OUTLAWS Behind You?
02-19-2003, 08:49 PM
I got this in a OTC newsletter I get and found it strangely interesting. Anybody have any ideas what this is?
On June 4, 2002, one of the OTC Journal's editors was invited to visit Ford's top secret "Skunk Works" in Dearborn, Michigan to experience revolutionary new technology which could end up, in some form, on nearly all cars. It's potential was compared to fuel injection, air bags, and antilock brakes in the early stages.
The visit was hosted by a Senior Technical Specialist from Ford who headed the Advanced Power Train Architecture & Propulsion Concepts department. This same Ford executive headed up the team that developed the technology to convert nearly all newly made cars from carburetors to fuel injection in the late 1970s.
The giant facility was a car enthusiasts dream. We were greeted by a row of blacked out Aston Martins and several high tech looking Jaguars.
Nestled amongst these thoroughbread sports cars, and looking like an NBA center at a jockey convention, was a slightly worn 2001 Lincoln Navigator outfitted with a 4.0-liter Jaguar V8. Underneath the vehicle, bolted to the frame on either side of the gas tank, were two long cylinders, each about twice the size of a SCUBA tank.
Mounted on the center console was a full computer screen with keyboard, attached to a CPU bolted to the floor between the two front seats. The computer screen allowed the driver to monitor the performance of the system. Performance adjustments could be made with keyboard entries.
Two years of experimentation with the system had led Ford to conclude the following:
The normal 13 MPG in city driving was improved to 18 MPG (miles per gallon).
The 275 Horsepower engine generated 360 horsepower when accelerating uphill from a stop.
Pollution emissions were reduced by 50%.
Brake Life improved by 77%.
In 2002 Ford upgraded the status of this new technology to "implementation ready", meaning Ford's supplier has mass production on the drawing board.
On June 4, 2002, one of the OTC Journal's editors was invited to visit Ford's top secret "Skunk Works" in Dearborn, Michigan to experience revolutionary new technology which could end up, in some form, on nearly all cars. It's potential was compared to fuel injection, air bags, and antilock brakes in the early stages.
The visit was hosted by a Senior Technical Specialist from Ford who headed the Advanced Power Train Architecture & Propulsion Concepts department. This same Ford executive headed up the team that developed the technology to convert nearly all newly made cars from carburetors to fuel injection in the late 1970s.
The giant facility was a car enthusiasts dream. We were greeted by a row of blacked out Aston Martins and several high tech looking Jaguars.
Nestled amongst these thoroughbread sports cars, and looking like an NBA center at a jockey convention, was a slightly worn 2001 Lincoln Navigator outfitted with a 4.0-liter Jaguar V8. Underneath the vehicle, bolted to the frame on either side of the gas tank, were two long cylinders, each about twice the size of a SCUBA tank.
Mounted on the center console was a full computer screen with keyboard, attached to a CPU bolted to the floor between the two front seats. The computer screen allowed the driver to monitor the performance of the system. Performance adjustments could be made with keyboard entries.
Two years of experimentation with the system had led Ford to conclude the following:
The normal 13 MPG in city driving was improved to 18 MPG (miles per gallon).
The 275 Horsepower engine generated 360 horsepower when accelerating uphill from a stop.
Pollution emissions were reduced by 50%.
Brake Life improved by 77%.
In 2002 Ford upgraded the status of this new technology to "implementation ready", meaning Ford's supplier has mass production on the drawing board.