How the Batmobile Works

Whether you have seen the movie "Batman Begins" or not, you have probably seen the Batmobile. It is shaped like a spaceship -- a spaceship that has had tires grafted onto it to make it street legal. The Batmobile used in "Batman Begins" is an icon for the movie and acts like a giant rolling advertisement for the film.

The Batmobile is real. Every single time you see the Batmobile in the movie, you are seeing a real, physical object, not a computer-generated graphic. Whether it is driving on city streets at 100 mph, landing in the Batcave or pulling up to the scene of a crime, what you're looking at is a real car. When the Batmobile flies 30 feet through the waterfall to land in the Batcave, what's landing is a real, 5,000-pound vehicle. The Batmobile is so real that it actually served as the pace car for a major NASCAR race held in June 2005.

And yet, the Batmobile is an illusion. Like so many other Hollywood props, the Batmobile that you see in the movie does not exist at all.

How can that be? How can something be so real that it can serve as a pace car but also be so illusory that it doesn't actually exist? In this article, we will talk with Nathan Crowley -- the man who designed the Batmobile and brought it to life in "Batman Begins" -- to find out what's going on.

In the Beginning

Let's start at the beginning and understand the "cinematic origins" of the Batmobile. In other words, let's understand how the car works in the movie.

The first thing you have to understand about Batman is that he must have a car. Unlike Superman, who has superhuman powers, Batman is a normal human being who gains all of his advanced capabilities through ingenuity and technology and usually a combination of the two. He can't shout "Up, up and away!" and fly through the air. Batman needs wheels to get around.

The second thing to understand is that, in this movie, Gotham City is portrayed as a highly dysfunctional version of New York City on steroids -- there are surprises and obstacles at every turn. So Batman needs a rugged car.

The third thing to understand is that Batman cannot, realistically, construct the car himself. Ordering all the machine tools and parts and assembling them in the basement would give away his secret identity.

So in the script, they create a mothballed military vehicle built by Wayne Enterprises. Batman requisitions this vehicle for his own purposes and paints it black to match his color scheme. The Batmobile also gains some rather remarkable abilities. For example:
It can go very, very fast.

It has a jet engine that allows it to jump/fly through the air much farther than any normal car could.

It has two driving positions -- one for driving and one for jumping/flying. It has stealth capabilities, and part of the stealth mode is a silent, electric-motor drive. Getting into and out of the car is "unusual" to say the least. There are no doors -- instead, the car "opens" somewhat like a flower. Nathan Crowley is the man who had to take that cinematic vision of the car and bring it to life on film. Now, the thing that you have to understand about Nathan is that he is a very physical guy... .

Inside the Batmobile

One of the most interesting parts of the Batmobile when you watch the movie is the way that Batman gets in and out. It is almost like a flower opening -- the roof unhinges, the windshield slides back and the seats in the car actually rise up. To make all of that origami fold and unfold, a separate team built yet another Batmobile.

This car is the one that Batman "pulls up in." It has several unique features:
It is loaded with hydraulics to make the opening and closing of the cockpit happen in a realistic way.

It has a small electric motor that lets the car drive forward, but there is no massive V-8 engine and no need for the car to drive at a high speed.

The car actually has another driver hidden inside the vehicle -- he makes the car stop and start as needed for each shot. When you see Batman inside the car, that is yet another piece of the puzzle. The interior of the car is actually a studio set that can't move at all. It is oversized so that cameras can fit inside, and it has all of the features needed to shoot the "interior shots" -- things like the seat that can move forward, the cockpit controls and so on.

And finally, there is one other version of the Batmobile -- the miniature version. It is a 6-foot-long (2-meter), 1:5 scale model of the Batmobile, complete with an electric motor drive. When you see the Batmobile flying through the air across ravines or between buildings, it is this scale model that does the flying. (But it's the 5,000-pound, race-car version that flies through the waterfall to land in the Batcave.)

So now you can start to see the complete illusion that makes the amazing car known as "the Batmobile" possible in the film.

Source: HowStuffWorks

Should I convert my car to LPG? How? Why?

As we all know, prices of petroleum is going far beyond our expectations. And it is still going up! Some of us just ignore it saying "we have no choice but to accept it, we have no control." But, how about our cars? Others may have just bought they car maybe last year or before this fast moving price hike. What can we do about that?

Hybrid cars that run using electricity may be a great resolution. However, these are quite expensive. So, not that great resolution at all.

So, what should I do?

Convert your car from petroleum to LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas). LPG price is lot cheaper unlike petroleum. There are lots of installers now in the market that can convert your car to LPG. Conversion price is cheaper given that you will save in gas costs.

The Best Car Commercial

This is the best car commercial I've seen. This commercial features 1980 Isuzu Gemini so there is no computer graphic used to develop this commercial. The cars are really flying.

