but the most amazing mechanical innovation it has
is a frustratingly slow, whining seat memory function
What do we mean by "lately?" The humble old internal combustion engine has made some really impressive progress in the past several decades.Engines are roughly 2X better now in the categories that matter: power output, fuel efficiency, and expected lifetime. Some of the fuel efficiency gains have of course been canceled out by increased overall vehicle weight, so it's easy to overlook how much more efficient the engines themselves are. In 1986, a Ford Mustang GT had a 5.0L V8 that produced 200HP. In 2021, a Ford Mustang GT has a 5.0L V8 that produces 460HP. A 2021 base model Ford Mustang has an engine that produces 310HP from only 2.3L of displacement. (Not that Ford is special in this regard; I just picked the Mustang because they've produced a 5.0L V8 for most of the brand's lifetime and it's fun to compare a 1986 5.0L engine versus a 2021 5.0L engine...) |
That's all you need to know about the progress in engines.