glove compartment

glove compartment (plural glove compartments)

Such was my enthusiasm to get there, I probably went faster than was prudent over such a dodgy road, but by the time I arrived the only damage was that the glove compartment had rattled loose.

2005, Sean Dooley, The Big Twitch, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, page 206:

(automotive) A compartment recessed in an automobile’s dashboard, that usually has a door and can be locked, intended to hold gloves, papers, etc.


knocking

Sir―I was greatly interested in a short article in The Motor Cycle on the subject of engine knocking.

1914 November 14, The Motor Cycle, London, page 528, column 1:

Knocking can also occur at high speed, but that may go undetected by the driver.

2021 December 7, The Road Ahead, Brisbane, page 56, column 1:

(automotive) A repetitive ping, knock, or similar sound coming from an engine in which there are repeated uncontrolled explosions in the combustion chamber.


tailgate

tailgates (plural)
tail-gate (alternative)
tail gate (alternative)

When they first attached tailgates to cars, we were hooked. By the 1970s, wagons with names like Vista Cruiser and Town & Country sported tailgates as big as dining tables.

2007, Stephen Linn, The Ultimate Tailgater's Racing Guide, →ISBN:

(automotive) A hinged board or hatch at the rear of a vehicle that can be lowered for loading and unloading.


tailgate

en-verb

tailgate (third-person singular simple present tailgates, present participle tailgating, simple past and past participle tailgated)

tailgates (present singular third-person)
tailgating (participle present)
tailgated (participle past)
tailgated (past)
tail-gate (alternative)
tail gate (alternative)

That idiot has been tailgating me for the last five minutes.

She also tailgated them at high speed in her convertible yellow Mercedes.

2002 October 19, Helen Carter, “That's no lady - that's the heiress who taunted neighbours”, in The Guardian:

Last week the UK government announced a crackdown on unsafe driving. From now on, those of us spotted tailgating or lane hogging will face on-the-spot fines of £100 and three penalty points.

2013 August 19, Chris Chambers, “Bad driving: what are we thinking?”, in The Guardian:

(automotive, intransitive, transitive) To drive dangerously close behind another vehicle.


indy

From Indianapolis (“location of major car race”).

(motor racing, automotive) A car designed to meet the rules on the Indianapolis 500 car race.

(by extension, motor racing, automotive) An open-wheel open-cockpit single-seat racecar


chipped

en-adj

chipped (comparative more chipped, superlative most chipped)

more chipped (comparative)
most chipped (superlative)

engine management system
engine management system

(automotive, not comparable) Having had the engine management system upgraded, usually to increase power.

chippad

having had the engine management system upgraded


blind spot

blind spots (plural)
blindspot (alternative)

زاوِية مَيِّتة

part of the road/railway track/tramway track that cannot be seen

When he changed lanes, he sideswiped a car that was in his blind spot.

‘Blind Spot Information System (BSIS)’ means a system to inform the driver of a possible collision with a bicycle near side.

UN Regulation No 151 – Uniform provisions concerning the approval of motor vehicles with regard to the Blind Spot Information System for the Detection of Bicycles

As its name suggests, BSW can detect traffic in a vehicle’s side blind spots and alert a driver to its presence. […] Taller and heavier vehicles tend to have larger side and rear blind spots, and generally pose a greater risk to those outside of them when compared to smaller vehicles.

2023 August 24, Keith Barry, “SUV and Truck Buyers May Pay Thousands More for Life-Saving Feature, CR Study Shows” in Consumer Reports

(automotive) In driving, the part of the road that cannot be seen in the rear-view mirror or side-view mirror.


supercharge

en-verb

supercharge (third-person singular simple present supercharges, present participle supercharging, simple past and past participle supercharged)

supercharges (present singular third-person)
supercharging (participle present)
supercharged (participle past)
supercharged (past)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-supercharge.wav

internal combustion engine
internal combustion engine

(automotive) To increase the power of an internal combustion engine (either Otto or Diesel cycle) by compressing the inlet air with power extracted from the crankshaft.

ahtaa

to increase the power of an internal combustion engine


supercharger

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-supercharger.wav

компресор

(automotive) An inlet air compressor for an internal combustion engine (either Otto or Diesel cycle).

(most commonly) Such a compressor which is specifically powered from the crankshaft.


trafficator

There were vehicles following me, of course, but was any of them trailing me? […] Without any warning, and without signalling with the trafficator, I took a sudden right turn, hoping to shake off my trailer.

2014, Chris Ekpekurede, Laughing Over Serious Matters: Stories to Make You Laugh and Reflect:

(Nigeria, automotive) A blinking light on a motor vehicle that indicates the direction in which it is about to turn.


sump

sumps (plural)
sumph (alternative obsolete)

From Middle English sompe, either from Middle Dutch somp, sump or Middle Low German sump from Old Saxon *sump, from Proto-West Germanic *sump, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *sumpaz. Doublet of swamp.

(automotive) The crankcase or oil reservoir of an internal combustion engine.


DS

en-noun

DS (countable and uncountable, plural DSs or DSes)

DSs (plural)
DSes (plural)
D. S. (alternative)
D.S. (alternative)

(automotive) Clipping of DS Automobiles.


PDI

PDI (countable and uncountable, plural PDIs)

petrol direct injection
petrol direct injection#English

(automotive) Initialism of petrol direct injection (“fuel injection”).


feedline

(automotive) The tube for gasoline that goes to the engine.


DTC

diagnostic trouble code
diagnostic trouble code#English

(automotive) Initialism of diagnostic trouble code.


(automotive) A motor vehicle fuel blend based on close to 100% ethanol used in alcohol fuelled vehicles


aquaplane

en-verb

aquaplane (third-person singular simple present aquaplanes, present participle aquaplaning, simple past and past participle aquaplaned)

aquaplanes (present singular third-person)
aquaplaning (participle present)
aquaplaned (participle past)
aquaplaned (past)

PIE word
 *h₂ékʷeh₂
The noun is derived from aqua- (prefix meaning ‘water’) + plane (“flat or level surface”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- (“flat”)).
The verb is derived from the noun, and is analysable as aqua- + plane (“to glide; to soar; to skim a water surface”).

prefix

So much water. They were held up by it, the tyres skating over a film of rain. Aquaplaning. Flying his sister’s fancy car through the wet air. Touching nothing.

2015, Anne Enright, “Shannon Airport”, in The Green Road, New York, N.Y., London: W[illiam] W[arder] Norton & Company, →ISBN, part 2, page 203:

(by extension, chiefly British, automotive) Of a car or other road vehicle: to lose traction with the road due to the vehicle's tyres sliding on a film of water on the road.

olla vesiliirrossa

of a car, etc.: to lose traction with the road due to the vehicle’s tyres sliding on a film of water on the road


diff

This diff is capable of locking up when wheel slip occurs.

Many operators cursed the early diff and driveline set-ups[.]

2000, Bob Foster, Birdum or Bust!, Henley Beach, SA: Seaview Press, page 45:

(automotive) Abbreviation of differential: the differential gear in an automobile.


DMS

en-noun

DMS (countable and uncountable, plural DMSs)

(uncountable, automotive) Initialism of Driver Monitoring System.


burn out

en-verb

burn out (third-person singular simple present burns out, present participle burning out, simple past and past participle burned out or (mostly Commonwealth) burnt out)

burns out (present singular third-person)
burning out (participle present)
burned out (participle past)
burned out (past)
burnt out (Commonwealth participle past)
burnt out (Commonwealth past)

(intransitive, automotive) To have one's tires skid against the ground; to peel off, peel out.


left-hander

left-handers (plural)
lefthander (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-left-hander.wav

(automotive) A bend or turn to the left; a left-hand corner.


Mexican overdrive

Synchronically, coordinate with other variants of overdrive in this sense of the word, whereas some of the variants certainly denigrate outgroups (e.g., Jewish overdrive, Polish overdrive) and others might not be denigrating but rather celebratory (e.g., Georgia overdrive); diachronically, this one has been said to be based on NASCAR teams' experience in the early 1950s in the legendary Carerra Panamerica, where the long hills would have otherwise overrevved the engines, although this may be a folk etymology for just another outgroup-denigrating variant.

He shifted his car out of gear, at the top of the hill, and coasted down in Mexican overdrive.

(US, slang, automotive) Synonym of angel gear.


drunk driving

(law, automotive, US) The act of driving under the influence of alcohol.

Specifically, the criminal offence of driving with a blood alcohol content (BAC) level higher than the local legal limit.


hydroplane

hydroplane (third-person singular simple present hydroplanes, present participle hydroplaning, simple past and past participle hydroplaned)

hydroplanes (present singular third-person)
hydroplaning (participle present)
hydroplaned (participle past)
hydroplaned (past)

Don't drive too fast on wet roads or the car may hydroplane and cause you to lose control of the vehicle.

(automotive) For a car or similar vehicle to slide along the road on a thin film of water between the road and the tyres. This occurs when a car has some speed and comes to somewhere with more water on the road than the weight of the car and the grooves in the tyre tread pattern (if any) can push away. The result is almost no traction at all for steering or braking.


driving under the influence

en-noun

driving under the influence (uncountable)

(law, automotive) Operating a motor vehicle while impaired due to the consumption of drugs or alcohol.


car battery

(automotive) A 12-volt battery used to run the electric starter motor in order to ignite the internal combustion engine of an automobile, and power accessories when the engine is off and the alternator is not turning.

Autobatterie

battery used to start the engine of an automobile


California roll

California roll (plural California rolls)

(colloquial, automotive) A rolling stop (when a car slows down at a stop sign, but does not come to a complete stop).


nitrous

From Middle French nitreux, and its source, Latin nitrōsus (“nitrose”). Doublet of nitroso. By surface analysis, nitro- + -ous.

(dentistry, automotive, informal) Nitrous oxide.

When a shot this big is being run, it will also be necessary to pull 6-10 degrees of timing out when the nitrous is being run.

2002, Mike Kojima, Honda/Acura Engine Performance: How to Modify D, B and H Series Honda/Acura Engines for Street and Drag Racing Performance, Penguin, →ISBN, page 111:

To simulate nitrous, we will use a very simple approach: apply a large force to the back of the car when the nitrous is on.

2004, Simon Carless, Gaming Hacks, "O'Reilly Media, Inc.", →ISBN, page 320:

When tested on a typical summer day, an engine with fuel fed by an annular discharge booster could be 10 hp less over a stepped dogleg booster, but 10 hp more when the nitrous is in operation.

2013, David Vizard, David Vizard's How to Super Tune and Modify Holley Carburetors, CarTech Inc, →ISBN, page 74:

(automotive, informal) The system in some racing vehicles which pumps nitrous oxide into the engine to improve performance.


boneyard

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-boneyard.wav

B-52s in a boneyard

a 440 V-8 from the boneyard

Or what is conveyed to those unversed in railway matters by reports following a shed visit that "the frame of Claud Hamilton lay in the boneyard and had many endearing messages of farewell chalked on it"?

1951 April, R. S. McNaught, “Railway Enthusiasts”, in Railway Magazine, number 600, page 269:

The “Boneyard” is a place of antiques and historic symbolism, a burial ground for aircraft.

