Did you know.....

Mr.David

Ok, so I'm a sucker for interesting 'facts' and snippets of information. Especially QI style mythbusting ones! Not cool I know :P

Anyway, thought I'd start a did you know thread......post any interesting car related facts here for discussion!

To get the ball rolling......

Did you know that the manner in which a roof box is typically fitted (pointed wedge at the front, straight bluff end at the rear) is the wrong way around from a drag/aero point of view?! So if you have a roofbox try turning it around the other way to save fuel! Assuming of course that it is safe to do so!

Counter intuitive I know, but it is true. We've done the wind tunnel tests to prove it, but the companies that manufacture them won't change them because they reckon people will thing they are incorrect!

Think about the shape of a rain drop too - it falls bluff edge at the front and pointed at the rear........

Who's next then?

Renault 4, unequal wheelbase by design.

for those interested.......
http://www.renault4.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=1259

ltdslipdiff

I have a '78 one in the garage...must check that !!!!

Viper_JB

Not gonna rehash these as my own so here http://denniswoo.multiply.com/journal/item/39/Mazda_RX8_interesting_facts so very interesting facts about the mazda rx8

Wibbs

A woman invented the windshield wiper.

cjt156

Mr.David wrote: »

Think about the shape of a rain drop too - it falls bluff edge at the front and pointed at the rear........

Not true actually; it falls as a perfect sphere.

omb0wyn5ehpij9

Viper_JB wrote: »

Not gonna rehash these as my own so here http://denniswoo.multiply.com/journal/item/39/Mazda_RX8_interesting_facts so very interesting facts about the mazda rx8

Some interesting stuff there!

Mr.David

cjt156 wrote: »

Not true actually; it falls as a perfect sphere.

Its not a perfect sphere.....its more or less flatish at the bottom and rounded at the top.....like a dome shape due to the surface tension.

.Longshanks.

There is a shark in the glove box of the current corsa.
Seriously


Edit

alias no.9

The sole innovative feature on the N15 Nissan Almera was the Curry Hook on the dashboard which will keep your takeaway bag in an upright position while you drive home.

alias no.9

RoverJames wrote: »

Renault 4, unequal wheelbase by design.

for those interested.......
http://www.renault4.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=1259

This is shared with the original R5 too (not sure about the MkII R5). Both are also technically mid engined front wheel drive too by virtue of having the engine mounted longditudinally and behind the front wheels, with the gearbox in front of the engine, hence the reason for the dash mounted gear stick on the R4 and very early R5's.

peasant

Wibbs wrote: »

A woman invented the windshield wiper.

A woman was also the first person ever to take an automobile on a long distance journey, thus bringing it to public attention

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha_Benz

Cookie_Monster

cjt156 wrote: »

Not true actually; it falls as a perfect sphere.

it would if there was no air resistance, but as there is it falls in the classic teardrop shape

Alun

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

it would if there was no air resistance, but as there is it falls in the classic teardrop shape

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain#Coalescence

Contrary to popular belief, their shape does not resemble a teardrop.

Back in the day they also used to make spherical shot for guns by dropping molten lead in so-called "shot towers".

Viper_JB

Did you know...that today, only four European countries drive on the left: Cyprus, Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom.
In the Middle Ages people kept to the left for the simple reason that they never knew who they would meet on the road in those days. They wanted to make sure that a stranger passed on the right so they could go for their sword in case he proved unfriendly. As more people are right-handed, horsemen would thus be able to hold the reins with their left hands and keep their right hand free. This custom was given official sanction in 1300 AD, when Pope Boniface VIII invented the modern science of traffic control by declaring that pilgrims headed to Rome should keep left.

The papal system prevailed until the late 1700s, when teamsters in the United States and France began hauling farm products in big wagons pulled by several pairs of horses. These wagons had no driver's seat so a driver sat on the left rear horse and held his whip in his right hand. Seated on the left, the driver preferred that other wagons pass him on the left so that he could be sure to keep clear of the wheels of oncoming wagons. He did that by driving on the right side of the road.

In France the keep-right custom was established in much the same way. Later Napoleon enforced the keep-right rule in all countries occupied by his armies. The custom endured even after the empire was destroyed.

langdang

alias no.9 wrote: »

The sole innovative feature on the N15 Nissan Almera was the Curry Hook on the dashboard which will keep your takeaway bag in an upright position while you drive home.

I was sure I read that at the time, but as time went by I wondered was it a Clarkson style dig at the other major target market of newer nissans...

zubair

alias no.9 wrote: »

The sole innovative feature on the N15 Nissan Almera was the Curry Hook on the dashboard which will keep your takeaway bag in an upright position while you drive home.

That's my excuse for sending the missus to pick up the curry

alias no.9

langdang wrote: »

I was sure I read that at the time, but as time went by I wondered was it a Clarkson style dig at the other major target market of newer nissans...

