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Gentlemen, Hack Your Engines!

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the hi-tech-time-trials dept.

Les Gasser writes "Ahh, drag racing! If you've never experienced the scent of nitro or the flashing flames of a top fueler running 320MPH+ in 4+ seconds in a standing-start quarter mile run at dusk, you're missing world-class performance art. (See 'High Performance' for the classic on drag racing history and culture). Now the NYTimes (registration needed) has 'Gentlemen, Start Hacking Your Engines,' an article on 're-engineering' engine control computers for maximum performance, combining the drag racing and tech-geek traditions." Having learned everything I know about racing from Gran Turismo, I'm amazed to learn there's more than just buying a "racing chip".

3 of 491 comments (clear)

  1. ok cobwebneal by hfastedge · · Score: 3, Funny

    Cobweb...if you had seen "The Fast and the Furious" you would of remembered the laptop that the police officer/(under cover racer) had a mad leet laptop controlling his engine.

    There was opengl and everything....

    You are so 2 years ago.

    --

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    Help my mini cause: My journal

  2. Nintendo by Omkar · · Score: 5, Funny

    Having learned all I know about racing from Mario Kart, I'm surprised they don't just carry some mushrooms and turtle shells.

  3. Keep microprocessors outta my car! by Inflatable+Hippo · · Score: 3, Funny
    I remember reading (about a decade ago now on comp.risks I beleive) the following:

    BMW released their new micro-processor (ooooh!) controlled ABS braking system when odd transient failures were reported by some customers - those that survived anyway.

    It turns out that in certain excessively high RF environments the processor locked up. One such environment was while driving past one of those huge "Golf Ball" early warning radar stations so "popular" at the time.

    I remember this because of the interesting discussion of what the fail-safe behaviour of a braking system ought to be:

    void brakesPressed(BrakeEvent e)
    {

    try
    {
    setBrakesLevel (e.getFootPressure ());
    }
    catch (GoneHorriblyWrongException oops)
    {
    // setBrakesLevel (0.0); // killed the test team
    // setBrakesLevel (1.0); // got rear ended by a truck
    setBrakesLevel (0.3); // lets see what happens...
    }
    }