1999, Naval Aviation News, volumes 82-83, page 37:

Beginning in December 1969, the entire fleet was retired to the “boneyard” at Davis-Monthan AFB in Tucson, Arizona.

2017, William A. Flanagan, Aviation Records in the Jet Age:

(aviation, automotive, slang) A dumpsite for obsolete or unusable aircraft etc; a junkyard.


burnout

burnout (countable and uncountable, plural burnouts)

burnouts (plural)
burn-out (alternative)

→ Dutch: burn-out

→ Finnish: burnout

→ German: Burn-out

(automotive) Use of the throttle to spin the wheels of a vehicle being held stationary, causing the spinning tires to produce smoke and burn rubber.

burn

using the throttle to spin the wheels of a vehicle being held stationary


mag wheel

(automotive, originally late 1950s and into 1960s) A wheel for a motor vehicle, made from an alloy of magnesium, typically lighter and offering better heat conduction than steel wheels; often styled in a five-point star pattern; (sometimes also) a wheel made to look like such wheels but not truly of magnesium.


FCA

(automotive) Initialism of Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles, an Italian&American automaker.


prime mover

Originally in translation of Latin primum mobile.

(automotive) The front part of a semi-trailer type truck, i.e., the tractor to which the trailer part attaches.


(automotive, engineering) Alternative spelling of V-twin.


hot hatch

hot hatches (plural)
hot hatchback (alternative)

Clipping of hot hatchback, from hot + hatchback. From being a hatchback-configuration small car, compact, subcompact that has some zip.

(automotive, informal) A high-performance hatchback small motor car.


car door

car doors (plural)
car-door (alternative)
cardoor (alternative)

We found Jeru to be a pleasant city; with only one fault: the inhabitants will crowd into a car before passengers can get out; consequently the heads of the two columns collide near the car-door, and there is a general choke.

1863, Gail Hamilton, Gala-Days, Boston: Ticknor and Fields, page 22:

(automotive, rail transport) A door designed for use on a car (whether a railway carriage or an automobile).


blip

en-verb

blip (third-person singular simple present blips, present participle blipping, simple past and past participle blipped)

blips (present singular third-person)
blipping (participle present)
blipped (participle past)
blipped (past)

Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1

(automotive) To apply the throttle briefly when downshifting, to provide a smoother gear transition and prevent wheelspin.


caliper

calipers (plural)
calliper (alternative)

(automotive) The part of a disc brake that holds the brake pads.


turning circle

But the horse has left his mark, for his successor is a mechanical horse designed to a large extent to copy the leading characteristics of the live horse; easy attachment to or detachment from its load, a small turning circle, a small appetite for petrol, but giving a much higher acceleration and speed, and so capable of much greater distances, so that fewer cartage units are required.

1944 November and December, T. F. Cameron, “Motor and Cartage Working”, in Railway Magazine, page 335:

(automotive, of a road vehicle) The circular path formed by the wheel furthest from the centre of the turn when turning to the maximum extent.


side-by-side

side-by-sides (plural)
side by side (alternative)
SxS (alternative)

(automotive) A type of multipurpose off-highway utility vehicle, with four wheels, resembling a club cart or a golf cart


downshift

The noun is derived from down (preposition) + shift (“slight change or movement”). The verb is derived from the noun.

compound

The driver, Lindsay, gave me a regal wave at the top after he had completed a series of perfect downshifts[.]

2000, Bob Foster, Birdum or Bust!, Henley Beach, SA: Seaview Press, page 197:

(automotive, cycling) A shift of a transmission into a lower gear, as dictated by heavier load on the engine, as for example when climbing a hill or strongly accelerating.


downshift

en-verb

downshift (third-person singular simple present downshifts, present participle downshifting, simple past and past participle downshifted)

downshifts (present singular third-person)
downshifting (participle present)
downshifted (participle past)
downshifted (past)

zwalniać

to change one’s career or lifestyle to one which is not as well paid but less stressful and more personally rewarding

落波

to shift the transmission of a car or bicycle into a lower gear

He brought the car to a stop before the bridge, downshifted and then put her at the road again in a rising disciplined snarl along the N.6 to Cannes.

a. 1962, Ernest Hemingway, chapter 27, in The Garden of Eden, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, published 1986, →ISBN, page 229:

(automotive, cycling) To shift (a car or bicycle) into a lower gear.

In a stick-shift vehicle, the driver must downshift when necessary; in an automatic, the transmission downshifts as needed.

(automotive, cycling) To shift a transmission into a lower gear.


rolling stop

(automotive) An automobile driving maneuver in which a driver slows down, but does not completely stop, at a stop sign.


ponies

I wanted that car. Also, these things are crazy on the road. Front wheel suspension, tons of ponies, but best of all, it has a tape deck.

2016, Greg Universe, “Beach City Drift”, in Steven Universe:


passenger car

(vehicles) A motor vehicle designed to carry (a few) passengers; a motorcar.


remote keyless entry

en-noun

remote keyless entry (plural remote keyless entries)

(automotive) A remote control device used to lock and unlock a vehicle's doors, open the trunk, and sound the alarm system.


Yukon

From Gwich'in ųųg han, contraction of chųų gąįį han (“white water river”). See Wikipedia's name section for details.

(US, automotive) A GMC Yukon automobile.


PHEV

plug-in hybrid electric vehicle
w:plug-in hybrid

(automotive) Initialism of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

battery electric vehicle with range extender

plug-in hybrid electric vehicle with long electric range


EMU

EMU (countable and uncountable, plural EMUs)

(automotive engineering) Initialism of engine management unit.


redline

en-verb

redline (third-person singular simple present redlines, present participle redlining, simple past and past participle redlined)

redlines (present singular third-person)
redlining (participle present)
redlined (participle past)
redlined (past)

From red + line, originating with the frequent use of red pen or pencil to mark corrections on drawings and documents (1), and the red markings on a tachometer (2).

To operate a device at one or more redlines.

(automotive) To run an internal combustion engine to its maximum or maximum recommended speed.


hot shift

(historical, US, automotive) An early mechanism that synchronized the speeds of gear wheels when changing gear in an automobile.


snowmobile

snowmobiles (plural)
snow-mobile (alternative)
snow mobile (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-snowmobile.wav

From the manufacture of snowgoing equipment such as snow cats, it diversified first into that of snowmobiles (and later skidoos, or water scooters), then into railcar and locomotive manufacture, and finally into the manufacture of small (less than 100-seat) commercial aircraft.

2001, Charles W. L. Hill, Gareth R. Jones, Strategic Management Theory: An Integrated Approach, page 312:

Lance Allan: "When you first saw that video of you in a snowmobile suit at five years old on national TV and on our air. Were you a little bit like, c'mon Mom and Dad, are you going to do me like that?"

2022 November 2, “Young Wisconsin Olympian Jordan Stolz talks speedskating career: 'I'm just happy I got to skate that fast'”, in TMJ4:

(vehicles) A vehicle with skis at the front and a caterpillar track at the rear, used for travelling over snow, sometimes as sport.


valance

valances (plural)
valaunce (alternative)
valence (alternative)
vallance (alternative)

From Middle English valance, valans, valaunce, valence, valons. Origin uncertain. Probably from Anglo-Norman valaunce, valence, from valer (“go down, let down”), aphetic form of Old French avaler (“to descend, go down”).

der

(automotive) A low-hanging auto body panel, below a front or rear bumper, whose purpose is aerodynamic and decorative but not structural (often valance panel).


GDI

gasoline direct injection
w:en:gasoline direct injection

(automotive) Initialism of gasoline direct injection (“fuel injection”).


channeled

en-adj

channeled (comparative more channeled, superlative most channeled)

more channeled (comparative)
most channeled (superlative)

He later bought a '33 Ford coupe, chopped and channeled it and installed a Mercury engine.

1958, Charles Beaumont, William F. Nolan, Omnibus of Speed: An Introduction to the World of Motor Sport, Putnam, page 183:

(automotive, slang) Of a vehicle: having the height reduced by lowering the body with respect to the frame rails.


compression ratio

en-noun

compression ratio (plural compression ratios)

(automotive) The ratio of the volume between the cylinder head of an internal combustion engine and the piston before and after the compression stroke.


synchronizer

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-synchronizer.wav

(automotive) Part of a synchromesh manual transmission that allows the smooth engagement of gears.


RAC

Royal Automobile Club
w:Royal Automobile Club

(UK, automotive) Initialism of Royal Automobile Club.


dune buggy

(automotive) A recreational vehicle with large tires, designed for use on beaches and sand dunes.


automatic transmission

automatic transmission (plural automatic transmissions)

Meronym: torque converter

(automotive) A vehicle transmission which shifts gears automatically in response to vehicle speed and/or load, and does not require any driver input to manually change gears under normal driving conditions; an automatic gearbox.

自動波 /自动波

a mechanical transmission which shifts gears automatically in response to speed and/or load

avtomatíčeskaja koróbka pereključénija peredáč

автомати́ческая коро́бка переключе́ния переда́ч


DI

DI (countable and uncountable, plural DIs)

direct injection
direct injection#English

(automotive) Initialism of direct injection (“fuel injection”).


gear shift

(automotive) That part of a gearbox involved in changing gear, including the lever and the forks attached to it.

скоростен лост

(automotive, US, Canada) The lever or other interface a human uses to shift gears.


brake assembly

brake assembly (plural brake assemblies)

(automotive) The collective replacement parts used to repair an automobile's worn down brakes.

pièces de driction

the collective replacement parts used to repair an automobile's worn down brakes


warning track

(automotive, informal) A non-driving surface at the edge of a road, with a different surfacing warning drivers of the approach to the edge of the road, as part of the shoulder of a road.


liftback

From lift + back, modelled on hatchback or similar pre-existing automotive terms. Coined in 1973 by Toyota to describe their Celica model.

(US, automotive) A variation on the hatchback car body style, with a more gently sloping roofline.


sequential manual gearbox

sequential manual gearbox (plural sequential manual gearboxes)

motorcycle transmission
Motorcycle transmission

(automotive) A type of manual gearbox which can be designed with either a manual or fully-automated clutch system. Gear shifts by the driver can only be chosen in a successive order, and the driver cannot skip gears, like with a standard H-pattern manual transmission. This type of transmission is most commonly used in motorcycles and racecars, and is a form of manual motorcycle transmission.


Multitronic

continuously variable transmission
continuously variable transmission

(automotive) A continuously variable transmission, in some Audi cars, that uses a chain instead of a belt.


continuously variable transmission

continuously variable transmission (plural continuously variable transmissions)

continuously variable transmissions (plural)

(automotive) Any of several forms of automatic transmission, without specific gears, in which the gear ratio may be changed without any noticeable steps.


tailpipe

(automotive) An exhaust pipe exhausting to the aft of the vehicle


idiot light

From idiot + light, suggesting that even a stupid person with no mechanical knowledge can recognize a problem when thus indicated.

(automotive, slang) Any warning light or indicator on the dashboard of a car, designed to alert the driver to problems, such as the parking brake being on or the oil being low.


