It might seem strange, but there is a bit of motorsport in all city cars. Just look at them a little closer. Even in the simplest sedan or hatchback, there are options that originated in motorsport, and only then became serial. In competition, as you know, cars and racers give everything for the sake of victory. New technical solutions, which subsequently appear on serial cars, are born in a struggle. This category contains not only technical aspects but also various improvements in the cabin space, as well as just interesting additions to already familiar things. You can check the facts in this article while driving a city car (your own or a rented one). One of all possible options to compare the characteristics of the racing car is renting. Try to rent a Ferrari in Dubai, the city of luxury cars and racing competitions. There you can choose any car you want. Nowadays rent companies offer any car brand for renting.
Let’s start with technical points. Dual clutch DSG transmission that allows you to shift faster than any conventional manual transmission. The basic principle of operation is two clutches in one. Even and odd gears are divided between them, which allows them to change each other at lightning speed. This completely eliminates the possibility of error when choosing a gear. The automatic gear shift algorithm also appeared on civilian cars thanks to the racing gear unit.
Another important element of the technical equipment of any car is the suspension. The main function of this component is to ensure continuous grip of the wheels with the roadway. But the possibility of losing contact cannot be ruled out. That is why each wheel must work out its own irregularities separately, without affecting the operation of the others. MacPherson-type independent suspension, which is used on most production cars, works according to this principle. Of course, there is also a more complex multi-link suspension, which is used on Formula 1 cars, but it can also be found on production cars with a slightly different price tag.
At the dawn of the automotive industry, exclusively drum-type brakes were used everywhere, but a little later, namely in 1950, disc brakes first appeared. They are much easier to cool and repair, so it is not surprising that they appeared thanks to racing, and only then they began to be used in everyday life. Gradually, models with ventilated and perforated discs appeared on the market. Over time, motorsport began to use ceramic and carbon brake discs, but their high cost has not yet allowed them to become a serial option for city cars.
Twice a year, car owners change their winter tires to summer tires or vice versa. That is why more and more types of rubber with a new tread pattern appear on the market. Tire manufacturers get invaluable experience for their creation by participating in competitions. The main knowledge is the composition of the rubber, which affects its wear resistance, and only then comes the tread pattern, which allows the tire to better hold on to the roadway.
The Start/Stop system also migrated from motorsport. It was created so that the pilot can quickly start his car, because he does not need a key fob with an alarm or a key. If you pay attention to Porsche, then they have a key socket located to the left of the steering column. This is also a greeting from the past when the driver was able to start the engine with his left hand and shift the gear with his right hand. After all, then the pilots started the race, not at the wheel, but standing nearby, waiting for the starting signal.
The most useful feature that all motorists are familiar with is the rearview mirror. It appeared on racing cars in 1900. The pilots realised that a small mirror allows them to see the situation behind their back, which helps to choose the optimal trajectory in the fight against rivals. Racing buckets should also be recognized as very useful in car racing, but it is not so widespread, as it is used only on sports versions of civilian models. Unless lateral support can be fully considered mass. Another very important technical element is Dual Overhead Camshaft, or simply a camshaft. The progenitor of this technology also migrated from motorsport, and quite a long time ago, in 1900. At the moment, the design features of different engines are quite different from each other, but the presence of Dual Overhead Camshaft in them is mandatory.
One of the main entertainments of recent times has been the tuning of civilian cars, and, as a rule, tuning is exclusively external. In competitions, car bodies are specially modified by testing new body kits in wind tunnels in order to improve downforce and reduce the aerodynamic coefficient.
In conclusion, the main plus for civilian vehicle drivers is the invaluable experience of the teams in terms of testing various security systems, as well as new materials that subsequently appear in the design of production models.