The Longest Limo In The World

The longest limo in the world is a 100-ft long vehicle created by Jay Ohrberg of Burbank, California.

Built mainly as an exhibition piece, the owner is now allowing the rental of the vehicle for various functions and events. Although the vehicle is not technically street legal due to the vehicle’s enormous size, it can be driven from place to place with ease by a specially trained chauffer.

The longest limo in the world rides on 26 tires spaced along the length of the limo’s body. There are dual driver’s cabins on the vehicle, one at the front and one at the back, to help with driving the vehicle in reverse. The middle of the longest limo in the world is hinged to fold to help the vehicle make turns around corners.

Where the longest limo in the world really shines is in the passenger cabin of the limo, where state of the art luxuries abound. A heated Jacuzzi tub is nestled in the interior, along with a sun deck, a swimming pool, and a king sized bed. A helipad is located on the limo as well and the televisions inside are connected to the limo’s own satellite dish.

Source: Limoquoter

The one horse power car!

At first sight, this car look like all its power comes from one horse, but, this is a vehicle used at horses monitorization and it is powered by Volvo engine.

It weights about 4 tons and it was built on the Ford F150 technical platform. It has one supercharged 2,4 Volvo engine of 5 cylinders and it comes with an automatic gearbox. The guys from Roush Technologies are the ones who realized this project, which was ordered by Kurt System, a company specialized in race horses training.

Because this is what the weird creation does: it can monitorize horses up to a speed of 60 km/h. In the interior we have different computers and equipments that record all the necessary data like number of heartbeats in a minute.

Source: Next Concept Cars

Water Powered Car Demonstrated?

Denny Klein, an inventor from Florida, has introduced the world’s first water powered car. His own 1994 Ford Escort, labeled “Hydrogen Technology”, can run on a combination of water and gasoline, and Klein says it is possible to develop a system powered purely by water. The prototype is a hybrid car, shown to drive 100 miles using 4 ounces of water, without losing power. "You just drive it like a regular car. The infrastructure is already in place to get it serviced so we don't have to reinvent the wheel," Klein said.

Klein’s “Aquygen” is water or H2O broken down and turned into HHO gas – a process that scientists previously considered impossible to implement. A small device was demonstrated to emit a flame hotter than the surface of the Sun; A flame so intense it can burn a hole through charcoal and turn a brass ball to glowing liquid metal within seconds. While steel, lead, and other metals slice on contact, the tip of the welder remains only slightly warm to touch. Klein says that people don’t believe him, even though it’s a natural electrolysis process. It requires a greater amount of water than the amount of HHO gas produced, but the resulting gas combines the atomic power of hydrogen and the chemical stability of water. “No other gas will do this” –he says.
Klein and his colleagues are planning to provide a cheap, eco-friendly and practical alternative fuel, which will end the world’s dependence on fossil fuels. An engine that runs on a gasoline-water mix burns 50-percent less gasoline. "The way the water molecule is restructured, it releases a tremendous amount of energy when mixed with a catalyst. The Aquygen can easily be turned back into H2O” - said Klein as he pointed at drops of water running off a sheet of metal. A representative from Klein’s company said that the fuel production cost is estimated at around 70 cents per hour, with 1,500 liters of Aquygen produced in an hour.

Denny Klein and his water powered car - is it for real?

Denny Klein has patented the Aquygen generation process, and his invention is drawing attention worldwide – “Microsoft started from a small garage, why not Hydrogen technology?” - he laughs. Klein was recently invited by members of Congress to demonstrate his invention in Washington. It has been reported that his company is currently developing a gasoline-water hybrid Hummer for the US military.
The technology is still undergoing various government and independent tests, and company managers say it will be ready to hit the market in about 2 years. In response to the reports, many critics argued that the story is a complete hoax, saying that the energy required to convert H2O to HHO is greater than that provided by burning Aquygen. Others have raised concerns about the long term impact of such an energy source on the car engine.
In 1995, several shows aired a report about Stanley Meyer – an inventor from Ohio, who also claimed to invent a water fuel cell, which was demonstrated on his dune buggy, powered by water alone. Meyer passed away in 1998, and many say he received threats from oil companies and was poisoned after refusing to abandon his technology.

Source: The future of things

Thirty Gas Saving Tips

The surest way you can improve your fuel cost problem is to change your motoring habits. Listed below under four categories are 30 effective methods of doing so... no need to buy expensive add-on equipment.

ENGINE WARM-UP
1. Avoid prolonged warming up of engine, even on cold mornings - 30 to 45 seconds is plenty of time.
2. Be sure the automatic choke is disengaged after engine warm up... chokes often get stuck, resulting in bad gas/air mixture.
3. Don't start and stop engine needlessly. Idling your engine for one minute consumes the gas amount equivalent to when you start the engine.
4. Avoid "reving" the engine, especially just before you switch the engine off; this wastes fuel needlessly and washes oil down from the inside cylinder walls, owing to loss of oil pressure.
5. Eliminate jack-rabbit starts. Accelerate slowly when starting from dead stop. Don't push pedal down more than 1/4 of the total foot travel. This allows carburetor to function at peak efficiency.