(automotive) a four-wheeled vehicle with two-wheel drive


overload

/ˌəʊvəˈləʊd/

/ˌəʉvəˈləʉd/

/ˌɐʉvəˈlɐʉd/

/ˌɐʉvəˈlɐʉd/

/ˈəʊvəˌləʊd/

/ˈəʉvəˌləʉd/

/ˈɐʉvəˌlɐʉd/

We did haul overloads sometimes[.]

2000, Bob Foster, Birdum or Bust!, Henley Beach, SA: Seaview Press, page 60:

(automotive) An load of goods above the prescribed carrying weight of the vehicle.


extractors

(automotive) A set of pipes fitted to the exhaust ports of an automotive engine, designed to increase its power output (essentially by altering gas pressures to get more fuel through it). https://web.archive.org/web/20060820191056/http://moonahmufflers.com.au/extractors/index.html


dry sump

(automotive) A type of engine sump where oil that flows down from the crankshaft, etc. is collected into an external reservoir.


handbrake turn

The man did a handbrake turn, putting the car into a wild spin.

2017, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], Bad Dad, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN:

(automotive) An automobile driving manoeuvre where the driver starts turning the vehicle and then pulls on the handbrake to make the rear tyres lose adhesion and thus cause the back of the vehicle to slide around (in the direction of the turn).

kangaroo stoppie

a similar maneuver with a motorcycle, to come to a stop and face the opposite direction


hemi

combustion chambers
combustion chamber#English

internal combustion engine
internal combustion engine#English

(automotive) A motor with hemispherical combustion chambers. A piston engine internal combustion engine with hemispherical piston cylinder heads.

(automotive) A combustion chamber with the hemispherical cylinder head from such an engine.

(automotive) A hemispherical cylinder head from such a motor.

(automotive) A vehicle equipped with such a motor engine.


freewheel

en-verb

freewheel (third-person singular simple present freewheels, present participle freewheeling, simple past and past participle freewheeled)

freewheels (present singular third-person)
freewheeling (participle present)
freewheeled (participle past)
freewheeled (past)

(automotive, of a motorist) To operate a motor vehicle which is coasting without power, e.g. downhill.


constructor

From Medieval Latin cōnstrūctor, from Latin cōnstruō (“to build”). By surface analysis, construct + -or.

констру́ктор

in object oriented programming: code that creates objects

(automotive) A company which, or individual who, builds racing vehicles. In Formula One, constructor status is strictly defined by the rules, but in other motorsports the term is merely a descriptor. Depending on the racing rules, some constructors (e.g. Cosworth) may provide vehicles to racing teams who are not themselves constructors, while others are both teams and constructors (Ducati Corse, Scuderia Ferrari).

rakentaja

in automotive: someone who builds racing vehicles


paddle shifter

(automotive) Either of a pair of paddles, fitted to the steering wheel of a high-performance motor car, allowing the gears to be changed up or down in a single movement, and without using the clutch. It is a form of sequential shifter.


disc brake

disc brakes (plural)
disk brake (alternative)

(automotive, British spelling) A type of brake where the friction is produced by brake pads which are pressed against a disc.


roll cage

roll cages (plural)
rollcage (alternative)

(automotive) A frame built in or around the driver and passenger compartment of a vehicle to protect its occupants from being injured in an accident, particularly if the vehicle rolls over.


right-hander

right-handers (plural)
righthander (alternative)

(automotive) A bend or turn to the right; a right-hand corner.


finisher

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-finisher.wav

Inside, the revised F-Type gets lightweight slimline seats and new chrome and aluminium trim finishers.


whale tail

the duck-tail spoiler was replaced with a whale tail for the US version of the Carrera.

1997, Bruce Anderson, Porsche 911 Performance Handbook, page 16:

(automotive, slang) A kind of large automotive rear spoiler.


belt loop

belt loops (plural)
beltloop (alternative)

(US, automotive) A highway that loops around the perimeter of a major city.


lugnut

(automotive) A specially shaped nut used to hold the wheels on an automobile.


HSDI

(automotive) Initialism of high-speed (diesel) direct injection.


downsizing

en-noun

downsizing (countable and uncountable, plural downsizings)

Downsizing is one of the leading trends in automotive engine design.

(automotive) Reducing engine's capacity at same power or increasing engine's power without increasing capacity.

pienentäminen

reducing engine's capacity at same power or increasing engine's power without increasing capacity


diffuser

(automotive) A shaped section of a car's underbody which improves the car's aerodynamic properties.


oversize

However, any increase in capacity is useful and, if an engine is worn and needs a rebore, it's worth considering boring to a near maximum size rather than simply having it bored to the next oversize.

2005, Daniel Stapleton, How to Plan and Build a Fast Road Car, page 14:

Have your local machine shop rebore the cylinders to the next nearest oversize and supply new pistons and rings to suit. Recommended rebore oversizes go up in increments of 0.25mm/0.010 inch. If the engine's already been rebored, you'll usually be able to find the oversize stamped in the piston crowns.

2006, Rod Grainger, Pete Shoemark, Mazda MX-5 Miata 1.8 1993 to 1999: Enthuasiast Workshop Manual:

(automotive) The increased size of the bore of an engine when it is rebored.


Vic

(slang, US, automotive) A Ford Crown Victoria automobile.


emergency brake

emergency brake (plural emergency brakes)


lap sash seatbelt

lap sash seatbelt (plural lap sash seatbelts)

lap sash seatbelts (plural)
lap/sash seatbelt (alternative)
lap-sash seatbelt (alternative)

From lap (“upper legs of a seated person”) + sash (“length of cloth worn over the shoulder”) + seatbelt (“restraining belt”).

[…]automobile accidents in which a casualty occurred in Victoria (Australia) during 1973 and 1974, Nelson (1974) has stated that from a clinical point of view the current lap-sash seatbelt-head configuration is not reducing the incidence of whiplash injuries to a significant extent.

1976, International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering, Medical & Biological Engineering, volume 14, page 263:

From 4 years to about 11 years, a booster seat, initially with a harness (until about 6 years) and then with an adult lap/sash seatbelt, offers the safest option for car travel.

1994, Frank Oberklaid, Leah Kaminsky, Your Child's Health, page 457:

Once your child doesn′t fit into a child car restraint at around four years of age, a booster seat can be used with an adult lap/sash seatbelt.

2004, Carol Fallows, Shayne Collier, Commonsense Guide for Australian Parents, page 23:

A precise description of mechanism of injury can guide the examination, eg flexion/extension injury over lap sash seatbelt is associated with small bowel injury and lumbar vertebral fractures.

2007, Stuart Crisp, Jo Rainbow, Emergencies in Paediatrics and Neonatology, Oxford University Press, page 106:

Bruce pushed the ultralight out of the hangar; I climbed in and fastened the lap-sash seatbelt.

2012, S Bailey, J Bailey, Head Over Heels: A Story Of Tragedy, Triumph and Romance in the Australian Bush, unnumbered page:

(UK, Australia, automotive) A type of seatbelt which goes across the pelvis and then up and diagonally across the body; the conventional type found in most cars today.


rebirthing

rebirthing (usually uncountable, plural rebirthings)

2004, Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004 Year Book Australia, Number 86, page 325,
Other investigations include South-East Asian organised crime, money laundering and tax fraud on the Commonwealth, vehicle rebirthing and identity fraud.

They are also involved in cannabis dealing, vehicle theft, car rebirthing, currency counterfeiting and fraud.

2010, James Morton, Susanna Lobez, Gangland Australia, page 335:

New bosses were running things now – the hydro marijuana houses, the standover and the car rebirthing.

2010, Adam Shand, Big Shots: Inside Melbourne′s Gangland Wars, page 180:

(Australia, automotive, slang) The practice of transferring identifying parts of a wrecked car (registration plates, compliance plate, etc.) onto a stolen car of the same make and model, allowing the stolen car to be sold with the identity of the wreck.


torque steer

(automotive) The pull of a front-wheel drive car's steering to one side (i.e. away from straight ahead) when accelerating. This is an undesirable phenomenon and arises from the driveline components that take the engine's power to the two wheels.


hydroplaning

hydroplaning (countable and uncountable, plural hydroplanings)

(automotive, US, Canada) The loss of contact with the road because of surface water; the act of aquaplaning.


milepost

(automotive, road transport) A post on a highway, often with one or more fingerposts, showing the distance in miles to nearby places.


town car

Her great-uncle was a wealthy man. The type who had a town car and who had a right-hand man to drive it.

en:type of automobile, 1908 to 1939 era, with open driver position

(automotive) A car having a kind of bodystyle produced from 1908 to 1939 with an external or open-topped driver's position and an enclosed compartment for passengers.

They called to get a town car sent out to the airport to pick up the visiting executives for the sales conference.

en:type of automobile, type of limousine, non-stretch

(automotive, informal) A hired non-stretch limousine, traditionally but not necessarily a standard-wheelbase Lincoln Town Car or Cadillac sedan.

(automotive, nonstandard) Synonym of city car.


Porsche

en-proper noun

Porsche (countable and uncountable, plural Porsches)

Ferdinand Porsche
en:Porsche (disambiguation)

Borrowed from German Porsche
* (automotive): The surname of the founder, Ferdinand Porsche.

(automotive) The German sports car manufacturer founded in 1931 and based in Stuttgart. Full name: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG.


Porsche

Mom drives an Accord, which is quite a surprise if you think about it. I guess that says something about her response to fame. Anyone can drive a Porsche once they have the cash.

2004, Gaby Triana, Backstage Pass, page 42:

a male undergoing a garden-variety mid-life crisis is disturbed not by his sexual appetites but by the lack of variety in his sexual partners. He is disturbed not by the crass materialism of his life but by the fact that he is still driving a Ford when he could and should be driving a Porsche.

2005, William Braxton Irvine, On Desire: Why We Want What We Want, Oxford University Press,, →ISBN, page 26:

I'm unstoppable / I'm a Porsche with no brakes / I'm invincible / Yeah, I win every single game

2016, Sia, Chris Braide, “Unstoppable”, in This Is Acting, performed by Sia:

I don't really want a white horse and carriage / I'm thinkin' more of white Porsches and karats

2018, “Girls Like You (Remix)”, in Red Pill Blues, performed by Maroon 5 ft. Cardi B:

(automotive) A car of this brand, reputably high-performance and expensive.


rear-end

en-verb

rear-end (third-person singular simple present rear-ends, present participle rear-ending, simple past and past participle rear-ended)

rear-ends (present singular third-person)
rear-ending (participle present)
rear-ended (participle past)
rear-ended (past)

(transitive, automotive) Of a vehicle, to strike (another vehicle) from behind.

追尾

of a vehicle, to strike (another vehicle) from behind


AEB

en-noun

AEB (countable and uncountable, plural AEBs)

Advanced vehicle technologies, including automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control, were available as standard equipment for this truck-tractor; however, the carrier opted not to purchase these systems. We found that the collision may have been avoided or its severity lessened had these systems been installed on the truck-tractor. Because commercial vehicle customers can elect not to purchase collision avoidance systems, even those that are considered standard equipment, federal requirements are necessary to increase widespread deployment of this technology.

