is sucked in the engine by snorkel for combustion. This is the only race that happens in lonely deserts, and even in jungles where the road is covered with a thick layer of Earth and water mixture basically mud which is approx 700-800 mm deep. Sometimes the car gets submerged in this mixture up to a height of headlights. For this reason, extra pair of headlights is fitted on the roof and high on bonnet which rise above the hood height. The chassis is strengthened for rigidity and survive high impact and jerks. As mentioned earlier, the race occurs in lonely deserts which give high risk of engine breakdown and flat tire. Occupants are trained enough to repair minor faults. For this reason, open trunk space is occupied by two or more sets of tire. Driver and co-driver/navigator work together in coordination to complete the challenge. Mostly, a two door car and has a capacity of 2 passengers.           









      Dragster – Drag means in to pull with vigorous force. Basically a dragster means a car that is modified to reach high speeds in shortest time on a straight stretched track. Often exotic, muscle and old cars are used for the purpose. The reason is cheap cost of purchasing an old car. This helps to expend more on modification and buy aftermarket parts to make the overall cost of producing one less. Top fuel dragsters are the fastest cars on this planet and are capable enough to reach speeds of 500 km/h or more. Cosmetic modification is done for improving the overall look as well as performance. Hood lid is changed to a big air intake vent or entirely removed in case the engine consists of a massive triple butterfly throttle body on top of the fuel injection system. Engine is modified by adding supercharger, light weight engine blocks, improved crankshaft etc which enables it to reach 11,000 horsepower. Engine is so powerful that no dynamo meter can calculate its performance. A dragster could reach 100 mph in a second which is way too quick. This enormous performance is achieved by the use of nitro-methane as a fuel. Surprisingly, this fuel is produced only for drag racing and accordingly the engine is also developed. The exhaust system is so violent in nature that high flames come out of the exhaust pipes followed by loud screaming sound of the engine when the throttle pedal is pressed. The body is designed according to the frame that serves the purpose of guarding the racer along with parts like engine, exhaust, wheels, power train etc. Rear tires are much broader than the front pair. This helps a dragster to gain maximum traction. The race is all about perfect start and is achieved by perfect launch. Often a dragster pops up a wheelie to reduce the friction (due to front wheels) which can further give a better launch. In this process, the whole weight shifts to the rear wheels and that’s why broader tires (36 inches tall, 17.5 inches wide). Hub less double bead wheels are selected which are capable enough to withstand enormous amount of G force on the tires. However, skinny front pair of tire is fitted to the car as the front portion of the car is not heavy at all. Along with this, the car doesn’t use front brakes. The front portion should be elevated from the ground, able to roll and steer straight and this is the only purpose of front wheels in a dragster. To increase traction, driver initially increases the temperature of the wheels by performing several burnouts in which the front wheels are kept in locked position whereas the rear wheels are made to spin. Burnout helps the tires to reach high temperatures and develop the necessary sticking factor that results increase in the traction further. Space inside the driver cab is small enough to fit a driver; and as light as possible. Low front and high rear wings provide improved aerodynamics. Dragster has a long wheel base (300 inches) for better stability at higher speeds. Different drag races differ from each other by the distance covered like 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 mile. According to the distance, the two racers competing against each other accelerate the car till that finish line and then shut the engine down. Reaching speeds beyond 300 mph, the car is difficult to stop. No ordinary brakes can withstand the heat generated while braking. This is why; two parachute systems are installed in the trunk end. After crossing the finish line, each racer pushes a button that deploys the parachutes which acts like an air brake.     







      ii. Transmission or gear box system
         Manual transmission car (MT) - A car in which a driver changes the gear manually by a hand lever provided in between the driver and the co driver seat. Car has three foot pedals – accelerator, brake and clutch. Collective operation of accelerator, clutch and hand gear lever; a specific gear is selected according to the speed of the car. Rolling action of the car starts with gear 1 and as the speed increase, higher gear is selected until the top gear is reached to achieve the maximum speed. The reverse operation is performed when the car is decelerated. Addition to a neutral and gears from 1 – 6, there is a reverse gear which helps to roll the car in reverse direction for parking purpose. Gear 1 is for low speed and gear 6 is for high speed (6 speed manual transmission car).  








