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-   -   The 'What the fuck!' thread (http://cellar.org/showthread.php?t=5163)

Gravdigr 03-08-2012 01:47 PM

1 Attachment(s)
Can you see the Benz?

Attachment 37700

Quote:

In a promotion for its first production fuel-cell vehicle in Germany, Mercedes-Benz turned a B-Class hatchback invisible -- at least, from a distance, using the same idea behind the invisible car in the James Bond film "Die Another Day." See if you can see it before it sees you.

The invisibility cloak had its tryout this week on the streets of Stuttgart, Germany. To make Q's idea of an invisible car real, Mercedes employed dozens of technicians and some $263,000 worth of flexible LED mats covering one side of the car. Using a camera mounted on the opposite side of the vehicle, the LEDs were programmed to reproduce the image from the camera at the right scale, blending the vehicle into the background from a few feet away. Doing so required power sources, computers and other gear totaling 1,100 lbs. of equipment inside the B-Class.

Mercedes' point was to show how the F-Cell hydrogen fuel cell powered car would be invisible to the environment, producing only water vapor and heat for emissions. For an invisible car, it's getting a lot of stares.
from autos.yahoo.com

glatt 03-08-2012 02:41 PM

Yeah, the invisibility cloak is neat and all, but what I really want to know about is how many MPG does the fuel cell car have? I understand it has no emmisions, which is awesome, but how efficient is it? Is it better than an internal combustion engine?

Edit: Google is helpful. It runs on hydrogen only, which I missed in Grav's post. I'm not that impressed by hydrogen as a fuel. Because you pretty much wind up burning coal or oil to make the hydrogen. But the car is very efficient, with a 90 mpg equivalent and with zero emissions.

BigV 03-08-2012 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rhianne (Post 800177)
Actually, now that I look at it again...

The boat is extremely cool, as are the ekranoplans, but I don't think the Tupolev chasing that truck is an ekranoplan. Why? Where are the wings? How's it gonna fly with no wings? Yeah, didn't think so.

To me it looks like an airboat. Like the ones you see Marlon Perkins and Jim cruising the Everglades in. But totally hot rodded, like an unlimited hydrofoil. Of course the hydrofoils I've seen all have a prop that pushes water, and this one's props push the air, so, airboat.

For ekranoplans closer to reality (I know the one in the video is real, but really now...) check out the BT Hoverwings. Also cool, but not as cool as that polished aluminum monster.


wolf 03-08-2012 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt (Post 800404)
It runs on hydrogen only,

Oh, those wacky Krauts.

If it was good enough for the Hindenburg, it's good enough for high end cars.

Gravdigr 03-08-2012 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glatt (Post 800404)
Yeah, the invisibility cloak is neat and all, but what I really want to know about is how many MPG does the fuel cell car have? I understand it has no emmisions, which is awesome, but how efficient is it? Is it better than an internal combustion engine?

Edit: Google is helpful. It runs on hydrogen only, which I missed in Grav's post. I'm not that impressed by hydrogen as a fuel. Because you pretty much wind up burning coal or oil to make the hydrogen. But the car is very efficient, with a 90 mpg equivalent and with zero emissions.

I learned earlier this week that hydrogeny cars' mileage is measured in 'miles per kg' (of hydrogen). I was reading about the Honda FCX Clarity. Interesting article.

footfootfoot 03-08-2012 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolf (Post 800409)
Oh, those wacky Krauts.

If it was good enough for the Hindenburg, it's good enough for high end cars.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1955_Le_Mans_disaster
remember it was those wacky krauts who also came up with the magnesium car body.


Gravdigr 03-08-2012 04:56 PM

Got dayum! What a horrendous fucking wreck.

Rhianne 03-08-2012 05:13 PM

Over 80 killed there Grav. It led to motor racing being banned in several countries and Mercedes withdrew for motorsport for about 30 years.

infinite monkey 03-08-2012 05:33 PM

Wow!

Magnesium? Isn't that what we'd steal 'strips' of in HS chem lab because of the bright white flames they produced when lit?

I'd never heard this story. Just...woah. Seems weird there was a Pontiac LeMans for so long, given that the Le Mans raceway boasted the worst disaster in motorsport history.

Rhianne 03-08-2012 05:49 PM

It was obviously a terrible thing IM, but LeMans is still a special place.

infinite monkey 03-08-2012 05:52 PM

Yeah, that is what I gathered. It was one incident in a history of great sport. :)

footfootfoot 03-08-2012 07:15 PM

If you want to bake a cake, you've got to break a few eggs.

ZenGum 03-08-2012 07:22 PM

Quote:

I'm not that impressed by hydrogen as a fuel. Because you pretty much wind up burning coal or oil to make the hydrogen.
Currently true, but not necessarily. Especially in Germany, they are increasingly turning to solar, and this can easily be used to split the water into hydrogen and oxygen.

Can be. Should be. I'm not saying is.

footfootfoot 03-08-2012 07:33 PM

Knock knock.


Who's there?


To.


To who?


To whom.

HungLikeJesus 03-08-2012 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZenGum (Post 800483)
Currently true, but not necessarily. Especially in Germany, they are increasingly turning to solar, and this can easily be used to split the water into hydrogen and oxygen.

Can be. Should be. I'm not saying is.

At work we have a wind turbine that creates electricity, which creates hydrogen, which is used to fuel a hydrogen car. It's really just a demonstration project.

Hydrogen is not a fuel - it's an energy carrier.


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