Author Archives: Will@FluxAuto

Turbo Ferrari California Test Mule

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This video from one of the European race car sound video guys hit YouTube this past weekend. It was taken at Ferrari’s private test track, Fiorano Circuit, near the Ferrari factory in Maranello. Here’s a picture of the track:

It looks like the videographer was hiding out in the cluster of trees above the center of the picture. His or her hard work brought us some footage of a Ferrari California test mule with what is most likely a turbo V6 that is being developed for Maserati.


Chances are Ferrari is making a turbocharged and supercharged V6’s see which one they like better. That’s what GM did for the Corvette ZR-1. They went with the supercharger after their turbo car caught on fire and burned to the ground at their proving in Milford, Michigan. Lets hope this Ferrari doesn’t share the same fate.

Source: YouTube user Marchettino

Toyota FT-86 Vehicle Stability Control Demonstration

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The Toyota FT-86 (aka the Toyota GT-86, Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ) has three stages of Vehicle Stability Control: on, sport and off. These guys get to try out all of the settings on the skid pad at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. The facility has a water barrier slalom similar to the one they have at the Porsche Experience Center. Thankfully the three settings are all quite different and will be pretty useful.


Source: YouTube user dfawfzx

Non-Newtonian Fluid Pothole Patch

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Prototype Pothole Patch

Undergraduate engineering students at Case Western Reserve University just won a contest sponsored by French materials company, Saint Gobain, with their idea for a pothole patch. The students wanted to address an annoying problem that was found worldwide and settled on coming up with a solution for potholes. Their design for a temporary pothole patches uses pouches filled with a non-Newtonian fluid. In order to understand why non-Newtonian fluids are cool, you first have to understand viscosity. A fluid’s viscosity tells how well it’s able to resist a change of shape when force is applied to it. It’s basically how thick a fluid is. Thick fluids have high viscosity and require more force to change their shape than a thin, low viscosity fluid. This quick video is a side by side comparison of two fluids with very different viscosities:


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Lancia Rally Legends

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You know there’s something special going on when a guy who reviews supercars for a living is awestruck about riding in several of his dream cars and meeting his heroes all in one place. That’s exactly what happened when Chris Harris was invited to Pirelli’s launch of their new historic rally tire. Oddly enough, he wasn’t allowed to drive any cars equipped with the new tire, but Pirelli had four time WRC champion Juha Kankkanen, rally legend Markku Alen and 6 time Italian rally champion Paolo Andreucci there driving all of Lancia’s Group B rally monsters along with a few modern rally cars. Chris gets to go for a ride in a Lancia Stratos, the twincharged Lancia Delta Integrale S4 and the only two wheel drive car to be the Audi Quattro, the Lancia 037. It’s an amazing collection of some of the greatest rally cars ever built and we’re lucky enough to see them in action and have Chris Harris describe their natures to us.


Source: DRIVE on YouTube

2012 Isle of Man TT Zero Coverage

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This year was a significant one for the Isle of Man TT Zero electric motorcycle time trial. It was the first year an electric motorcycle broke the 100 mph average lap speed otherwise known as the “ton lap.” In fact, all three riders on the podium were able to achieve ton laps. The all new MotoCzysz Ep1c took first and third and the Mugen Shinden placed second at it’s debut race.


Source: YouTube user 666 sicco via Asphalt and Rubber