      Automatic transmission car (AT) – Unlike a manual transmission, an automatic transmission car is one in which shifting of gears is done automatically without keeping the driver involved in the operations. A torque converter helps to make this automatic shifting possible. Only brake and accelerator foot pedals are there for hassle free operation. Automatic transmission car is the easiest one to drive.
















      Automatic manual transmission (AMT) – As the name indicates, this transmission is a combination of both automatic and manual transmissions. Gear is changed manually but without the use of a clutch and therefore there is no clutch foot pedal. Just like an automatic transmission car only brake and accelerator foot pedals are provided. This is why it is known as automatic manual transmission. Clutch is operated automatically by the sensors in the car. However, the gear lever can be operated by moving it upwards or downwards to increase or decrease the gear respectively depending on the speed. This neglects the complex movement of the gear lever in a manual transmission car. This is actually manual gear shifting but with one step up or down lever. Many AMT cars have an iconic feature of paddle shift switch behind the steering wheel to make the operation further easier without leaving the steering wheel.  









      Continuous variable transmission(CVT) – This type of automatic transmission eliminates the use of regular gears rather uses a metal v belt, pulleys and sensors. This is also known as shiftless transmission. There are two pulleys – driver and driven pulley. Driver pulley is connected to the engine output shaft and driven is connected to the output shaft to which leads to the wheels. A metal v-belt connects both the pulleys. The compression and expansion of either of the two pulleys make the axial diameter of the v-belt to differ from one pulley to other and helps to accelerate or decelerate the car. This is the most efficient transmission of all in terms of fuel efficiency.









      iii. Steering wheel
         Left hand drive or left steer car – A car whose steering wheel is located on the left side of the car when viewed from inside. Steering wheel location depends on the country traffic regulation. Countries like Italy, France, China and many more have cars with left hand drive regulation.

         

         Right hand drive or right steer car - A car whose steering wheel is located on the right side of the car when viewed from inside. Right hand drive regulation is followed in countries like India, Australia, Thailand and many more.

         

       Center hand drive or center steer car – This is actually a special class in the category. A car that has a steering wheel on center side of the car when viewed from inside. The idea was taken from a formula 1 car where the driver is positioned in the center with the steering wheel. McLaren produces such production cars with this kind of steering position.



      iv. Engine Location
       Front engine car – As the name suggests, a front engine car has the engine located in the front or on the front axle. Most of the cars running around us are basically front engine cars. When the car accelerates, its weight tends to shift to the rear portion of the car making the front end lighter than the rear end thus making it unstable. This problem is solved in a front engine car. However, under steer is a common problem when taking a turn at high speeds. Luggage compartment is at the rear of the car.


         









      Rear engine car – A car with the engine located in the rear end of the car or on the rear axle. Number of rear engine car is less due to instability. The center of gravity is not balanced in this car. This type of engine layout on the other hand is better for a car if used for drifting. The down force exerted keeps the car stable while drifting at high speed. In other cars, this is achieved by installing a spoiler but here engine does the job. Unlike a front engine car, luggage compartment is at the front of the car.


        







      Mid engine car – Engine location of a mid engine car is in mid portion of the car or in between the front and rear axle and off course behind the driver cab. Coupes, GTs and racing cars have such an engine layout. By assembling the engine in the mid portion of the car, center of gravity acts in the mid portion and along with this there is an even weight distribution hence making it an excellent racing car. Car is balanced all the time whether accelerating, braking or cornering. Luggage compartment is located in the front end like a rear engine car but the cargo space is less as a mid engine car is build for performance rather than for touring.








      v. Purpose
          Military car – Car modified specially for military purpose is a military car. SUVs and pickup trucks are widely used as military cars. A military car is used to transport necessary first aid, fuel, ammunition and even for combat battle. The car gets a military theme which is green, brown or white depending on the surrounding colour of the landscape. This is done for camouflage effect. To serve in a battlefield full of military action, the body of this car is converted to a fully armored one. Machine gun is often installed on the roof of the car to fight ground battles. A group of minimum 3 soldiers are there which take over the respective duty of driving, radio operation and the machine gun. SUVs/pickup trucks have powerful engine with four wheel drive system to pull out of any type of rough terrain. The car can even get fully submerged in water and still can operate. This helps to cross rivers and deep mud regions. Interior of the car is totally redesigned to make room for electronics, computers, SOS system etc. Military car can only be used by the army and not by the any public person.



