Automotive

One of the major changes computers have injected into the Indianapolis 500 over the past two decades is the widespread use of simulation. No longer do designers or race teams have to schedule racetrack time to determine the effects of a small tweak to the aerodynamics or front shock absorbers, a costly and time-consuming process. Instead, they can juggle a few parameters in a detailed computer model of the car and then run it over a truly realistic model of a specific racetrack....More

The right materials help LEDs beat the heat on cars and trucks....More

An array of sensors and a steel treadmill create and record wind-tunnel conditions that more accurately model complex driving situations....More

New electric supercharger, stop-start, and battery technology could provide a way for vehicles to hit 50 mpg without resorting to exotic hybrid schemes....More

Plug-in hybrids are in the air. The XL1 hybrid from Volkswagen is billed as being the most fuel-efficient production car in the world, and even Lamborghini is getting ready to roll out a plug-in version....More