Articles by Michael Fernie
16/08/16
It's looking almost certain the hardcore version of the Focus RS is in the pipeline, and we can’t wait
15/08/16
These cars show that 'no replacement for displacement' is a thing of the past
15/08/16
Forget the Evo triangle, the Route Napoleon or your local B-road - the North Coast 500 will blow your mind.
11/08/16
Electric cars are renowned for their instant torque deliveries which lead to ferocious acceleration off the line. How do they produce this immediate torque and why can’t good old internal combustion get close?
05/08/16
Sure, they look badass slapped on the front of anything JDM or Moog's Wasabi 9000, but intercoolers can be a vital component for power gains and engine health. So how do they work?
03/08/16
Cars have come a long way from the gas-guzzling behemoths of yesteryear. With many modern hot hatches out-performing the supercars of the past, it all comes down to sheer mechanical efficiency
03/08/16
With the aim to reduce congestion in the busy cities of China, engineers have produced a bus that will tower over traffic and could clear the streets for petrolheads!
03/08/16
This dyno footage shows Hennessey's tuned Mustang screaming through a power run with its Voodoo V8, resulting in a serious power figure of over 500hp!
29/07/16
The Italians and Germans aren't short of blisteringly quick hypercars, and for years Britain wasn't up to the challenge. In the past decade however, we've upped our game and now have the machinery to rival even the most established motoring royalty
28/07/16
Every true petrolhead can pick out an Aston V12 from an AMG V8 and an Audi V10 from a Nissan V6. But what creates this vast array of automotive melodies?
22/07/16
With many car manufacturers surging towards full automation of their vehicles, the detachment between driver and the car’s controls has been furthered by the introduction of ‘drive by wire’, yet more electrification of a once mechanical job
22/07/16
Superchargers have been around for decades and have provided a valid alternative to turbocharging. Instead of the conventional mechanical turbocharger, is it preferable to have electronically controlled forced-induction?
19/07/16
Naturally-aspirated performance cars are very much becoming a thing of the past. And although turbocharging is taking over, it definitely has a downside in the form of lag - so how do you combat it?
15/07/16
With hybrids and automated electric cars becoming more prominent, variable displacement may be the last safe haven for the petrolhead
13/07/16
Porsche, Mazda, Toyota and most famously Nissan have all at some point used all-wheel steering to their advantage, so how does it all work?
08/07/16
Leaf springs are all but dead as a technology in the car world. But surely they must have had some merits? Let us explain...
07/07/16
Electric power steering has slowly made its way to the forefront of automotive engineering, with some of the greatest performance cars on sale (Porsche especially) transitioning their steering systems into the electronic age
29/06/16
Probably the complete opposite of double-declutching, flat-shifting is an extremely crude form of gear changing. But car companies have now started engineering flat-shifting into ECUs. So how does it work?
14/06/16
Diesel-engined cars normally struggle to compete with their petrol-powered counterparts on the spec sheet, but why are they produce way more torque?
10/06/16
I'd like to think I've had my fair share of full throttle passenger rides, but a flat-out lap of the Isle of Man TT course exposed me to a whole new level of speed, grip and adrenaline
07/06/16
Subaru and Prodrive have united to produce a modified WRX STI to smash the car lap record around the Isle of Man TT course. I was lucky enough to get up close and personal with the car to see what components make up a car capable of getting around the island at a 128.7mph average speed
04/06/16
The head gasket is one of the most important gaskets in a car and if it fails, can spell catastrophe for your beloved motor. To potentially save your car, here are the basics of this potential car killer and how to avoid trouble
01/06/16
Only really found on classic cars now, carburettors were at one time the main solution for effective air-fuel mixing. So how did they work?
25/05/16
Quad exhaust tips are prominent in modern car design, be them on simple city cars to the latest powerhouse hot hatches. But many of them are either completely fake or have no real function apart from aesthetics, as we'll explain...