I’ve seen these Mercedes laden with the emblem “Kompressor”. What is that? I actually caught one owner and asked them and they looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. Maybe they were German and thought I was a moron for asking. My first thought is “supercharged”. Obviously, I don’t know German.
Also, I’ve seen on these newer Dodge Rams the emblems “Power Wagon”. I’ve also seen the same emblem on a much older Dodge. What’s the history on that? Obviously, this Dodge Ram is not a station wagon. I know Dodge is an older company, did they start off with horse-drawn wagons? “Yeah, it’s got a HEMI! (neigh-neigh)” 
Can anyone tell me info or a site to read up on the Hyundai Genesis? A 4-DOOR SEDAN that does 0-60mph in 5.2 seconds and supposedly can outrun a Porsche Boxster? (Probably off the line but definitely not in the top end right?)
The history on the “King Ranch” is fairly interesting. Ford has King Ranch F-150, 250, and 350. I looked it up on wikipedia.com
Any other automotive “did-you-know” would be welcome.
Thanks
JP#3
PS-Does anyone like or watch “Bullrun”?
“Kompressor” is a badge that Mercedes gives their supercharged engines, so your first thought was correct.
As for the Hyundai Genesis, I’m not to suprised. The Boxster is an entry level sports car, while the Genesis is top-end sedan built for power. The Boxster isn’t really that impressive of a car performance wise when compared to something like a 911, which is what people tend to think of when they hear/see “Porsche”.
It should be noted that the Hyundai Genenis is available in both sedan and coupe styles, and the two models are actually not built on the same platform. The substantially smaller Genesis coupe should be lighter and more aerodynamic than the sedan, and thus, should be faster both “off the line” and at the top end. Some automotive writers have already questioned why these two different vehicles bear the same model name.
As to the Dodge Power Wagon–no, the Dodge brothers did not begin by building horse-drawn wagons. (That was the Studebaker brothers, who built the Conestoga wagons, a substantial portion of the US Army wagons for the Civil War, Lincoln’s carriage, etc.) The Dodge brothers began as engine builders, and they were early suppliers to Henry Ford. Following a dispute on what the Dodge brothers could do with their substantial stock holdings in the Ford Motor Co, the brothers began building their own cars, sometime after Ford had introduced the Model T.
The Power Wagon name dates to the WW II era when Chrysler made the first modern 4WD truck for the US military, and that very rugged vehicle was dubbed the Dodge Power Wagon. The current use of that name is merely a marketing ploy, just as is the use of the term “Hemi” for their current engine that is NOT a true hemi design. However, if someone wants to burn huge amounts of gas, they may be interested in buying one.
VDC said it perfectly. It’s all pure marketing, including the spelling of Kompressor.
As for interesting facts,
did you know that the original Mini used a transverse mounted engine with FWD transaxle and pushed the wheels all the way out to the corners to maximize interior space? Many, many years later these ideas were marketed as innovations by other manufacturers.
Yes, mountainbike makes an excellent point about the original Mini Cooper.
The designer, Alec Isigonnis (sp?) was a true visionary, since his concept was later adapted by others and claimed as their own ideas. The only part of the original Mini design that was not adapted by others–as far as I know–was the transmission.
Isigonnis’ design placed the transmission inside the crankcase sump. This was really great for saving space and weight, but I wonder whether the long-term viability of the transmission might have been compromised by owners who rarely changed their motor oil. That might be why we don’t see modern cars with transmissions sharing their oil with the engine.
Good points.
I liked where he put the radiator…a little piece of “toast” stuffed away in the corner. Everything possible was done to maximize interior space. The car was truely ahead of its time.
Wish I had one.
I just read about the Genesis. The coupe is available with a turbocharged I4 or a V6. It is meant to compete with the Nissan 370, Infiniti G37, and Ford Mustang.
Have you heard about the Tata Nano? It is a new car for India which costs 1,000 rupees ($2000). It has 2 cylinders which propel the car to 60 in 30 seconds.
Most modern motorcycles use transmissions that share the engine oil and the transmissions hold up ok. Also, they tend to use a multiplate oil bath clutch similar to the clutch packs used in automatic transmissions. An oil bath clutch means that there is no oil seal needed between the engine and clutch and no oil seal needed between the clutch and transmission.
It’s easier to list the bikes that don’t share the engine and transmission oil that it is to list all the bikes that do.
Harley Davidson
BMW
Moto-Guzzi
Older British bikes
Bikes with two-stroke engines
“Can anyone tell me info or a site to read up on the Hyundai Genesis? A 4-DOOR SEDAN that does 0-60mph in 5.2 seconds and supposedly can outrun a Porsche Boxster? (Probably off the line but definitely not in the top end right?)”
A lot of cars can outrun a Boxter from zero to 60. The Genesis can’t outhandle a Boxter, though, and a Boxter S will outrun the Genesis. A mere Boxter has a top speed of 163 MPH.
One can easily tell the coupe and sedan are totally different animals when sitting in one. Had the chance to sit in both versions at a recent auto show. The coupe had horrible seats, while the sedan’s had more comfortable seats. I’d be interested in seeing if the Genesis was anything like the Pontiac Commodore…er G8 where the v6 felt quicker than the v8 version
All This Time I Thought A Kompressor Helped The Air-Konditioner Deliver Kold Air.