          










      Ambulance – Mostly this type of car is seen in white colour and with a big visible red cross. The car is equipped with medical facilities and is used to transport casualties from accidental area to the nearby hospital. Generally MPVs are modified into an ambulance. The car is driven by an expert driver for this purpose and is allowed to jump red lights and break other traffic rules. This is liable because death never waits for anything and an ambulance carries patients in critical condition. High tech GPS system assists the driver for the shortest and traffic free route. The rear space is increased by removing rear rows of seat and instead small folding side seats are installed. The center space is occupied by stretcher lifts and medical equipment. The decals on an ambulance include the word AMBULANCE written on all the sides of the car with big letters so that the car the car is easily recognizable by other cars on the road. Bright red, blue and white flashing lights with loud siren system located on top of the car make it easily recognizable in traffic so that the path could be cleared for the ambulance.   


           






      Safety car – This car is modified specially for race events only. A coupe or GT with tremendous performance package is the first choice. The car has decals/stickers of various brand involved in the race. Bar night flash lights are installed on the roof as well as in the headlights to make it easily visible to the racers. The use of this car is to make all the drivers follow it and slow down when yellow flags are out. Before a race begins, warm up laps begins where all the racers have to keep the car under a speed limit and follow this safety car. No car is allowed to overtake this car and if any violation is committed then that particular racer is disqualified. Safety cars are out in case of accident situations too. Similar to the warm up laps, the same process happens here which gives time for the officials to clean up the accidental area and resume the race. Safety car exits to the pit lane as soon as the yellow flags are in. This allows the racers to speed up their cars again and resume the race again.  









      Garbage pickup truck – This type of car is used to pick municipal street garbage and dump it away in a dumping area. Pickup truck is used for this purpose due to the impressive features it offers high ground clearance, powerful engine, four wheel drive system, cargo space etc. The cargo region is replaced by a dumping bowl or tipper body which is controlled electronically and hydraulically by a small switch provided on the dashboard for easy operation. Generally painted in green, a garbage truck helps to keep the city clean.










      vi. Fuel
        Petrol car – A car with an internal combustion engine that involves burning of air-petrol mixture and removing the so called exhaust gases from the exhaust pipe located at the rear bottom end of the car. Engine is basically described as a 4 stroke engine. Car is fast and quiet, accelerates faster and starts easily. However, the exhaust gases like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide etc contribute to pollution and global warming. It is the most readily available but an exhaustible resource. Adding the factor of price to this makes the fuel a temporary one. A petrol car can be refueled at a gas station in case of low fuel.


         








      Diesel car – A diesel engine car uses a mixture of air-diesel for combustion that runs the car. Diesel car is noisy but has better load carrying capacity than a petrol car. Apparently, petrol car has a better pickup. Same gas stations offer diesel refueling facility. Diesel fuel is cheaper than petrol but is an exhaustible resource just like petrol; diesel produces more amount of pollution and contributes to green house gases. Like petrol, diesel is also a temporary fuel.

        

      Liquefied Petroleum gas (LPG)/ Auto gas – This is an alternate fuel and is a solution for the excess amount of pollution produced by a petro-diesel car. Liquefied petroleum gas or LPG is basically a propane gas which is a clean fuel and produces very less toxins. It actually reduces the amount of CO2 emission content. Instead of petrol, liquid propane is filled in an aluminium tank instead of a petrol tank. Some modifications are done by adding parts like filler, hoses, tank, converter, mixer, vapor phase injector connected to electronics. Exclusive LPG stations are there for refueling the car. The only problem a LPG car user face is the lack in availability of LPG fuel stations.     







       Compressed natural gas (CNG) – In a CNG car, combustion of methane and oxygen occurs in the combustion engine which emits less amount of CO2. A separate tank which is assembled in the trunk is filled with CNG. A car which runs on petrol can also run on CNG by installing a gas kit system. A choice of two fuels is given to the driver which can be switched to either mode by just a press of a button. Due to less emission of exhaust gases, people buy the car more than a LPG vehicle. Unlike LPG stations, CNG stations are more in number. The overall mileage of the car is better than the above mentioned cars. CNG fuel is also cheap making it a better choice for a user.




