Auto Racing Technologies in Everyday Cars (Part 1)
When you first look at a vehicle, the last thing that comes to mind is a race car. But the difference is not as much as some might believe. Most technologies that drivers now take for granted actually came from years, even decades, of engineering by auto
racing scientists. Race teams are always looking for new technologies that would make their cars go faster, stop quicker, run better, have better road grip, and dozens of other aspects in racing. The technologies that they discover are not put into only Lamborghinis,
Ferraris, and Jaguars, but even the cheapest and simplest of cars has racing technologies implemented into it from the day it rolls off the assembly line.
Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG)
Most drivers use what is known as an automatic transmission, which allows one to drive the vehicle with ease and not worry about gear changing. Manual transmissions allow drivers to control their engine’s power in a much more efficient way than automatic
transmissions. On a race track, racers want to have the advantages of both transmissions. The first-ever Direct Shift Gearboxes (DSG) were used in racing cars to allow drivers to concentrate more on driving and less on shifting gears. A DSG is advantageous
since there is an automatic clutch, with manual gear changing. In 2003 the Volkswagen Golf MK4 R32 was the first production vehicle to feature a DSG.
Push Button Ignition
Time-saving technologies are beneficial to both race car drivers and everyday street drivers. To allow racers to start the car and put the vehicle into gear simultaneously, engineers designed an ignition system knows as the push button ignition. Instead
of turning the key, drivers simply enter the vehicle and push the START/STOP ENGINE button to start or turn off the car. To keep thieves from doing the same, auto manufacturers use different techniques. For example, BMW requires drivers to insert an electronic
chip into the dashboard to verify that they have the intention of starting the car. Other vehicles, such as Infiniti, have a simpler, yet controversial way of starting the car. In Infiniti’s, drivers simply approach the vehicle with the key, which has an electronic
fob built into it. On approach, the vehicle doors unlock when the car computer detects the fob, and once the fob is inside the car, the push button ignition is active.
Suspension
One of the main areas in which racing technologies have transferred to production cars is suspension. Suspension is not really thought about until one encounters bad roads, but it is very important in driving and racing. In driving, the suspension keeps
the car on all four wheels when going around turns at high speeds, and also keeps the occupants of the vehicle from having their bones rattled, whenever they hit a pothole. The Ford Racing team was the first to use independent suspension, which allows each
of the tires to move vertically, independently. Commonly known as MacPherson struts, the new suspension allowed Ford’s racing cars to grip the track much better on turns, which increased lap times and kept the cars from flipping over. However, it is best not
to attempt race car driving in a production vehicle, since race suspension is tuned for performance not comfort, whereas a production vehicle’s suspension is for performance as well as comfort, with a balance of both.
These three driving tools are a few of many technologies evolved from auto-racing. Whether one is commuting to work or racing in the F1 Grand Prix, these technologies help the car run better, easier and safer. From the first ever race on April 28, 1887
in Paris to the 2010 Formula One racing season, and the first Ford Model T to the Audi R8 prototype; auto racing has come a long way. Being one of the world’s most watched televised sports, auto racing will be around as long as people need to travel in cars.
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