2024, NTSB, Highway Investigation Report, HIR-24-05:

(automotive, countable) Initialism of automatic emergency brake or autonomous emergency brake, a device in a car that brakes/slows a car, if the system believes a crash is imminent.

(automotive, uncountable) Initialism of automatic emergency braking or autonomous emergency braking, a technology/methodology used in cars to prevent crashes by activating the brakes.


bead breaker

Lost in the middle of nowhere, he started to fix it by using his car-jack as a bead breaker, using the weight of the car to "gently" separate the bead from the rim.

(automotive) A tool or device used to separate the bead from a tire rim.


water injection

(automotive, aviation) The process of squirting a small amount of water, in the form of a fine spray, into the air/fuel mixture going into a gasoline piston engine, in order to cool the engine cylinders, and, thereby, reduce detonation or knocking in high performance engines, especially when using a high compression ratio.


racing car

racing cars (plural)
racing-car (alternative)

[A] grey racing car drew up with a grinding of brakes and a sputter of gravel in front of the main entrance of Belpher Castle.

1919, P. G. Wodehouse, chapter 6, in A Damsel in Distress:

Like some fine-tuned racing car, it kicks up a lot of its own dust.

1987 September 14, Jay Cocks, “Music: The Badder They Come”, in Time:

(UK, automotive, motor racing) A race car.


jacked up

en-adj

jacked up (comparative more jacked up, superlative most jacked up)

more jacked up (comparative)
most jacked up (superlative)
jacked-up (alternative)

From jack (“raise with a jack”).
* “Wrecked, messed up” sense possibly an extension of the “under the influence of stimulants” sense

He took us for a ride in his awesome new jacked up truck.

(slang, automotive) Describes a 4x4 automobile that has a "lift kit", raising the body and/or frame higher than stock.


double-declutch

en-verb

double-declutch (third-person singular simple present double-declutches, present participle double-declutching, simple past and past participle double-declutched)

double-declutches (present singular third-person)
double-declutching (participle present)
double-declutched (participle past)
double-declutched (past)

The Talbot-Darracq, with its leather seats
And Biddy in beside me! I could show.
Double-declutching to perfection now.

1960 [1960], John Betjeman, Summoned by Bells, London: John Murray, page 89:

(dated, automotive) A method of changing gear in a vehicle which doesn't have synchromesh. The clutch is depressed to disengage the current gear, released while in neutral, and depressed again to obtain the next gear.


four-wheeled

(automotive, engineering) Having four wheels.


BBW

en-noun

BBW (countable and uncountable, plural BBWs)

Abbreviation.
* (big beautiful woman): Coined by Carole Shaw in 1979 in the first sense with the launch of BBW Magazine, a fashion and lifestyle magazine for plus-size women.

(automotive) Initialism of brake-by-wire.


fog lamp

(automotive) A bright red lamp (normally one of a pair) at the rear of a motor car that can be switched on during foggy weather so as to avoid collisions from cars approaching from behind

takasumuvalo

a bright red lamp at the rear of a motor car


FI

FI (countable and uncountable, plural FIs)

(automotive) Initialism of fuel injection.


HID

(automotive) Initialism of high-intensity discharge.


MCT

MCT (countable and uncountable, plural MCTs)

multi-clutch transmission
multi-clutch transmission#English

(automotive) Initialism of multi-clutch transmission.


tailfin

tailfins (plural)
tail fin (alternative)

(automotive) A fin-like projection at the rear of a car, common on American cars of the 1950s.

stjärtfena

fin like projection at the rear of a car


stocker

For a starter, a complete technical analysis of the winningest NASCAR stocker of all time, Richard Petty’s 1967 Plymouth Belvedere.

Ford Motor Company’s response to the Charger 500 was the 1969 Talladega and Cyclone Spoiler II, sleek, slippery stockers that forced Dodge designers back to the drawing board.

1993, Mike Mueller, Chrysler Muscle Cars →ISBN, MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company, page 86

Any small-block Chevy engine, whether it be a stocker, street rod, or racer, will benefit from proper balancing.

2002, Jim Richardson, How to Build a Small-Block Chevy for the Street →ISBN, page 58

(automotive) A racecar in certain classes of auto racing whose origins are nominally or notionally related to factory-stock autos, such as stock car racing or super-stock drag racing.


diesel engine

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-diesel engine.wav

mechanical engineering
mechanical engineering

(mechanical engineering) An internal combustion engine of piston engine type that operates using the Diesel cycle, with fuel being sprayed into the hot, high-pressure air in the combustion chamber at the end of the compression stroke.

(usually automotive, transport) Such an engine that burns diesel (diesel fuel).


EV

EV (countable and uncountable, plural EVs)

PHEVLER

plug-in hybrid electric vehicle with long electric range

But compared with gasoline or diesel-powered cars and trucks, E.V.s also require special or seriously modified components, and out-of-the-ordinary mechanical and physical attention (or inattention, as we’ll see below).

2021 February 4, Stephen Williams, “E.V.s Force Carmakers to Reinvent the Wheel, and Brakes, and Mirrors …”, in The New York Times:

Despite progress towards a 2045 zero-emission goal, the high price of EVs has created a headache for governments[.]

2023 August 26, Ajit Niranjan, “Europe hits roadblocks in the race to switch to electric cars”, in The Observer, →ISSN:

The automakers are pleased with the slower ramp-up. "Moderating the pace of EV adoption in 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030 was the right call because it prioritizes more reasonable electrification targets in the next few (very critical) years of the EV transition.

2024 March 20, Jonathan M. Gitlin, “New EPA, DOE fuel regs give automakers longer to reduce CO₂ emissions”, in Ars Technica:

electric vehicle
electric vehicle#English

(automotive, countable) Initialism of electric vehicle (a type of road vehicle).


footplate

(automotive) A platform on which the driver's foot rests but which, unlike a pedal, has no effect.


handbrake

handbrakes (plural)
hand brake (alternative)

On arrival at Spiez, the locomotive (No. 206) was immediately uncoupled and drew ahead to enable an Italian through coach from Interlaken to Milan to be loose shunted (with passengers aboard and controlled by means of its handbrake) on to the front of the train.

1953 August, J. G. Click, “The Lötschberg Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 515:

(mechanical engineering, automotive, rail transport) A brake in a vehicle, set by hand, and usually locking on until released by hand, enabling its use when parked.

(mechanical engineering, automotive, rail transport) The mechanism, particularly the locking hand-operated lever or foot-operated toggle lever in a motorcar or the hand-operated crank on a railcar, which is used to set and release such a brake.


manual transmission

manual transmission (plural manual transmissions)

(automotive) A multi-speed vehicle transmission, where gear changes require the driver to manually select the gears by operating a gear stick and clutch (which is usually a foot pedal for cars, or a hand lever for motorcycles).


standard transmission

standard transmission (plural standard transmissions)

manual transmission
manual transmission#English

(automotive) Synonym of manual transmission.

transmisie standard

mechanical transmission which shifts gears by the action of the driver's hand on the gearstick or gear lever, rather than automatically; a manual gearbox


CAN

Controller Area Network
w:Controller Area Network

(computing, manufacturing, automotive) Abbreviation of Controller Area Network, ISO standards 11898, 11898-1, 11898-2, and its predecessor standards.


CAN

CAN (countable and uncountable, plural CANs)

(computing, manufacturing, automotive, countable) Abbreviation of controller area network.


run on fumes

en-verb

run on fumes (third-person singular simple present runs on fumes, present participle running on fumes, simple past ran on fumes, past participle run on fumes)

runs on fumes (present singular third-person)
running on fumes (participle present)
ran on fumes (past)
run on fumes (participle past)

We were running on fumes by the time we arrived, but we made it to the next gas station.

(automotive) To operate a vehicle that is low on fuel.


starter motor

(automotive) An electrical motor, part of a modern car or truck, etc., which is used to initially turn the internal combustion engine of the vehicle to make it start.


Benz

It was a Benz, an unusual car in this neighborhood, blue with a thick white stripe bisecting the hood, the roof, and the trunk.

2007, Khaled Hosseini, A Thousand Splendid Suns, BLOOMSBURY PUBLISHING (2018), page 110:

(automotive, informal) Ellipsis of Mercedes-Benz.


berline

(Quebec, automotive) A sedan-type (saloon-type) car.


backplate

(UK, automotive) A rigid metal plate inside the brake drum, which supports the wheel cylinder, brake shoes, and other parts of a drum brake.


aquaplaning

en-noun

aquaplaning (countable and uncountable, plural aquaplanings)

(automotive, UK) The loss of contact with the road because of surface water; the act of aquaplaning.


SAE

Society of Automotive Engineers
w:SAE International

(automotive) Initialism of Society of Automotive Engineers.


enricher

(automotive) The choke; the component that supplies a richer mixture of fuel to the engine when required.


duco

From a 1920s trade name for automotive lacquer.

A green four-wheel drive, its duco iridescent in the winter sunlight like the carapace of some mythical beetle come to rest there, was parked by the side of a ripple-iron tank set back from the riverbank.

2002, Alex Miller, Journey to the Stone Country, Allen & Unwin, published 2003, page 35:

(Australia, automotive, colloquial) Automotive paint.


duco

en-verb

duco (third-person singular simple present ducos, present participle ducoing, simple past and past participle ducoed)

ducos (present singular third-person)
ducoing (participle present)
ducoed (participle past)
ducoed (past)

(Australia, automotive, colloquial, transitive) To paint with automotive paint.


KPI

(automotive) Initialism of kingpin inclination.


four-stroking

internal combustion engine
internal combustion engine

(automotive) Abnormal operation of a two-stroke internal combustion engine, such that the cylinder only fires every second cycle (like a four-stroke engine). This occurs when the exhaust scavenging and inlet charging leaves a mixture in the cylinder which does not ignite, but needs a second scavenge/charge to produce an adequate mix.


side valve

Near-synonym: L-head (most side valves are L-heads; precisely hyponymous)

This engine has side valves.

This engine is a side valve model.

This engine is a side valve.

(automotive) A type of valve in an internal combustion engine, and thus also (metonymic) the type of valvetrain design, the type of engine that uses it, or an instance of such an engine; this design has the inlet and exhaust valves in the cylinder block beside the piston. The cylinder head is then a simple dome extending across the valves and piston.


overhead valve

This engine has overhead valves.

This engine is an overhead valve model.

This engine is an overhead valve.

(automotive) A type of valve in an internal combustion engine, and thus also (metonymic) the type of valvetrain design, the type of engine that uses it, or an instance of such an engine; this design has the inlet and exhaust valves in the cylinder head (and therefore above the piston). The camshaft can be beside the pistons (with pushrods and rockers operating the valves) or above the valves, with the latter usually referred to as overhead cam.


overhead cam

This engine has an overhead cam.

This engine is an overhead cam model.

This engine is an overhead cam.