      Ethanol car (E85) – A car that runs on ethanol or ethyl alcohol which is produced by conversion of sugarcane, barley, corn and similar natural products is an Ethanol car. E85 means that the fuel sent to the combustion chamber is a blend of 85% ethanol and remaining 15% of petrol and of course air. This reduces the production of exhaust gases like CO2, CO and other green house gases. Fuel economy is somewhat same like a petrol car. A combustion engine which can run on more than one fuel is called a flexi fuel engine. Also, an engine can run with 100% ethanol fuel by modification of the engine but flexi fuel engines are more widely used.    




       Bio-diesel car – A bio-diesel car runs on a much cleaner form of diesel. Bio-diesel is produced from sugar beet, palm oil, soybean oil etc. It is made by contemporary process and is made in less time than other hydrocarbons that take years to form.  Like ethanol, bio-diesel can be used alone or blend with petro-diesel in proportion. Fewer amounts of harmful gases are produced making it a great choice.
      Solar car – A solar car is the cleanest form of automobile in terms of emissions. Solar car runs on sunlight which charges the solar panels or directly the batteries in a battery operated car. Solar panel is a sheet of photo-voltaic cells which convert heat energy from the falling Sun-rays on the panel to electrical energy. Absence of internal combustion engine in a solar car makes it super silent and vibration free. Along with rolling action of the car, solar panel also charge the batteries of the car which helps in rolling of the car in post Sunset conditions. Solar car is still under development which is why it is little costly. The car can reach a top speed up to 90 kmph which is a safe driving speed.

      Battery electric car (BEC) – As the name suggests, battery electric car operates on electricity stored in the battery. A battery car is lighter than a petro-diesel car due to less number of heavy mechanical parts in it. Battery car consists of a battery, necessary wiring and cables, converter and a motor. All these parts are successfully controlled by an electronic control unit or simply ECU. The battery stores the charge which is supplied to the converter by the cables. The converter changes DC to AC which later drives the motor. Motor is fixed on each wheel that rolls it and ultimately moves the car. The car is absolutely smooth and silent when running. The performance characteristic feature is the instant torque which gives the car a quick pickup. On one full charge, it can run up to 500 km which depends on the battery pack inside. Charging station similar to a gas station is installed in many countries which are there for only one reason i.e. to recharge the battery of the car. A battery is a collection of charging cells and in this type of car; the floor board is converted to a battery. This makes the car evenly balanced and also the area is used up. Unlike a petro-diesel car, battery car has a charging port in the place of a petrol or diesel cap. The charging cable is plugged in to the charging point similar to the process of charging a mobile. Due to the lack of big engine, this car has enough room for luggage. It is an ecofriendly car that doesn’t produce any harmful gas and also is maintenance free. Battery operated car is believed to be the future of automobile .g., Audi E-tron GT, Tesla Model S etc. 















      Plug in hybrid car (PHEV) – A hybrid car is one which can run on more than one fuel. The car is hybrid in nature not just in terms of fuel but also in engine i.e. there is more than one type of engine in it. Both engines work smarty due to the presence of several electronic control units. One engine is either a diesel or petrol engine while the other is an electric system (referring to an engine for simplicity). A dual clutch transmission helps both the systems to couple with each other. According to the requirement of the driver, ECU smartly and smoothly switches the two systems. Regenerating braking system is also a key feature found in all PHEVs. When the car starts moving from stand still position, battery helps the car to achieve it. This gives a better torque to the car accompanied with fuel saving and least emission. When the car speeds up, clutch engages the engine and disengages the battery supply (electric system). Now, the internal combustion engine is helping the car to speed up. There are three types of modes – economy mode, hybrid mode, power mode. For initial process, the clutch engages the electric system making the car run on electricity which helps the car to save fuel and also emit zero emission. In a hybrid mode, dual clutch transmission engages both the engines and the car runs on optimum power of both combustion engine and battery system together. When the car accelerates further, power mode is activated which means the car will now run with the help of combustion engine only. As PHEV runs on more than one fuel so it has both - a power socket and a refuel duct so that it can be charged like a conventional electric car and refueled like a conventional petro-diesel car. The recovered kinetic energy of the car while braking is used up to recharge the battery which is known as regenerating braking system. PHEV can also recharge the battery from a charging station just like a BEC. Generally a normal battery takes overnight to recharge completely. However, it can be charged up to 80% in emergency cases.  These modes and systems make this car a better performer, save enough fuel and produce very less pollution. E.g., Toyota Prius, Chevrolet Volt,Toyota Avalon hybrid etc.


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