Not a dig at the target market, a dig at bland, beige, banal, boring design, the automotive equivalent of elevator music.

robbie_998

this is a great one some people need to learn.


the pedal on the right makes the car move faster !!!

Viper_JB

Viper_JB wrote: »

Did you know...that today, only four European countries drive on the left: Cyprus, Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom

I'm sure any N Irish, Scottish or Welsh folk reading that will be delighted that they are now part of a country called the UK :pac: :pac:

Viper_JB

RoverJames wrote: »

I'm sure any N Irish, Scottish or Welsh folk reading that will be delighted that they are now part of a country called the UK :pac: :pac:

Almost definitely :cool:

fricatus

RoverJames wrote: »

I'm sure any N Irish, Scottish or Welsh folk reading that will be delighted that they are now part of a country called the UK :pac: :pac:

Sorry, I don't get your point. They are all part of the UK, which is one country, or at least it was the last time I checked. Scotland and Wales are no more countries than say Catalonia, Alsace or Bavaria are.

fricatus

fricatus wrote: »

Sorry, I don't get your point. They are all part of the UK, which is one country, or at least it was the last time I checked. Scotland and Wales are no more countries than say Catalonia, Alsace or Bavaria are.

So England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not individual countries ? Fair enough, I would have thought that they are though.

Viper_JB

Did you know....

1. Drivers make 15 decisions per kilometre.

2. Most people want texting while driving banned - but most people have done it at some time.

3. Cars spend 95% of their time parked.

4. The second leading cause of distraction-related crashes (behind fatigue) is drivers looking at other crashes.

5. The most fatalities come from single cars running off the road.

6. More pedestrians are killed on crosswalks than by jaywalking.

7. Morning rush hour is twice as safe as evening rush hour.

8. You have a 1 in 100 chance of dying in a car accident in your lifetime.

9. Groups with the highest crash risk: Students, followed by doctors.

10. People driving alone drive more aggressively than those with passengers.

11. One study in America placed "Black Panther" bumper stickers on the cars of 15 drivers who had never received tickets. 2 weeks later the 15 drivers had amassed 33 tickets.

12. Men honk more than women but both sexes honk at women more.

13. For every 1 minute a highway lane is blocked, 4-5 minutes of delay are created.

14. Driving to work alone is on average 1.5 minutes faster than all other transportation options.

15. Trying to find the "best" parking space will not place you any closer than the "pick a row, closest space" method.

16. Statistically, rural 2 lane roads are the most dangerous.

17. Drivers take longer to leave a parking space when someone else is waiting.

18. Drivers pass closer to bicyclists wearing helmets than those not wearing them.

19. 90% of drivers think they are better than the average driver.

20. The more time people spend driving, the incidence of skin cancer on their right side increases.



from... http://www.inmycommunity.com.au/news-and-views/blogs/post/A-list-of-driving-facts/633/

fricatus

RoverJames wrote: »

So England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not individual countries ? Fair enough, I would have thought that they are though.

Naaah, people from there do seem to refer to them as "countries", which is confusing for sure, but in terms of being sovereign states with a seat on the UN, their own passports and embassies, they're not really countries at all - just parts of the UK.

Apologies for going off-topic by the way - I wasn't trying to be a smart-ar5e, I just didn't understand the post!

Quazzie

fricatus wrote: »

Sorry, I don't get your point. They are all part of the UK, which is one country, or at least it was the last time I checked. Scotland and Wales are no more countries than say Catalonia, Alsace or Bavaria are.

Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland are countries in their own right.

Its no different that saying that Norway and Finland are Scandanavian.

R.O.R

Quazzie wrote: »

Scotland and Wales and Northern Ireland are countries in their own right.

Its no different that saying that Norway and Finland are Scandanavian.

Totally OT for the thread, but Norway and Finland have seperate parliaments, passports etc.

England, Scotland and Wales all come under Downing street rule and the same (UK Passport). Northern Ireland seems to be half way between independant and UK. Wales, Scotland and Cornwall are all trying for independance at the moment.

Big Nasty

Take it to politics lads!!!!

Probably fairly widely known but a nice fact all the same: The DB badge used by Aston Martin (DB5, DB7 etc) are the initials of David Brown, of david brown tractors. He bought Aston Martin in 1947 when they were in difficulty.

Cookie_Monster

Alun wrote: »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain#Coalescence
Back in the day they also used to make spherical shot for guns by dropping molten lead in so-called "shot towers".

you know as soon as I saw that I remember the noise and flashing light on QI when someone else said the same, you are correct of course

El Guapo!

Technically manual cars don't need a clutch at all. Its possible for you to change gear seamlessly if you can match the speed correctly while changing gear.

.

