It seems that at least once a year, Auto Week or some other publication runs an article about some crackpot engineer who cobbles together a revolutionary new form of internal combustion engine, which will change the way cars are built, just as long as he can keep it from melting or falling appart.
I propose a quarterly publication, or maybe a monthly column in a major automotive or engineering magazine, that documents the latest in automotive engineering that hasn't quite gotten off the ground yet. Articles could also cover unconventional engines of yesteryear, with documentation of why they failed to catch on.
Halfbakers such as myself also might find that the idea they've been mulling around in their heads about a six-stroke rotary engine or a hybrid turbine with bio-fuel compatability has already been tried by a mechanic in Bulgaria, thus cutting down on mfd's somewhat.-- discontinuuity, Jan 13 2007 Try here http://www.technologyreview.com/A publication of MIT that explores new and emergent technology. [ato_de, Jan 14 2007] (?) Atkinson cycle rotary http://white-smoke..../page/Rotary+Enginean obscure engine [discontinuuity, Jan 14 2007] (?) Matt Keveney's Animated Engines page http://www.keveney.com/Engines.html [angel, Jan 14 2007] Steam Wankel engine http://ghlin2.green...apatter/wankel.html [angel, Jan 14 2007] Engine groove technology http://somender-singh.com/ [discontinuuity, Jan 14 2007] MYT Rotary Engine http://www.rexresea...morgado/morgado.htm [discontinuuity, Jan 15 2007] The Concept Engine web site http://conceptengin...ptengine/index.htmlI think this site bakes your idea pretty well [Gordon Comstock, Jan 16 2007] W9 Engine http://www.atomracing.se/6M.htmlThree rows of three cylinders. Why? I have no idea. [discontinuuity, Jan 16 2007] Torotrak IVT http://www.torotrak.com/toroidal infinately-variable trasmission [discontinuuity, Jan 19 2007] (?) DamnInteresting.com automotive section http://www.damninteresting.com/?cat=6Lots of half-baked schemes, like a wind-up hybrid [discontinuuity, Jan 21 2007] The magazine in the link seems like a more general look at emerging technology, not focused on engines or automotive technology.-- discontinuuity, Jan 14 2007 [+] Well I for one would subscribe to whatever magazine published it, even if just for those articles. But the part about how the mechanic in Bulgaria has already tried a six-stroke rotary engine... That was all hypothetical, right?-- acurafan07, Jan 14 2007 Yes, all of that is hypothetical, at least to my knowledge. There is that Atkinson rotary under development in Italy I think (see link). This engine, and many of the other strange rotary engines out there, are partially responsible for the inspiration of this idea.-- discontinuuity, Jan 14 2007 I'd subscribe [+]-- BunsenHoneydew, Jan 14 2007 Do you think that the links are becoming a bit of a list? Should I add some more obscure engines or hold off?-- discontinuuity, Jan 14 2007 My browser bookmarks look like a obscure engine quarterly already. I don't think one exists that I don't have a link about.-- nomocrow, Jan 16 2007 Mazda could use the mailing list as a source for job candidates. My car uses the 'Miller Cycle' engine, as opposed to the traditional Otto.-- RayfordSteele, Jan 16 2007 Millenia?-- acurafan07, Jan 16 2007 [rasberry], you are an organised freak ! [+]-- sweet, Jan 18 2007 How am I organized at all? If you ever see my apartment you will see that I'm very unorganized. I suppose maybe my bookmarks about cars are organized?-- discontinuuity, Jan 18 2007 Yep, Millenia S type.-- RayfordSteele, Jan 20 2007 Very nice, love their styling.-- acurafan07, Jan 22 2007 One sub for me, one for my crackpot dad. +-- elhigh, Jan 23 2007 I'd like to see some historical articles. There's a lot of history to draw on, from antiquity to c.1970, since when the attitude of "then it can be electronicked right" gradually took hold.-- Ned_Ludd, Jan 25 2007 random, halfbakery