It’s probable that the only people who know who the Quandt family are, are BMW aficionados! The Quandt family saved BMW from a fate that befell many other manufacturers: either bankruptcy or acquisition and brand suppression. The family are one of the richest in Europe and are the masters of keeping under the radar - they do not air their dirty laundry (if they have any) and … [Read more...]
W Formation Engines
W engines have been around since the dawn of the industry and the use a shape that looks like a “W” – one of the first, the W3, was built by Anzani, an Italian engineer in 1906 for use in a motorcycle but also ended up in Bleriot’s plane that crossed the English Channel. This motor used 3 banks of cylinders connected to one crankshaft. Many of the first versions of the W … [Read more...]
Four Wheel Steering
The concept of all 4 wheels steering has been around for many years. I first heard about it on an early model Honda Prelude, where the rear wheels would turn as well as the fronts. At slow speeds, the rear wheels are turned in the opposite direction of the front wheels. This can lessen the turning radius by approximately 20%. At faster speeds on the highway, the rear wheels … [Read more...]