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Anatomy of a car

William lyons once said: Cars will be the closest things to something which we can call alive. This discussion to find analogies between human anatomy/physiology and cars


  • Let the discussion begin:

    what would we term the engine in terms of human equivalent:

    engine = heart.

    big engine: big heart.

    large displacement engine : enlarged heart

    higher horsepower to displacement ratio: healthier heart.
  • electrical system : Nervous System

    electronic chips: Various nerve endings

    main electronic chip/CPU in the car: brain of the car

    Software governing the chips: mind of the car

    software problems in your new car: mental insanity

    electrical problems in your new car: Weak nervous system.

    No electrical problems in your old camry: Strong nervous system

    No electronics problems in your old lexus LS 400: healthy brain.
  • prosaprosa Posts: 280
    Let the discussion begin:
    what would we term the engine in terms of human equivalent:
    engine = heart.

    Exhaust system = ah, let's not go there ;)
  • exhaust system : large intestine

    Exhaust tip : anus or rump.

    Chrome tipped exhaust tip: Anyone wants to fill in the blank?

  • air filter: lungs

    Fuel filter: Liver

    sheet metal: skin of the car

    head lights: eyes

    grill: nose and upper lip.

    front bumper : chin

    front wheels: hands

    rear wheels: feet
  • carlisimocarlisimo Posts: 1,280
    Top Gear got into a weird conversation about the Miata being like a Terrier: RWD, lots of oversteer on a shiny floor. Elephants are AWD, and Hyenas are FWD.
  • The exhaust system would be the lungs; in goes the good air, out goes the bad.

    And from what I've witnessed lately, the driver would be the anus.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Posts: 17,150
    i don't think I'd qualify the engine as the heart. You have to feed the engine to propel the car ... so shouldn't the engine be the stomach? Fuel is food and air is water (car needs both to run and they go to the same place and, of course, the waste, exhaust, comes out the other end).

    In which case ... I'm not sure about the heart. Maybe the tranny?


  • 210delray210delray Posts: 4,722
    ...this topic isn't going to go very far before it gets banned to the archives! :P
  • bobstbobst Posts: 1,783
    We evolved from creatures that had four appendages, so we build cars that have four wheels.

    If we had evolved from insects that have 6 legs, do you think we would have built cars with 6 wheels?

    Thankfully, we did not evolve from millipeds. I could not afford to buy 1000 tires for my car.
  • The lung = air filter
  • fuel tank : stomach

    Turbocharger: Anyone wants to take a shot? Its up for grabs
  • fuel filter = lymphatic system including spleen
  • fuel filter = lymphatic system including spleen + liver
  • nippononlynippononly SF Bay AreaPosts: 12,687
    as THE ODDEST discussion I have ever seen at Edmunds!

    A turbocharger is like hardwiring an espresso machine to your mouth.


  • qbrozenqbrozen Posts: 17,150
    things like the gas tank and filters are outside the equation. They are simply holding areas for the supplies needed by the "body." The gas tank is like my fridge or pantry and the filters are like my Brita water pitcher or the sink where i wash off my food. :)


  • john_324john_324 Posts: 974
    I'd have to say that more accurately, the intake manifold = the lungs.

    Air filter would be the cilia (?) in the nose and throat that filters out all the bad stuff in the air on the way down.

    How about the catalytic converters as part of the filtering system (kidneys, liver, etc.)?

    Exhaust manifolds/headers = small intestine?
This discussion has been closed.