Oh scheiser! Please pardon my German language ability!
Thank you guys so much for all that info! Especially the Dodge info. I’m a Ford man myself and did not realize that the Dodge brothers built for Henry Ford for a while.
I didn’t realize that the Porsche Boxster was an enrty level sports car. How does the models go Boxster…Boxster S…911…Carrera (SP?) Is Carrera above the 911?
Something I learned from a PC Game “Need For Speed” is that Lamborghini actually started out making tractors. I wonder who was the fastest farmer?
Doesn’t that frustrate you as an automotive enthusist when you try to talk to someone about their car and they’re clueless. I liked that scene in “Finding Forrester” when the main character kinda put down the BMW owner because the owner didn’t know the origin of BMW or what the emblem stood for. Was what he said in the movie correct? It’s been so long since I’ve seen it…does BMW stand for “British Machine Works”? I can’t remember.
Thank you all for your responses. This is the best forum I’ve ever been to.
Thank you friends.
JP#3
“It’s all pure marketing, including the spelling of Kompressor.”
Well, not exactly. Kompressor is the German word for supercharger, and that’s how the word is spelled in German. That’s similar to Mercedes’ use of E in lots of older model cars (300E for example), to indicate fuel injection (“Einspritz” in German). That’s not marketing, it’s linguistics.
Ummm…Wouldn’t “British Machine Works” be a somewhat strange name for a company based in Germany?
BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke (or something to that effect–my spelling is likely “off” by a bit), which translates to Bavarian Motor Works. Bavaria is a province of Germany.
The BMW symbol–that blue and white badge–is supposed to represent the visual effect of a spinning airplane propeller. That is because the company originated as a maker of aircraft engines.
“The BMW symbol–that blue and white badge–is supposed to represent the visual effect of a spinning airplane propeller. That is because the company originated as a maker of aircraft engines.”
That’s what I had read for years, but it might not be true. The colors are from the checked Bavarian flag. You can read more here: http://www.logoblog.org/bmw_logo.php
I have also heard that alternate explanation.
Quien sabe?
I was going to say the same thing. I will only add that these motorcycles require motorcycle oil, which has special additives that help the oil withstand its many uses (engine, transmission, and clutch).
You can add Honda and the other Japanese motorcycle makers to that list.
VDC, I am impressed with your knowledge concerning automotive history. It thrills me to see a person who knows some history behind our rides which to me is intertwined with our heritage.
Many, many years later these ideas were marketed as innovations by other manufacturers.
Isn’t it a hoot that some manufacturers do not say they invented some innovation but will be happy to lead you to that belief?
examples:
I believe Acura or Lexus has a vehicle that has lamps that turn into the direction you turn the steering wheel…Duesenberg and/or Pierce Arrow
GMC Envoy had a sliding rear roof…Studebacker
Silverado/Sierra with 4 wheel steering…Honda had this for a short time in the 70’s
4 door crew cab pickups… International Harvester Travelette pickup
Dodge Caravan swivel seats…1959? Imperial and 70’s GM’s
That is what is on the top on my head but there are others.
Trivia… Jeep Wrangler Unlimited the extended version and not the 4 door. There was a prior version of this called the CJ6.
There were Chrysler products where the engine and torque converter shared the same oil. Two of these Chrysler products were the 1953 and 1954 Plymouth with Hy-drive and the 1953 Dodge equipped with Gyro-torque. I belive that there were some 1951 Chyslers and DeSotos where the engine and torque converter shared the same oil. The Hy-drive transmission had a clutch to put the car in gear and had a 3 speed transmission. The torque converter allowed starts in high gear. The Dodge had a clutch and a semi-automatic transmission. There was also a clutch. One put the transmission in the high gear position, accelerated to 15-20 miles per hour, released the accelerator and the transmission “clunked” into high gear. Dodge also offered a transmission called the Gyro-matic. The differnce between the Gyro-matic and the Gyro-torque was that the Gyro-matic had a fluid coupling that did not multiply the torque as the torque converter did, and the fluid coupling did not share its oil with the engine as the torque converter did. As I remember, both the Plymouth Hy-drive and the Dodge Gyro-torque had problems. A fully automatic transmission called PowerFlyte replaced the semi-automatic Gyro-torque and Gyro-matic transmissions in the 1954 Dodge line and replaced the Hy-drive in the Plymouth midway through the 1954 model run.
As for the original Mini Cooper , the DeSoto-Plymouth dealer in our community picked up the Morris line in the late 1950’s. In 1960 he began salling this original Mini Cooper and it was called the Morris 850. It had an 850 cubic centimeter engine. The same car was marketed as the Austin 850. My dad did a lot of business with this dealer. When I was in college in 1960, I had taken my dad’s car to the dealer to be serviced. The owner had me drive the Morris 850 to go pick up my Dad. I thought it drove better than any car I had ever driven. The dealer told my Dad that this would be a perfect car for a college student like me. It sold new for about $1200. Unfortunately, I didn’t have $1200, so my mode of transportation was my thumb (I hitch-hiked a lot).