Viper_JB

Dean09 wrote: »

Technically manual cars don't need a clutch at all. Its possible for you to change gear seamlessly if you can match the speed correctly while changing gear.

Always try to do this when I get a rental car...heh works most of the time think it's just luck though all bout the gears lining up just right too that + rpms.

El Guapo!

Viper_JB wrote: »

Always try to do this when I get a rental car...heh works most of the time think it's just luck though all bout the gears lining up just right too that + rpms.

Yeah I've done it myself a good few times too.
I've also made horrible crunching noises when I get it wrong!

cantdecide

On the bike, it's only a question of putting a little pressure on the changer and easing off the throttle.

Matching revs is easy peasy but I still know a bloke who drove from Dungarvan to Ballincollig in 1st when the clutch cable snapped. He had actually been an apprentice mechanic at one stage :rolleyes:

galwaytt

...if you're lucky enough to own a really old Rolls (1920's..), then the badge on the radiator, the classic double RR, is infilled in red. Look at anything newer, and it's black. This is because they changed the colour when Mr. Royce (or was it Roll's..........) died, and they put the script in black as a mark of respect for it's founder.........if you have one with a Red infill, both Mr Rolls & Mr Royce were still paye-ing....

in other news the Wehrmacht got pissed off with soldiers willy-nilly either dying or killing people (on the road), or just plain costing a fortune at the panel beaters, when the driver's kept mixing up clutch/brake/accelerator pedals, so standardised it, and printed the function on the pedals to let them know. This then became standard practice. (yes, really, anyone with a truly vintage Morris might find the middle pedal interesting.........!! )

Wossack

old mk2 corsas can be started by removing the hazard light button, and pushing it back in upside down

some myths, that sound good, but aint true...
deloreans cant actually go 88mph
the nozzle on the petrol warning light in cars points to the side where the filler cap is

woody33

"Subaru" is Japanese for the Pleiades star cluster, that we call The Seven Sisters.


http://www.wsanford.com/~wsanford/exo/constellations/subaru/origin.gif

Owen

I only have a few boring facts from where I used to work.

The MINI Exhaust looks like a drinks can, because it was a drinks can in the prototype. They were going to show the finished car to the management team for approval, and they realised they'd no exhaust, so one of the team grabbed an empty drinks can, and pushed into the clay model. They liked it, and it stuck.

On the 1 series, the door handles are copies of a fish jawbone.

On the e60/e90, the dual curves about the dashboard/satnav/idrive were inspired by sand dunes.

Victor Meldrew

Dean09 wrote: »

Technically manual cars don't need a clutch at all. Its possible for you to change gear seamlessly if you can match the speed correctly while changing gear.

.

did it for years with company cars. have not done it with my own cars though...

Mr Benevolent

RoverJames wrote: »

So England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not individual countries ? Fair enough, I would have thought that they are though.

Seriously? Of course they're not, they're basically provinces.Wales is no more a country than Leitrim is.

Tea 1000

The left hand side of a Nissan Sunny looks just as crap as the right hand side.

kasper

an austin allegro is more aerodynamic in reverse

rua327

My 1996 VW Polo is the coolest car on Earth. FACT. When I park, if the indicator is on, the parking lights come on, even with the key out. What an amazing extra.

Confab

Confab wrote: »

Seriously? Of course they're not, they're basically provinces.Wales is no more a country than Leitrim is.

Yep, I honestly thought (still do actually) that they are countries in their own right. So England would be a province too so I take it ? I can live with that !!

SniperSight

The Audi R8 is the first production Audi to have its badge emblazoned on the hood rather than on the grille. WOW!!!!!:P:P

Eric Cartman

fiat 500's dont devalue, ever ......atleast according to one user here :rolleyes:

a VAG 1.9TDi engined car doesnt actually move, the earth moves around it because theres so much torque

NASA are currently trying to decide what to base the next shuttle on , currently their descisions are a TDi passat or a bmw 320d because as we all know those cars are pure rocketships :rolleyes:

Voodoomelon

PaintDoctor wrote: »

On the e60/e90, the dual curves about the dashboard/satnav/idrive were inspired by sand dunes.

Thats bizarre, I always thought they were based on two giant dog turds.

Owen

D'you know Voodoo, now that I think of it, you could be right

Absurdum

Viper_JB wrote: »

Not gonna rehash these as my own so here http://denniswoo.multiply.com/journal/item/39/Mazda_RX8_interesting_facts so very interesting facts about the mazda rx8

The front seatbelts can be buckled into the rear seatbelt clasp but cannot be unclasped. DO NOT DO THIS.

oh now come on, you can't post a fact like that and expect owners not to attempt it! :pac:

Voodoomelon

*CLICK*. Hmm, I guess he was right...

galwaytt

..there is a make of car that has a real Swastika as a badge.

No, really.............there is, here......and it's not German, either.