Source

Racing Technology: The trickle-down

effect ENGINEERING.com. (n.d.).
Retrieved October 15, 2015.

Annotation
The article I have chosen from
engineering.com may be over 10 years
old, but I think it sums up the point of
my topic very clearly. The author
touches on some of the modern
advances in automotive technology
such as engine improvements in
efficiency like Variable Valve Timing or
oil filter improvements. It also talks
about how General Motors uses
rotations of their engineers onto the
factory race teams in order to bring
the advancements from racing into
their passenger road cars. The article
speaks in detail about one particular
GM engine, the LS1,that was
developed in a race series that
became a very popular engine in a lot
of todays Chevrolet cars.

Race tech versus road tech: Does your

car have anything in common with a
Le Mans endurance racer? (2013, April
6). Retrieved October 15, 2015.

This article is more conceptual rather

than focusing on specific examples like
the other source. The author uses a
few examples from current and past
racing to show how similar some race
cars are to their road going counter
parts. Such similarities include the
engines used in the Nissan Deltawing
and Audi R18 have the same engine
block and components as the road
cars that we drive today, just without
the high performance race tuning.
The author briefly highlights some of
the most important aspects that are
alive and well today from race cars
that are in our everyday daily drivers.
The topics of Aerodynamics, safety
features, brake technology, tyres, and
energy recovery systems are covered
in this very helpful article. He also
speaks about engines and how they
are related to formula one engines
that are used today and what
developments we have in cars today
that are because of innovating
formula one engineering. Active
suspension is another subject in this

Which innovations from Formula 1

have found their way to road
cars?Frequently asked in. (n.d.).
Retrieved October 15, 2015.

Thoughts/Connections
I think this article is exactly what I
need to cement together my ideas
about how our road cars are
developed based on racing
technology. I learned that one of the
most popular passenger cars of all
time, the Honda Civic, has an engine
that was developed during Hondas
time Formula 1. Advancements from
this race series into the motors include
Hondas now world famous i-VTEC
system which is used to improve
power output without any kind of
external force needed such as hybrid
systems or forced induction. The title
of the article, The Trickle-down
effect, I think is very appropriate to
the point I am trying to make with the
basic technologies we all take for
granted.
I think the author makes valid points
about how similar race cars are to
their passenger car relatives when
they are broken down to their base
components such as their engine
components. By keeping some bas
pieces similar, I think that helps keep
together the development aspect
while still providing good
entertainment.

Formula One is the most premier

racing series of all time. They are the
innovators of automotive technology
and are known for being the pinnacle
of engineering. So with that being
said, I think that my essay should
slightly revolve around it. Formula One
engineers find incredible ways to
improve designs by working within the
rules or Formula of the series. This
genius leads to some amazing
developments that have been felt by
the automotive community as a
whole.

How Formula 1 Technology

Innovations are Racing Us into the
Future. (2014, July 30). Retrieved
October 15, 2015.

How Formula 1 Technology

Innovations are Racing Us into the
Future. (2014, July 30). Retrieved
October 15, 2015.

How the Formula E racing series

affects tomorrow's electric cars. (n.d.).
Retrieved October 15, 2015.

Formula One - The Limit [Television

broadcast]. (n.d.). Discovery Channel.

piece that pertains to something all

modern cars have today, especially
more high end vehicles.
Since intel is the source of this article,
the subject is all about computers.
How computers affect our everyday
lives as far as vehicular technology.
These can be vehicle assists such as
traction control and active stability
control. Even active suspension is
controlled by onboard super
computers. All of these technologies
are developed in World Endurance
races and Formula One races with
some of the best engineers in the
world.
This article lists 10 different everyday
automotive features and devices that
we use without even thinking about
that stemmed from development in
racing. It covers components as simple
as tires and as complex as Anti-Lock
Brakes. The author goes into great
detail of each development and
explains all of the intricacies.

On another separate subject of my

topic, this is hybrid technology. A
newer racing series that has just
emerged is called Formula E. The E
stands for electric. This is all about the
technology that goes into electric cars
by improving performance, improving
range on batteries, lighter materials,
and improving tires so that they are
more efficient. Formula E is very nontraditional in the racing world but is
widely respected as we go into the age
of electric cars.
This is a discovery channel
documentary about the amazing
engineering and innovation that took
place and still takes place in Formula
One. The film shows how the major
designs come from the engineers
learning to work around the rules and
test the limits that have been put into

Intel is one of the primary sponsor of a

Formula One team and they are also
leaders in technological innovation,
not just in personal computers but
also in vehicle technologies. To me, all
of the computer controlled systems
are fascinating because they are so
precise and quick that a human could
never perform the roles they do. Some
of the systems that come from that
are as simple as traction control and
stability control which saves lives
every day in unpredictable conditions.
I thought that this source is exactly
what I would be looking for a
thorough information source for my
paper. It backs up my idea of all the
features we use on a day to day basis
that we may ignore or take for
granted. This each section of the
article seemed like it would be very
basic explanations but turned out to
be very detailed and made a perfect
reference for the start of my paper.
I thought that this article is very
helpful in helping me approach this
electric and hybrid technology section
of my thesis. This is just one section
however it is very important since it is
more relevant to the present and the
future. Since electric cars are
becoming more necessary to some
people and the technologies are being
greatly improved, this should be a key
point.

I think this video was extremely

helpful as far as seeing not only what
innovations came from Formula One,
but also why they were designed.
Learning about all the controversy and
rules created around banning these
certain driver aids but crucial to
developing many of the modern

place by the governing body, the FIA.

systems we have now. When the FIA
Some of the things they put into the
would ban one innovation, the teams
cars that are discussed in the film are
would find a way to go around that
the use of super computers and
rule to better their car. The fueled
traction control being developed in
manufacturers to put these
the 70s and 80s. The video highlights technologies in their road cars for the
the accomplishments of teams like
general public to benefit from.
McLaren and Lotus.
Toyota Global Site | Motorsport | FIA
Toyota goes into detail about the
I think Toyota is right onboard with
World Endurance Championship.
hybrid systems they use on their WEC the topic of my inquiry question. The
(n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2015.
endurance race car. The technology
amount of technology that they put
they put into their race car is
into their race team is astounding. I
implemented in order to test new
like how they put the designs they
systems for their passenger cars.
develop into their civilian vehicles.
Many of the new advancements
That shows that they are really
Toyota has made in the hybrid
committed to always improving their
vehicles have come from the racing
cars technologically. If more
development in the World Endurance companies applied racing technology
Championship. The designs they use
into their products, cars would be
involve using regenerative braking or
safer, more efficient, faster, and
kinetic energy recovery system
possibly cheaper if the technology
(KERS) in order to recharge the
became more common and more
batteries anytime the brakes are
readily available to everyone.
applied. The power is then put to
electric motors and provides extra
power to the wheels.
1.http://www.engineering.com/Library/ArticlesPage/tabid/85/ArticleID/101/Racing-Technology-Thetrickle-down-effect.aspx
2. http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/racing-tech-versus-road-tech-does-your-car-have-anything-incommon-with-a-le-mans-endurance-racer/
3. https://www.quora.com/Which-innovations-from-from-Formula-1-have-found-their-way-to-road-cars
4. http://iq.intel.com/how-formula-1-is-racing-us-into-the-future/
5. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/under-the-hood/trends-innovations/top-10-car-tech-fromracing.htm#page=1
6. http://www.automotive-iq.com/engine/articles/how-the-formula-e-racing-series-affect-tomorrow-s/
8. http://www.toyota-global.com/events/motor_sports/wec/hv.html