How A Vital Luxury Feature Emerged From Failure

0 Comments | 12 Dec 2023

When it comes to luxury cars, the type that a chauffeur would use to ensure business leaders get to where they need to go in the epitome of comfort and convenience, there are different types of features that ensure the journey is as relaxed as possible.

The first is the type of features that you would naturally expect to see on models such as the Mercedes S-Class, such as massage seats, comfortable upholstery, air conditioning, Wi-Fi connectivity and space to place a tablet or laptop to do business at one’s leisure.

The other type is a little more hidden and involves the underlying design of a car to ensure that the ride is smooth, the engine is refined and relatively quiet at the types of cruising speed one should be chauffeured in, and ones that ensure a long enough range to avoid unnecessary stops.

The latter is usually achieved via a complex engine control unit, which has evolved from variable displacement units that activate various parts of the engine as required to complex hybrid power units.

Whilst the former is a mature and well-regarded technology, it originated from a concept that was far less well-regarded or successful from Cadillac.

The V8-6-4 engine was not the first fuel-saving system fitted to a car, but it was the first in over six decades when it was installed as standard to all 1981 Cadillacs.

The idea in theory was that it was a powerful V8 engine that through a series of sensors that monitored a huge range of factors would automatically adjust the air-fuel mixture and lock up to half the cylinders, which could potentially reduce fuel usage by as much as 15 per cent.

The problem was that it was made in 1981 when computer technology was not quite good enough to live up to the promise. The switch between cylinder modes was very slow and many of the V8-6-4 engines that were actually sold were quickly converted into standard engines.

However, technology would eventually catch up to the concept, and the V8-6-4 proved to be far too ahead of its time.