The term Atkinson cycle goes around a lot when talking about automotive engines. What does it mean? When did cars start using these engines?

Cars used to be really simple. They would have an engine up-front, perfectly visible and surrounded by heaps of open space under the hood, a few seats in the middle, and a trunk at the back. As the ...

In theory, Wankel-style rotary internal combustion engines have many advantages: they ditch the cumbersome crankcase and piston design, replacing it with a simple, single-chamber design and a thick, ...

Pop the hood on a 1970s sedan, and you'd see the engine, belts, and maybe some hoses you could actually identify by name and function. Open a modern car's hood, and you're left staring at a plastic ...