(automotive) A type of cam (and camshaft) in an internal combustion engine, and thus also (metonymic) the type of valvetrain design, the type of engine that uses it, or an instance of such an engine; this design has the inlet and exhaust valves in the cylinder head and has the camshaft(s) up above the valves too.


over square

over-square (alternative)
oversquare (alternative)

An over square or short stroke engine occurs when the cylinder bore diameter is greater than its stroke length, giving a bore/stroke ratio greater than 1:1. An over square engine allows for larger valves in the cylinder head because the wider bore creates a broader combustion chamber.

2012, Donny Peterson, Donny's Unauthorized Technical Guide to Harley-Davidson, 1936 to Present:

(automotive) Of an internal combustion engine design, in which the diameter of the piston is greater than its stroke distance.


under square

under-square (alternative)
undersquare (alternative)

(automotive) Of internal combustion engine designs, having piston diameter less than its stroke distance.


EFI

(automotive) Initialism of electronic fuel injection.


SRS

en-noun

SRS (countable and uncountable, plural SRSes)

supplemental restraint system
supplemental restraint system#English

secondary restraint system
secondary restraint system#English

(automotive) Initialism of supplemental restraint system or secondary restraint system (car airbags).


RWD

rear-wheel drive
rear-wheel drive#English

(automotive) Abbreviation of rear-wheel drive.


(automotive) A four-wheeled vehicle with four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering.


(automotive, engineering) Alternative form of V-twin.


wastegate

(mechanical engineering, automotive, aviation) A valve that allows exhaust gases to bypass an engine's turbocharger, in order to keep from overspeeding the turbocharger rotor or driving the boost pressure high enough to risk engine knocking or detonation.


gas pedal

(Canada, US, automotive) An accelerator; a foot control for fuel flow.


floor it

en-verb

floor it (third-person singular simple present floors it, present participle flooring it, simple past and past participle floored it)

floors it (present singular third-person)
flooring it (participle present)
floored it (participle past)
floored it (past)

(idiomatic, automotive) To depress the accelerator to the maximum extent.

put the pedal to the metal

to depress the accelerator the maximum extent


intake system

(automotive) The subsystem of an engine that takes in air from the environment and delivers it to the combustion chamber.


intake manifold

en-noun

intake manifold (plural intake manifolds)

(automotive) The part of an engine that supplies the fuel and air mixture to the cylinder.

進氣歧管 /进气歧管

part of an engine that supplies the fuel/air mixture to the cylinder


intake silencer

intake silencer (plural intake silencers)

(automotive) A device that reduces the noise in an intake system.


exhaust system

Meronyms: exhaust pipe (head pipe, mid-pipe, tailpipe), exhaust pipe (tailpipe), tailpipe, manifold, header, sidepipe, silencer, muffler, catalytic converter

(automotive) The subsystem of an engine that takes the products of the combustion chamber through a catalytic converter and silencer to the final pipe that releases the gases to the air.

систе́ма ви́пуску відпрацьо́ваних га́зів


CCS

Combined Charging System
Combined Charging System#English

(automotive) Initialism of Combined Charging System.


CAI

CAI (countable and uncountable, plural CAIs)

(automotive) Initialism of cold air intake.


upshift

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-upshift.wav

From Middle English upshiften, upschyften (“to raise”), equivalent to up- + shift.

For example, the vehicle starts off in second gear or an upshift takes place at lower engine speeds.

1999, Kurt Neuffer, Kurt Engelsdorf, “Transmission Control”, in Ronald K. Jurgen, editor, Automotive Electronics Handbook, page 323:

(automotive, cycling) A shift to a higher gear


upshift

en-verb

upshift (third-person singular simple present upshifts, present participle upshifting, simple past and past participle upshifted)

upshifts (present singular third-person)
upshifting (participle present)
upshifted (participle past)
upshifted (past)

You can upshift to second gear once the car is moving.

(automotive, cycling) To shift to a higher gear


twincharger

From twin + charger. From there being two "-chargers", a turbocharger and a supercharger. "Twin" is taken to mean "two", and does not mean identical, just two similar items.

(automotive) A combination of a supercharger and a turbocharger.


clutch pedal

(automotive) A pedal in a manual transmission car that modulates the clutch mechanism, via clutch plate pressure.


turbosupercharger

(automotive, aviation, dated) A turbocharger, an exhaust-powered turbine used to power increased air intake to an internal combustion engine; an exhaust-turbine powered (in place of engine-powered) supercharger.

(automotive) A twincharger, a combination of a supercharger and a turbocharger.


column shifter

(automotive) A shift lever used to change gears, mounted on the steering column.


steering column

en-noun

steering column (plural steering columns)

(automotive) a column originating in the dashboard and ending at the steering wheel


ESC

ESC (countable and uncountable, plural ESCs)

electronic stability control
electronic stability control#English

(automotive) Initialism of electronic stability control.


TCS

traction control system
traction control system#English

(automotive) Initialism of traction control system: an electronic control system that prevents wheelspin to improve traction.


fog light

(automotive) One of a pair of lights, mounted at the front of a car, below the headlights, usually white or yellow in colour, for increased visibility ahead in foggy driving conditions.

霧燈 /雾灯

one of a pair of lights, mounted at the front of a car


snowmachine

snowmachines (plural)
snow machine (alternative)
snow-machine (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-snowmachine.wav

(vehicles) A vehicle that can travel through snow.


alloy wheel

I see that he blinged it up a bit by ordering the package with the spoiler and the alloy wheels.

(automotive) A wheel made from an alloy other than steel (a lighter and more expensive one), as for example one of aluminium alloy or magnesium alloy, and (usually) styled so as to draw attention to its sportiness and desirability.


HOV

/eɪt͡ʃ əʊ ˈviː/

Ultimately, Ms. Bottone said she just wanted to know whether she could keep driving in the H.O.V. lane for the remainder of her pregnancy, as she said she had in her previous pregnancies, long before the overturning of Roe.

2022 July 12, Luke Vander Ploeg, “Can You Drive Alone in the H.O.V. Lane if You’re Pregnant? A Post-Roe Quandary.”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

high-occupancy vehicle
high-occupancy vehicle#English

(US, automotive) Initialism of high-occupancy vehicle.


power steering

(automotive) A system for reducing the driver's effort to steer, by using a power source to assist in turning the wheels. (Traditionally hydraulic; now sometimes electric.)


unroadworthy

en-adj

unroadworthy (comparative more unroadworthy, superlative most unroadworthy)

more unroadworthy (comparative)
most unroadworthy (superlative)

When an unroadworthy vehicle causes an accident, it opens up a complex legal situation.

2023 August 23, “The Dangers of Unroadworthy Automobiles and the Legal Implications”, in Robert J. DeBry:

(automotive, road transport) Describing a vehicle which is not safe for use on the road.


dually

duallies (plural)
duallie (alternative)
dualie (alternative)
dualy (alternative)

Whatever you do, don't buy a dually. A dually is a big, diesel truck with four wheels in the back that costs three figures to fill up.

2011, Michael Levatino, Audrey Levatino, The Joy of Hobby Farming, page 34:

(automotive) A pickup truck with four wheels on the rear axle.


unibody

en-noun

unibody (countable and uncountable, plural unibodies)

(uncountable, automotive) An automobile construction technique in which the body is integrated into a single unit with the chassis rather than having a separate body-on-frame.

(countable, automotive) A body of this type.


midengine

The R8’s midengine design echoes that of Audi’s dominant R8 racecar[…].

2007 May 20, Ezra Dyer, “Growling at the Exotics’ Door”, in New York Times:

(automotive) Of a design in which the engine of an automobile is placed between the rear and front axles


beltline

He also envisioned a car with a high beltline and exaggerated forms that visually suggested power, and at the same time promised solidity and security.

2007 May 27, Phil Patton, “From a Bad Marriage, Pretty Babies”, in New York Times:

(automotive) The imaginary line marking the upper end of the lower body of an automobile, running just below the bottoms of the windows


(automotive) an eight-wheeled vehicle with eight-wheel drive, each wheel has powered drive. (Abbreviation of 8 drive wheels on 8 wheels).


driveline

(automotive) The drivetrain minus the engine and transmission


liftgate

But Ford loaded that car up with options, including […] a power liftgate and heated second-row seats ($825).

2007 September 30, Christopher Jensen, “The Rerunning of the Bulls”, in New York Times:

(automotive) A closure at the rear of a vehicle, or rear door, that can be raised to access the back of a vehicle.


spinout

Sulayman al-Shulukhi, left, races his modified Subaru Impreza every weekend night and delights in describing wrecks and spinouts.

2009 March 8, Robert F. Worth, “Saudis Race All Night, Fueled by Boredom”, in New York Times:

(automotive) A skid that results in a vehicle rotating such that its longitudinal axis is no longer aligned with its direction of linear motion.


moonroof

moonroofs (plural)
moon roof (alternative)

ja-r

ムーンルーフ (mūnrūfu)

→ Japanese: ムーンルーフ (mūnrūfu)

From moon + roof, patterned on sunroof. Coined by the Ford Motor Company in the 1970s.

(automotive) A sunroof that has a clear glass panel, rather than being opaque, so that light can enter the vehicle even when the roof is closed.


ground clearance

en-noun

ground clearance (plural ground clearances)

(automotive) The measured distance between a level surface and the lowest part (other than tires or equivalent) of the bottom of a vehicle surmounting that surface.


ride height

ground clearance
ground clearance#English

(automotive) Synonym of ground clearance.


boost

Unknown. The verb is first recorded 1815; the noun, 1825. Compare Scots boost (“to move; drive off; shoo away”), bost, boast (“to threaten; scold”), Middle English boosten, bosten (“to threaten”). Possible doublet of boast.

cog

(automotive engineering) A positive intake manifold pressure in cars with turbochargers or superchargers.


country beam

For your own safety and that of others, follow the suggestion in the verse:
“Use country beam
When roads are clear,
Use traffic beam
When cars are near.”

1940, Ralph A. Richardson, Optics and Wheels, General Motors Corporation, p. 25

(automotive, dated) A headlight setting intended for quiet country roads at night.


traffic beam

(automotive, dated) A headlight setting intended for roads with traffic on them at night.


beartrap

beartraps (plural)
bear trap (alternative)

(law enforcement, automotive, traffic) A radar trap used by police to catch speeders.


nonhybrid

At the same time, if you, a manufacturer, continue building fleets of nonhybrid gas guzzlers, you are condemning yourself, your employees and shareholders to oblivion.

2008 May 28, Thomas L. Friedman, “Truth or Consequences”, in New York Times:


KERS

(sports, automotive) Acronym of kinetic energy recovery system, an electric generation, storage, and propulsion system used in Formula One, which generates electricity during slow down, stores energy in batteries, and boosts acceleration with electric drive motors assisting the gasoline engine.


truckbed

truckbeds (plural)
truck bed (alternative)

Iraqi policemen stacked bodies several feet high in a pickup truck, but some fell out of the truckbed when they drove away.

2008 June 18, Richard A. Oppel, “At Least 51 Are Killed in Blast at Baghdad Market”, in New York Times:

(US, Canada, automotive) The bed (load-supporting platform) of a truck.


pushrod

pushrods (plural)
push rod (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-pushrod.wav

The cam-within-a-cam concept has existed for decades, but perfecting it for production might just add another decade to the life of the pushrod engine.

