Quote:
Originally Posted by lucid
There is absolutely nothing wrong with expecting better efficiency from a performance car. Performance has higher priority but that does not mean efficiency does not matter at all. All design is a balancing act. When one designs an engine one considers many competing goals, and it is natural to prioritize, but that doesn't mean that some of those goals are simply ignored. One simply finds a balanced position in meeting those goals, which is appropiate for the application. Same is true for power vs. durability, power vs. cost, etc. In those lines, if BMW's sole goal was performance, they could get much more power out of the M3 engine...However, if I wanted to buy a race car, I would think differently, but the M3 is not a race car. Like it or not, it is not an exotic car either with only 2000 units sold, which will only be driven on weekends. They will sell 100,000+ of these things. For me, it is something I will drive to work every day, and track once a month for fun. Finally, efficiency and performance are not always competing goals: in certain respects, if the combustion is more complete, the cleaner the exhaust, the higher the thermal efficiency, the higher the power extraction, and the higher the power output. That's the main reason why auto manufacturers have been able to make huge leaps in power output and efficiency at the same time in the past few decades. There are many more examples: a lighter the car will not only handle better, but also be more efficient; a better designed transmission will not only rob you of less power through friction but also be more efficient (have you tried to design a series of meshing gears?)...
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Absolutely in line with my thoughts on the efficiency of a sports car! Nice post.