Showing posts with label Cars Technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cars Technology. Show all posts

Thursday, 14 April 2011

How Flying Cars Will Work

Sitting amidst a sea of cars in bumper-to-bumper traffic on an endless expresswa­y, have you ever daydreamed about your car taking off and flying over the road? Imagine if you could just flip a switch and unshackle yourself from the asphalt!

Traffic jams are the bane of any commuter. Many of us spend an hour or so stuck in traffic every week. The growing population is partly to blame for our congested roads, but the main problem is that we are not expanding our transportation systems fast enough to meet ever increasing demands. One solution is to create a new type of transportation that doesn't rely on roads, which could one day make traffic jams a 20th century relic. To do this, we must look to the sky.

­In the last century, airplanes and mass-­produced cars have changed the way we live. Cars, which became affordable for the general population, have allowed us to move farther away from cities, and planes have cut travel time to faraway destinations considerably. At the beginning of a new century, we may see the realization of a century-old dream -- the merging of cars and planes into roadable aircraft, or flying cars. You've probably heard promises about flying cars before, and the technology to make them safe and easy to fly may finally be here.

In this article, we will take a look back at some of the attempts to build a flying car, and examine some of the flying vehicles that you may be able to park in your garage in the next decade!

Alfa Romeo 147 GTA

The Alfa Romeo 147 is a compact automobile produced by the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo since 2000.

The 147 was launched at the 2000 Turin Motorshow as a replacement for the aging 145 & 146 hatchbacks, and is based on the running gear of the larger 156 saloon. It is available with 1.6- and 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder gasoline engines and a 1.9-litre diesel engine. The 147 received considerable praise for its styling on launch, and is still considered to be one of the best-looking cars in its class. Its handling was also praised, in spite of criticism regarding the light (sensitive) steering, which makes some drivers feel less involved. However, light steering does help during parking maneuvers. Other criticisms of the 147 included a cumbersome gearshift, unsupportive seats and the lack of interior space compared to its rivals. The car became well-known for its engine note, which is unusually mellifluous for a car of its class. The 147 was also voted European Car of the Year for 2001.

The 147 suffers from poor resale value. One of the main reasons for this is the bad reputation Alfa Romeo and Italian marques in general have for reliability and durability, though the 147 has so far proven itself to be considerably more reliable than previous generations of Italian cars. However, this is mostly because customers usually opt for manual transmissions and avoid the V-6 powered GTA. Nevertheless, even though major breakdowns are not a serious problem for the 147, smaller, mostly electronic faults are (e.g., warning lights unnecessarily coming on and engine oil being burned even in brand-new engines).[4]

The high-performance 147 GTA model was launched in 2002. The GTA used a 3.2 V6 engine, produced 250bhp and could exceed 150mph. Its competitors in Europe include the Audi A3 3.2 and the Renault Sport Clio V-6 (a car that pioneered the concept of the powerful V6 hot hatch in 2001). The GTA is lighter than both of these rivals, despite producing around the same level of power.

The entire 147 range was revamped in 2004, with the exterior styling changed considerably to be more reminiscent of the new 159 and Brera models.

Alfa Romeo 147 GTA

Alfa Romeo 147 GTA

Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
Alfa Romeo 147 GTA

Alfa Romeo 147 GTA

Alfa Romeo 147 GTA

Alfa Romeo 147 GTA 

 

Alfa Romeo 147 GTA

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