2007 January 14, Don Sherman, “Making Modern Horsepower the Old-Fashioned Way”, in New York Times:

(mechanical engineering) A rigid reciprocating rod that, by its movement, transmits force to actuate a mechanism.

(automotive) A rod in a piston engine that actuates rocker arms above the cylinder head.


FE

(automotive, sports) Abbreviation of Formula E.


drive wheel

You should have tire chains on your drive wheels in this weather.

(automotive, industrial) One of the wheels of a motor vehicle that drives (in the engineering sense), that is, one of the wheels that takes power from the drivetrain and applies it to the ground so as to propel the vehicle.


burn rubber

en-verb

burn rubber (third-person singular simple present burns rubber, present participle burning rubber, simple past and past participle burned rubber or burnt rubber)

burns rubber (present singular third-person)
burning rubber (participle present)
burned rubber (participle past)
burned rubber (past)
burnt rubber (participle past)
burnt rubber (past)

“We’re rammed to the gills with foreigners doing mad shit. You can’t do this to Irish people. I’m getting out of this country, I’m burning rubber. It’s not safe to walk around here.”

2023 November 24, Rory Carroll, “‘Government is not listening’: anger over immigration spills into riot on Dublin’s streets”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(idiomatic, intransitive, automotive) To accelerate so rapidly from standstill that it leaves a mark of burnt rubber on the road from the tire.


supplemental restraint system

en-noun

supplemental restraint system (plural supplemental restraint systems)

(automotive) Any of several restraining systems in a vehicle, such as an airbag, in addition to the seatbelts


stock vehicle

(automotive) A vehicle that is kept and maintained to legal specifications.


clutchless

(automotive) Without a clutch (vehicle component), or without the use of the clutch.


restripe

en-verb

restripe (third-person singular simple present restripes, present participle restriping, simple past and past participle restriped)

restripes (present singular third-person)
restriping (participle present)
restriped (participle past)
restriped (past)

When a business, State or local government agency, or other covered entity restripes a parking lot, it must provide accessible parking spaces as required by the ADA Standards for Accessible Design. ADA Design Guide 1 - Restriping Parking Lots

(automotive) To change the space markings in a parking lot.


en-noun

B5 (countable and uncountable, plural B5s)

(automotive) A motor vehicle fuel blend of 95% diesel and 5% biodiesel


tribar

The rear end's signature tribar taillamps, which light up in sequence to signal turns, are rendered in eye-catching LED panels.

2013 December 6, Lawrence Ulrich, “Time for an Equestrian Transformation”, in New York Times:

(automotive) The arrangement of the signature stacked lights on a Ford Mustang.


(automotive) A motor vehicle fuel blend of 90% diesel and 10% biodiesel


wheelspin

wheelspin (usually uncountable, plural wheelspins)

A computer detects wheelspin and reduces power.

2009 August 23, Dexter Ford, “Slip-Sliding Suspended”, in New York Times:

(automotive) The spinning of the wheels of a vehicle on the surface of the ground with greatly reduced friction and little movement of the vehicle, especially when starting.

буксуване

the accidental or deliberate spinning of the wheels of a vehicle


run a red light

en-verb

run a red light (third-person singular simple present runs a red light, present participle running a red light, simple past ran a red light, past participle run a red light)

runs a red light (present singular third-person)
running a red light (participle present)
ran a red light (past)
run a red light (participle past)

(literally, automotive, road transport) To drive past an illuminated red traffic light instead of stopping as indicated.

περνάω με κόκκινο (pernáo me kókkino, literally “to pass with a red”)


racing jack

(automotive) A jack with a pumping action that lifts a car very quickly


fix it again Tony

Back-formation from Fiat, from Italian FIAT (“Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino”). From the initialism; derives from the commonly perceived frequent breakdowns of Fiat vehicles when used in North America.

der

(slang, derogatory, automotive) Fiat, the Italian automaker.


ASM

en-noun

ASM (countable and uncountable, plural ASMs)

(electromechanics, electronics, automotive) Abbreviation of asynchronous motor.


ECU

(automotive) Initialism of engine control unit.

(automotive) Initialism of electronic control unit.

(automotive) Initialism of emission(s) control unit.


TEL

(automotive, aviation, organic chemistry) tetraethyllead (or tetraethyl lead, tetra-ethyl lead); a gasoline additive to boost octane rating


wheelman

wheelmen (plural)
wheel-man (alternative)
wheel man (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-wheelman.wav

For instance, the wheelman in a robbery; he doesn't intend for anyone to get killed when he pulls up in front of a liquor store so that his armed complice can rob the store.

2012, Robert K. Tanenbaum, Bad Faith, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN:

(automotive) A driver of an automobile, especially a getaway vehicle in a criminal enterprise.


exhauster

There is, however, another inconvenience which can only be remedied by the use of a second exhauster, viz., the loss of pressure after the passage of the gas through the washer--a loss resulting from the obstacle presented by this appliance to the steady flow of the gas.

1884, Various, Scientific American Supplement, No. 446, July 19, 1884:

The Westinghouse type CM.38 air compressor is mounted under the main frame and the Northey rotary type exhausters are fitted one on each side of the platform at No. 1 end; [...].

1962 December, “The B.R. standard diesel-electric Type 1 locomotive”, in Modern Railways, page 381:


tossable

en-adj

tossable (comparative more tossable, superlative most tossable)

more tossable (comparative)
most tossable (superlative)

But both those cars are nippy, fun, willing, cinched-down, pretty tossable little cars.

2013, Wall Street Journal, "Nissan Versa Note Isn't Worth the Cost at Any Price" (October 4, 2013)

(automotive) Nimble, maneuverable, responding quickly to steering input.


windage

en-noun

windage (usually uncountable, plural windages)

(automotive) Drag on the crankshaft caused by oil splashing out of the sump when rotating at high speeds.


preselector

(automotive) A manual gearbox designed so that the manual shift lever preselects the next gear to be used and a separate pedal is used to engage it, without needing to work a manual clutch.


SxS

SxS (plural SxS or SxSes or SxS's or SxSs)

SxS (plural)
SxSes (plural)
SxS's (plural)
SxSs (plural)

utility task vehicle
utility task vehicle#English

(automotive) Abbreviation of side-by-side (a utility task vehicle (“UTV”)).


(automotive) a six-wheeled vehicle with six-wheel drive (each wheel has powered drive)


multilink

Its fully independent suspension, with struts and coil springs up front and a multilink rear setup, loves to caress the road.

2007 May 27, Jerry Garrett, “Altima Coupe: Fewer Doors, More Drama”, in New York Times:

(automotive) Being or pertaining to a kind of vehicle suspension using three or more lateral arms and one or more longitudinal arms.


lap belt

(chiefly automotive) A seat belt that passes over the hips and does not itself provide restraint to the upper body (although it may be part of a larger system another component of which does provide upper-body restraint).


conrod

(automotive) Abbreviation of connecting rod.


PSM

PSM (countable and uncountable, plural PSMs)

(electromechanics, electronics, automotive) Initialism of permanent-magnet synchronous motor.


GCWR

w:Vehicle weight#Gross combined weight rating

(automotive) Initialism of gross combination weight rating: the maximum weight rating of a vehicle including its contents and the weight of anything being towed.


GVWR

gross vehicle weight rating
gross vehicle weight rating#English

(automotive) Abbreviation of gross vehicle weight rating - Maximum allowed weight of a vehicle and its contents.


VSS

(automotive engineering) vehicle speed sensor


methyl t-butyl ether

(chemistry, automotive) C₅H₁₂O ; an organic compound used to increase octane ratings of gasoline, through added oxygen


methyl tert-butyl ether

(organic chemistry, automotive) C₅H₁₂O ; an organic compound used to increase octane numbers of gasoline, through added oxygen, as an anti-knock additive


methyl tertiary butyl ether

methyl tertiary butyl ether (uncountable)

methyl tert-butyl ether
methyl tert-butyl ether

(organic chemistry, automotive) methyl tert-butyl ether


MMT

MMT (countable and uncountable, plural MMTs)

(organic chemistry, automotive) Abbreviation of methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl: an octane number boosting additive to unleaded gasoline to replace TEL as an anti-knock component.


methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (uncountable)

(organic chemistry, automotive) (CH₃C₅H₄)Mn(CO)₃ ; an octane number boosting additive to unleaded gasoline to replace tetra-ethyl lead as an anti-knock component


RON

research octane number
research octane number#English

(automotive) Abbreviation of research octane number.


reluctor

(automotive) A toothed ring or wheel that rotates past a variable reluctance sensor.


turn-by-turn navigation

(electronics, computing, automotive) A feature of GPS devices, particularly smartphones, that continuously gives directions as the person or vehicle approaches navigation points.


accelerated depreciation

(automotive, Canada) The lost value a vehicle carries after it has been repaired from an accident.


HPC

high power charging
high power charging#English

(electricity, automotive) Initialism of high power charging.


maniverter

(automotive) A component that integrates the functions of exhaust manifold and catalytic converter.


treadwear

(US, automotive) A numerical measure of how long the tread of a tire can be expected to last.


AUV

Asian utility vehicle
Asian utility vehicle#English

(chiefly Philippines, automotive) Initialism of Asian utility vehicle.


skidplate

But with exposed running boards and little skidplate protection under the body, serious off-roading can have expensive consequences.

2009 February 1, Jerry Garrett, “Larger Than Life, Back for an Encore”, in New York Times:

(automotive) A metal plate affixed to the underside of a vehicle to prevent damage to key components in the undercarriage.


crash gearbox

(automotive, informal) A transmission with a sliding mesh, used in older vehicles; gear changes are often accompanied by loud noises.


B-pillar

(automotive) The vertical support dividing a car's front side window from its rear or central side window.


C-pillar

(automotive) The vertical support dividing a car's rear window from its rear windscreen, or, if the car has an additional window and D-pillar, the support dividing the central and rear windows.


D-pillar

(automotive) The vertical support dividing a car's rear windscreen from its rear window (where the car has a central side window between the front and rear side windows; see C-pillar).


gear change

The train speeds at which gear changes are made are 15, 27 and 41 m.p.h., and quite an appreciable number of seconds can be economised in running if precisely the correct moment is chosen to change.

1960 August, Cecil J. Allen, “Locomotive Running Past and Present”, in Trains Illustrated, page 463:

(automotive) A mechanism which changes gears in a vehicle.


DTE

DTE (countable and uncountable, plural DTEs)

(electronics, automotive) Distance to Empty


SORN

(UK, automotive) Acronym of statutory off-road notification.


LHD

LHD (countable and uncountable, plural LHDs)

(automotive) Abbreviation of left-hand drive.


spin out

en-verb

spin out (third-person singular simple present spins out, present participle spinning out, simple past and past participle spun out)

spins out (present singular third-person)
spinning out (participle present)
spun out (participle past)
spun out (past)

Two cars spun out on the icy road and wound up in a ditch.

(automotive, of a vehicle, intransitive) To rotate about the yaw axis while skidding, such that the vehicle's longitudinal axis is no longer aligned with its direction of linear motion.

The Formula One driver spun out on a tight curve.

