Cooling Systems, Focus Feature

Cooling System

A modern engine delivers performance and economy that would’ve been considered science fiction a generation ago.

It was only 50 years ago Formula 1 cars were using carburettors, and far less than that Australian Touring Car Championships were decided in vehicles using similar technology.

Now engines weigh less, are more efficient and deliver far more power than anyone dreamed possible just a few decades ago.

All that performance comes at a price. Where a good mechanic would tune an engine for the best overall result not so long ago, now on-board electronics will alter timing and fuel/air mixture continually, making adjustments sometimes as often as hundreds of times each second, monitoring exhaust gas composition and temperature in near-enough real time.

But engines still need to be cooled. The days of an air-cooled flat four disappeared with cable clutches and glow plugs in diesels. And as the demands placed on engines have increased, so have the demands those engines place on basics like coolant.

And engines are only part of the leap in technology. The days of winding down the windows to cool a vehicle’s interior seem lost in the mists of time, while even straight-up air conditioning is a budget option now. Climate control in various sections of a vehicle cabin is the industry norm, and filtration and environmental considerations are as important to brand credibility as maintaining a comfortable temperature independent of the ambient situation.

It’s a crazy, high-tech new world in the coolant and cooling game these days. Have a look at some of these leading-edge examples and what they can do.

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