HOW TO BUY GASOLINE
6. Buy gasoline during coolest time of day - early morning or late evening is best. During these times gasoline is densest. Keep in mind - gas pumps measure volumes of gasoline, not densities of fuel concentration. You are charged according to "volume of measurement".
7. Choose type and brand of gasoline carefully. Certain brands provide you with greater economy because of better quality. Use the brands which "seem" most beneficial.
8. Avoid filling gas tank to top. Overfilling results in sloshing over and out of tank. Never fill gas tank past the first "click" of fuel nozzle, if nozzle is automatic.

HOW TO DRIVE ECONOMICALLY
9. Exceeding 40 mph forces your auto to overcome tremendous wind resistance.
10. Never exceed legal speed limit. Primarily they are set for your traveling safety, however better gas efficiency also occurs. Traveling at 55 mph give you up to 21% better mileage when compared to former legal speed limits of 65 mph and 70 mph.
11. Traveling at fast rates in low gears can consume up to 45% more fuel than is needed.
12. Manual shift driven cars allow you to change to highest gear as soon as possible, thereby letting you save gas if you "nurse it along". However, if you cause the engine to "bog down", premature wearing of engine parts occurs.
13. Keep windows closed when traveling at highway speeds. Open windows cause air drag, reducing your mileage by 10%.
14. Drive steadily. Slowing down or speeding up wastes fuel. Also avoid tailgating - the driver in front of you is unpredictable. Not only is it unsafe, but if affects your economy, if he slows down unexpectedly.
15.Think ahead when approaching hills. If you accelerate, do it before you reach the hill, not while you're on it.

GENERAL ADVICE
16. Do not rest left foot on floor board pedals while driving. The slightest pressure puts "mechanical drag" on components, wearing them down prematurely. This "dragging" also demands additional fuel usage.
17. Avoid rough roads whenever possible, because dirt or gravel rob you of up to 30% of your gas mileage.
18. Use alternate roads when safer, shorter, straighter. Compare traveling distance differences - remember that corners, curves and lane jumping requires extra gas. The shortest distance between two points is always straight.
19. Stoplights are usually timed for your motoring advantage. By traveling steadily at the legal speed limit you boost your chances of having the "green light" all the way.
20. Automatic transmissions should be allowed to cool down when your car is idling at a standstill, e.g. railroad crossings, long traffic lights, etc. Place gear into neutral position. This reduces transmission strain and allows transmission to cool.
21. Park car so that you can later begin to travel in forward gear; avoid reverse gear maneuvers to save gas.
22. Regular tune-ups ensure best economy; check owner's manual for recommended maintenance intervals. Special attention should be given to maintaining clean air filters... diminished air flow increases gas waste.
23. Inspect suspension and chassis parts for occasional misalignment. Bent wheels, axles, bad shocks, broken springs, etc. create engine drag and are unsafe at high traveling speeds.
24. Remove snow tires during good weather seasons; traveling on deep tire tread really robs fuel!
25. Inflate all tires to maximum limit. Each tire should be periodically spun, balanced and checked for out-of-round. When shopping for new tires, get large diameter tires for rear wheels. Radial designs are the recognized fuel-savers; check manufacturer's specifications for maximum tire pressures.
26. Remove vinyl tops - they cause air drag. Rough surfaces disturb otherwise smooth air flow around a car's body. Bear in mind when buying new cars that a fancy sun roof helps disturb smooth air flow (and mileage).
27. Auto air conditioners can reduce fuel economy by 10% to 20%. Heater fan, power windows and seats increase engine load; the more load on your engine, the less miles per gallon.
28. Remove excess weight from trunk or inside of car - extra tires, back seats, unnecessary heavy parts. Extra weight reduces mileage, especially when driving up inclines.
29. Car pools reduce travel monotony and gas expense - all riders chip in to help you buy. Conversation helps to keep the driver alert. Pooling also reduces traffic congestion, gives the driver easier maneuverability and greater "steady speed" economy. For best results, distribute passenger weight evenly throughout car.
30. During cold weather watch for icicles frozen to car frame. Up to 100 lbs. can be quickly accumulated! Unremoved snow and ice cause tremendous wind resistance. Warm water thrown on (or hosed on) will eliminate it fast.

EXTRA TIPS
Install pressure regulator valve (sold in auto parts stores)... Use graphite motor oil... Beware of oil additives, regardless of advertising claims... Add Marvel Mystery Oil into gas fill-ups... Investigate fuel/water injection methods and products... combine short errands into one trip... Use special gas additives to prevent winter freezing of gas lines... convert your V8 engine over to a V4 - no special kits needed!!!

Source: How to advice