Bob accidentally spun out his Mercedes when he hit a patch of black ice.

(automotive, of a driver, ambitransitive) To cause one's vehicle to rotate about the yaw axis while skidding, such that the vehicle's longitudinal axis is no longer aligned with its direction of linear motion; or to experience such behavior from one's vehicle.


steelie

old Mopars wearing steelies with dog dishes


wheelrim

Plainly derived from the well-known T35 shape, it is lower and sleeker, and distinguished by its unique radial-spoked wheels. Twisting forces were taken by the huge brake-drums, whose toothed edges lock directly into the wheelrim.

1992, Gordon Cruikshank, For Millionaires Only […] , London: Apple, →ISBN, page 121:

(automotive, cycling) The rim of a wheel.


Thunderbird

The railway sense is derived from the 1960s TV series Thunderbirds, about a secretive high-tech rescue organization, ultimately from thunderbird.


blown diffuser

(automotive) A diffuser which uses exhaust gases to generate aerodynamic forces.


electronic stability control

en-noun

electronic stability control (uncountable)

(automotive) An electronic system that assists in the control of car stability.


tonneau cover

tonneau covers (plural)
tonneau (alternative)

A hard, locking tonneau cover, which fits over the bed, is an option.

2000 May 7, Dan Lienert, “Behind the Wheel: Ford Explorer Sport Trac”, in New York Times, retrieved 2012-07-12:

(automotive) A protective covering which may be secured over the exposed portion of a motor vehicle, such as the seating area of an open sports car or the back of a pickup truck.


pent roof

pent roofs (plural)
pentroof (alternative)

(automotive) A penta engine, also known as a pent-roof combustion chamber.


CDI

CDI (countable and uncountable, plural CDIs)

capacitor discharge ignition
w:capacitor discharge ignition

(automotive) Initialism of capacitor discharge ignition.


range anxiety

The quantitative value of the BEV range anxiety is assumed to be equivalent to the cost that the BEV driver has to pay to complete the trip when the BEV is out of its electric range.

2020, Marcello Contestabile, Gil Tal, Thomas Turrentine, Who’s Driving Electric Cars, Springer Nature, →ISBN, page 242:

battery electric vehicle
battery electric vehicle

(automotive) The fear that a vehicle (especially a battery electric vehicle) has insufficient range to reach its destination and will therefore strand its occupants.

toimintasädeahdistus

fear that a vehicle has insufficient range to reach its destination


running gear

(automotive) The wheels, suspension, steering, powertrain and usually the chassis of a motor vehicle.

ընթացամաս

wheels, suspension, steering, powertrain and chassis


control arm

(automotive) A nearly flat and roughly triangular suspension member that pivots in two places.


BSM

(automotive) Initialism of blind spot monitor


biting point

Tight clutch control is needed, so keep the clutch pedal just above the biting point.

2005, Driving Standards Agency, Driving: The Essential Skills, page 68:

To stop rolling backward on a hill, he instructed, depress both the clutch and brake pedals, put the car into gear, release the hand brake, and then lift the foot off the clutch until the biting point is found.

Finding the biting point is not easy: even for more advanced drivers it requires a moment of particular attention to bring the engine to the biting point in order to drive off smoothly.

2022, Anne-Danièle Gazin, Multimodal Interaction on the Move, page 351:

(automotive) The point where the clutch engages when the pedal is released.

puremakohta

(automotive) point where the clutch engages when the pedal is released


dashcam

dashcams (plural)
dash cam (alternative)
dash camera (alternative)

Why not direct viewers to your website for entire, unedited interviews, an exclusive one-on-one with a local sports star or the whole five minutes of raw police dashcam from that cool chase you aired 20 seconds of?

2006, RTNDA Communicator, volume 60, Washington, D.C.: Radio-Television News Directors Association, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 44:

By dissolving from the last frame of the dashcam video clip into the same scene in animated form, the montage associated Murtha with the "good" officers in the other cruiser, embracing him in the group rather than singling him out as the renegade shooter who, to the unprepared viewer of the dashcam video alone, he might well have appeared to be.

2016, Neal Feigenson, “‘That’s What I See!’”, in Experiencing Other Minds in the Courtroom, Chicago, Ill., London: University of Chicago Press, →DOI, →ISBN, page 65:

The evaluator is generally interested in the acquired video data as well as its integrity, but does not operate the dashcam himself. The evaluator is allowed to review anonymized dashcam videos for certain purposes. However, just like the operator, the evaluator must not be granted access to the classified data. An example for this actor is an insurance company that offers lower fees for dashcam users and wants to evaluate the video images after an insurance claim has been filed.

2017, Paul Wagner, Pascal Birnstill, Erik Krempel, Sebastian Bretthauer, Jürgen Beyerer, “Privacy Dashcam – Towards Lawful Use of Dashcams through Enforcement of External Anonymization”, in Joaquin Garcia-Alfaro, Guillermo Navarro-Arribas, Hannes Hartenstein, Jordi Herrera-Joancomartí, editors, Data Privacy Management, Cryptocurrencies and Blockchain Technology: […] (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS); 10436), Cham, Switzerland: Springer Nature, →DOI, →ISBN, →ISSN, page 188:

[W]e can connect the episode to the rise of "dashcams": small cameras mounted on the dashboards of cars to record the behavior of pedestrians and other motorists in case of accidents. In several countries, the use of such dashcams can already be required by insurance companies, at least to obtain a discount. It seems a plausible scenario that such practices might expand beyond car insurance and police forces, aggregating dashcams with lifelogging to create a situation in which citizens, under cover of security and legal protection, become expected to record and store their daily experience.

2018, Pinelopi Troullinou, Mathieu d’Aquin, “Seeing the ‘Surveillant Face’ of Technology in Black Mirror: Using Futuristic Scenarios for an Interdisciplinary Discussion on the Feasibility and Implications of Technology”, in Angela M. Cirucci, Barry Vacker, editors, Black Mirror and Critical Media Theory, Lanham, Md.: Lexington Books, The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, →ISBN, pages 74–75:

Proliferating as well are personal monitoring devices—dash cams, cyclist helmet cameras to record collisions, doorbells equipped with lenses to catch package thieves—that are fast becoming a part of many a city dweller’s everyday arsenal.

2018 February, Robert Draper, “They are Watching You—and Everything Else on the Planet: Technology and Our Increasing Demand for Security have Put Us All under Surveillance. Is Privacy Becoming just a Memory?”, in National Geographic, Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2018-06-14:

digital video recorder
digital video recorder

(automotive) A digital video recorder mounted on the dashboard of a vehicle or elsewhere inside the vehicle to record occurrences in the vicinity, such as traffic accidents that the vehicle has been involved in, to provide evidence for criminal prosecutions, insurance claims, etc.


R/T

(automotive) Initialism of road and track; used to indicate a high performance edition of a vehicle or part, capable of use for everyday driving as well as amateur racing.

road and track

(automotive) Initialism of road and terrain; used to indicate a ruggedized version of a part, capable of on-road performance and off-road track/terrain performance.

road and terrain

(automotive, tires) Initialism of rugged-terrain; a type of all-terrain tire (A/T) with better off-road and on-road performance (similar to M/T and H/T respectively).


quarter glass

(vehicles) The small triangular-shaped side window on some vehicles, originally used as a vent.


HPP

(sports, automotive) Initialism of high performance powertrain


dinosaur juice

From a humorous association of the term fossil fuel with dinosaurs. This is technically incorrect, since petroleum is derived primarily from fossilized zooplankton and algae.

Within the first 50 years of drilling 2,400 wells, over 859,000,000 barrels of petroleum were extracted in Signal Hill and the Long Beach area. The new darling of Long Beach was dinosaur juice, not celluloid, with the city going wild over the revenues generated by the plentiful natural resource oozing below the former stages of the city's movie community.

1999, Jean-Jacques Jura, Rodney Norman Bardin, Balboa Films: A History and Filmography of the Silent Film Studio, McFarland & Company, published 1999, →ISBN, page 157:

[…] but most of all why are we robbing our grandchildren by wantonly burning up all the world's dinosaur juice?

2002, Paul Wood, False Confessions: A Life in Hawaiʻi, Flying Rabbit Press, published 2002, →ISBN, page 113:

And that's just what runs on dinosaur juice — Honda also manufactures electric bicycles and carts and is constantly experimenting with solar- and other ultralow- and zero-emissions vehicles, […]

2003, Aaron P. Frank, Honda Motorcycles, MBI Publishing Company, published 2003, →ISBN, page 188:

(slang, humorous, automotive) Any liquid (gasoline, diesel, mineral oil etc.) derived from fossil fuels (especially petroleum), commonly used in vehicles as fuel or lubricant.


brakeforce

brakeforce (countable and uncountable, plural brakeforces)

(automotive) The force applied to a vehicle's brakes.


pony car

From the segment-defining introduction of the Ford Mustang muscle car, whose front grille badge featured a mustang (a type of horse).

(US, automotive) An affordable, compact, highly styled car with a sporty or performance-oriented image.


auto show

(automotive) A typically annual or semiannual public event for exhibition of automobiles and automobile designs.


powershift

We overcame this difficulty by using a powershift front-end loader as the last unit in the train[.]

2000, Bob Foster, Birdum or Bust!, Henley Beach, SA: Seaview Press, page 21:

(automotive) A type of dual-clutch gear transmission system.


Tesla

Borrowed from Serbo-Croatian Tesla /Тесла, from Proto-Slavic *tesla. Cognate with German Dechsel, Dutch dissel, Russian тесло́ (tesló), Polish ciosła, Latin tēla. Doublet of tela and toile. The name of the automotive company is a tribute to Nikola Tesla.

bor+

If they happen to have shares worth a couple of hundred million each, that’s a bonus, but other than their Teslas and Playstations,^([sic]) they can think of nothing they need to spend it on, although if the auto-pilot self-driving software isn’t released soon they’ll have to actually learn to drive rather than just leaving the cars plugged in all day.

2017, David Joland, chapter 16, in The Biggest Idea in the World, CreateSpace, →ISBN, page 87:

We live in Silicon Valley, home of the gazillionaires you read about with their Teslas and private jets.

2017, Lisen Stromberg, “Money Matters, Plan Accordingly”, in Work PAUSE Thrive: How to Pause for Parenthood Without Killing Your Career, Dallas, Tex.: BenBella Books, Inc., →ISBN, part III (Your Career, Your Way), page 251:

Add Teslas to the list of items that are costing more money during the pandemic.

2021 June 1, Chris Isidore, “Elon Musk blames rising Tesla prices on raw material costs”, in CNN:

I felt deja vu as I recalled a video in which a Tesla owner slammed on the brakes after his car appeared set on crashing headlong into a construction site.

2021 November 18, Matt McFarland, “We tried Tesla’s ‘full self-driving.’ Here’s what happened”, in CNN:

But we think the wealthy are living in Silicon Valley with their Teslas, at-home espresso machines, and live-in nannies.

2024, Jessica Hurlbut, “The Pinch of Finances: Jesus, Cut the Ties Money Has on My Heart”, in Unlimited Motherhood: Overcome 12 Limits That Overwhelm and Conflict Our Hearts, Minneapolis, Minn.: Bethany House Publishers, →ISBN, “The Man Dressed in Black”:

(automotive) A car manufactured by Tesla, Inc., a battery electric vehicle (BEV) automaker founded in 2003.


trip odometer

(automotive) A part of an odometer capable of recording the distance traveled during a short trip by allowing its readout to be reset to zero.

trippmätare

Part of an odometer for recording the distance traveled during a short trip


underride

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-underride.wav

(automotive, road transport) A vehicle accident in which one vehicle partially slides underneath another.


underride

en-verb

underride (third-person singular simple present underrides, present participle underriding, simple past underrode, past participle underridden)

underrides (present singular third-person)
underriding (participle present)
underrode (past)
underridden (participle past)

Also needed, they said, is better design to prevent fuel-tank rupture and to prevent low vehicles from underriding trucks and buses.

1968, United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Commerce, Implementation of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966: Hearing, Ninetieth Congress, Second Session, to Review the Progress of the Department of Transportation in Implementing the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966. April 25, 1968, U.S. Government Printing Office, page 189:

(automotive, road transport) The action of a vehicle sliding under another in the context of an accident.


T-top

(automotive) An automobile roof with a removable panel on each side of a rigid bar running from the center of one structural bar between pillars to the center of the next structural bar.


semiconvertible

(automotive) Having a retractable textile roof.


semiconvertible

(automotive) A vehicle with a retractable textile roof.


flash for cash

First sense drives from the UK practice of flashing lights at another car to indicate they can proceed, + cash. Second sense derives from the flash of the camera's light.

(UK, informal, idiomatic, automotive) Pertaining to a scam where a motorist flashes their headlights to indicate to another driver to proceed against normal give-way rules, then runs into them and sues for damages.

(Australia, informal, idiomatic, automotive) Pertaining to speed cameras.


concept car

On the auto show circuit, concept cars lend excitement to the more down-to-earth models on the platform next door, the ones actually available for purchase.

1990 July 1, George Harrar, “Technology: The ‘Concept Car’ Pushes Change”, in New York Times, retrieved 2014-05-01:

Introduced as a concept car in early 2007, the Volt is a next-generation hybrid, a plug-in.

2007 October 11, Bryan Walsh, “The History of the Electric Car”, in Time, retrieved 2014-05-01:

(automotive) An automobile which is not available for retail sale and which is usually only a mock-up having limited functionality, but which may be displayed at auto shows to represent design ideas under consideration for future vehicles.


pot metal

en-noun

pot metal (countable and uncountable, plural pot metals)

(especially automotive) Synonym of monkey metal.


LATCH

(automotive) Acronym of lower anchors and tethers for children.


BLIS

information system
information system#English

(automotive) Initialism of blind spot information system, a warning light on a car dashboard that helps the driver avoid accidents when changing lanes.


CAFE

(automotive) Acronym of Corporate Average Fuel Economy.


DFI

(automotive) Initialism of direct fuel injection.


DRL

(automotive) Initialism of daytime running lights, headlights that cannot be turned off, intended to make cars more visible during the day.


ERS

(sports, automotive) Acronym of energy recovery system, an electric generation, storage, and propulsion system used in Formula One, which generates electricity by scavenging excess power and energy, stores energy in batteries, and boosts acceleration with electric motors assisting the gasoline engine.


GTi

Grand Tourer Injection
w:Grand Tourer Injection

(automotive) Initialism of Grand Tourer Injection.


frame table

(automotive) a supporting framework that is true and square, used to square up a vehicular frame, to elevate a vehicle's frame to work on it, or to build a framework that should be square and true.


torquey

en-adj

torquey (comparative torquier, superlative torquiest)

torquier (comparative)
torquiest (superlative)

(informal, automotive) Producing a large amount of torque.


SUS

sport utility sedan
sport utility sedan#English

(automotive) Abbreviation of sport utility sedan (“an AWD sedan with increased ground clearance and fatter knobbier tires”).


PRNDL

From the letters marked on the gearstick, standing for park, reverse, neutral, drive, low, the gears on a standard automatic transmission.

John A. Kuecken (1980) Handbook of microprocessor applications, page 59: “You could close all the doors, place the PRNDL in Park and start the engine.”

James Schefter (1998) All Corvettes Are Red, →ISBN, page 339: “Dave Hill ordered it redone and new PRNDLs were being readied for the next drive out of Milford.”

Rick Wenman (2003) Fresh Tracks, →ISBN, page 69: “I pull the gearshift into reverse. Always do it by feel. The PRNDL on top of the steering column quit working as soon as the warranty was up.”

Noel B Searle (2011) The Visibly Invisible Man and Other Short Stories, →ISBN, page 9: “Jones settled behind the steering wheel, dutifully securing his seat belt, slipped the PRNDL into Drive and eased out of the driveway.”

(US, acronym, automotive, informal or humorous) The gearstick in a car with automatic transmission.


DITA

(automotive) Initialism of direct injected turbocharged aftercooled.


(automotive) Abbreviation of 8 wheel steering with 8 drive wheels on 8 wheels (“an eight-wheeled vehicle with eight-wheel drive and eight-wheeled steering, each wheel has powered drive, and each axle is steerable”).


on the floor

I got a '69 Chevy with a 396/Fuelie heads and a Hurst on the floor.

(US, automotive) Mounted on the floor of an automobile.


frunk

The Model S, showing off both its traditional trunk and its surprising "frunk."

2013 (summer), Standard, issue 17, page 50

I pop the trunk of the Porsche and find ...the engine. […] I walk around the front of the car, pop the other trunk—the frunk?—and discover a tire iron nestled next to the spare.

2014 March 11, T. T. Monday, The Setup Man: A Novel, Doubleday, →ISBN:

[…] a rear cargo area that's more like that of a hatchback than the trunk of a sedan, and a "frunk" where the engine isn't. It's also theoretically safer than a dinosaur-burner, at least in a frontal collision, because the frunk provides a long crumple zone in the front […]

2014 August/September, Charged: Electric Vehicles Magazine, issue 15, page 65

(automotive) A trunk (boot, storage compartment) located at the front rather than the rear of a car.


turn signal

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-turn signal.wav

The hazard lights turn on all the turn signals.

(chiefly US, automotive) Each of the flashing lights on each side of a vehicle which is used to indicate the vehicle is moving left or right.


ITB

(automotive) Abbreviation of individual throttle body: an engine configuration with an intake valve per cylinder.


sun visor

(automotive) A flap attached to the interior of an automobile by a hinge just above the windscreen/windshield, used to shade the eyes of occupants from the glare of sunlight.


TBI

(automotive) Initialism of throttle body injection (“fuel injection”).


MIL

malfunction indicator lamp
w:malfunction indicator lamp

(automotive) Initialism of malfunction indicator lamp.


Targa top

Named after the Porsche 911 Targa, a car model of the 1960s.

(automotive) A semiconvertible car body style with a removable roof section and a full-width roll bar behind the seats.


BEVx

battery electric vehicle with extender#English

(automotive) Initialism of battery electric vehicle with extender, a battery electric vehicle with a range extender, a type of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.


kickdown

kickdowns (plural)
kick-down (alternative)

kickdown linkage

automatic transmission
automatic transmission

(automotive, often attributive) In a vehicle with automatic transmission, a downshift triggered by pressing down the throttle pedal.


DIC

en-noun

DIC (countable and uncountable, plural DICs)

(automotive, countable) Initialism of driver information centre/center.


red light camera

red light camera (plural red light cameras)

(law, automotive) An automatic traffic light enforcement camera which captures images of vehicles violating red lights.


Egg

(automotive, informal) A Koenigsegg car.


warning triangle

warning triangle (plural warning triangles)

If your vehicle breaks down, [...] put a warning triangle on the road at least 45 metres (147 feet) behind your broken-down vehicle on the same side of the road.

2007, The Official Highway Code, The Stationery Office, →ISBN, page 91:

(automotive) A triangle made of (usually) red reflective material, used to warn other road users of a broken-down vehicle.

مُثَلَّث التَنْبِيه

a triangle used to warn other road users


butterfly door

(automotive) A car door similar to scissor door, but while scissor doors move straight up via hinge points at the bottom of the A-pillar, butterfly doors move up and out via hinges along the A-pillar.


XUV

XUV (countable and uncountable, plural XUVs)

For example, positive obstacles such as fallen trees directly along the prescribed path would high-center the vehicle and negative obstacles such as culverts near certain intersections in the Urban course went undetected and became hazards for the XUV.

2006, Raj Madhavan, Elena R. Messina, James Sacra Albus, Intelligent Vehicle Systems: A 4D/RCS Approach, →ISBN, page 274:

sport utility vehicle
sport utility vehicle#English

(countable, automotive) Initialism of crossover utility vehicle or crossover sport utility vehicle.


shoulder belt

(chiefly automotive) A seat belt worn over one shoulder and diagonally across the upper body (following the lower margin of the ribcage as it descends), providing restraint for the upper torso (often coupled with a lap belt which restrains the pelvic area and prevents submarining).

портупей

A belt worn diagonally across the upper body


oil change

(automotive) The process of draining old oil from an engine or gearbox and refilling it with fresh oil, often done at recommended intervals.


TJI

turbulent jet ignition
turbulent jet ignition#English

(automotive) Initialism of turbulent jet ignition, an ignition system for cylinders in internal combustion engines.


PHEVLER

electric vehicle
electric vehicle#English

(automotive) Abbreviation of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle with long electric range, a PHEV (“plug-in hybrid electric vehicle”) with sufficient battery capacity for about twice the average daily driving distance.

BEVx

Battery Electric Vehicle w/ Range Extender


brake line

brake lines (plural)
brakeline (alternative)

(automotive) A line that conveys fluid from a vehicle's brake pedal to the brakes when they are applied.


DCT

DCT (countable and uncountable, plural DCTs)

dual clutch transmission
dual clutch transmission#English

(automotive) Initialism of dual clutch transmission.


swirl flap

(automotive) A small butterfly valve fitted to the intake manifold just before the cylinder head intake ports of many modern automotive diesel engines, and around which air can pass even when it is closed.


car part

(automotive) A part that can be fitted to a car, often as a replacement for a worn-out or damaged part.


engine bay

(automotive) The section in a vehicle where the engine is situated.


engine compartment

engine compartment (plural engine compartments)


roll hoop

(automotive) A roll bar behind the headrest of a seat in a vehicle.


straddling bus

straddling bus (plural straddling buses)

(transport, automotive) A bus with a passenger compartment raised above road level, allowing other traffic to pass underneath and hence helping to avoid traffic jams.


boxer engine

(automotive) An engine with two horizontally opposed cylinder banks, commonly used in Porsche and Subaru automobiles.


four-wheel-drive

four-wheel drive
four-wheel drive#English

(automotive) four-wheel drive when used as an attributive adjective.


in-line engine

in-line engines (plural)
inline engine (alternative)

The straight-eight is an eight-cylinder in-line engine.

(automotive) An engine that has all cylinders in one line or row.


straight engine

straight engine (plural straight engines)