Future Shock.

What are we going to do with all this technology? I’ve been wondering this for about a week, and I’m no closer to an answer. The new found pondering stems partly from the obscene cost of the clutch for my poor Focus, and partly from the announcement of Alfa’s new Mito Quadrifoglio Verde, which features Fiat’s new “MultiAir” system of intake-valve actuation.

First to the clutch: In short, the cost for replacement came to a slightly staggering $1561.03. Not to belabor the point, but that’s a lot of money; even more so considering that the car in question isn’t an exotic, but a hatchback, albeit one that’s a bit hotter than the average. The source of all this extra cost is not the clutch itself, but the dual-mass flywheel, a device of questionable benefit that carries with it a major drawback. It’s not exactly new technology, but it’s only in the last decade or so -perhaps just in time for the death of manual shift, but that’s another rant. Designed to allow a certain amount of give between the engine and drivetrain, and thus damp vibrations, it also in theory allows smoother shifting. I have not noticed this in my car’s case. What I have noticed is a motor that feels like a high-revving power plant handicapped by a heavy flywheel effect. The other thing I’ve noticed is that it can’t be re-surfaced in the manner of a conventional flywheel, and thus needs to be replaced at considerable cost with every clutch. The DMF is also supposed to prolong engine life, and allow increased fuel-economy. Of the first, I can only say that I’ve never had to replace an engine in a modern car, and that increased life in the motor must be balanced to some extent against the increased cost of the DMF system. Of the second, well… the SVT gets decent mileage on the highway.

This of course is for a traditional manual gearbox, not an automated manual or the now fashionable Dual-Clutch Transmission. I have little experience driving with either of these systems, and none with owning them, but I cannot believe either would end up making cost of ownership lower. And while I’m sure it’s a great thing to give people too lazy to figure out how to shift their own gears the warm glow of satisfaction in mistakenly thinking they now own a manual gearbox and are real drivers, I can’t see any real advantage to any of these systems. At best they’re toys, a halfway house that allows limited amusement to those who lack the ability to discern between action and interaction. A twin-clutch system may get you to 60mph a fraction faster than you could using only your own left foot and right hand, but is that the point? As I’ve lamented lately, areas where one can deploy a cars performance are in short supply these days, and paying more, both to buy, and to repair, a system that only makes the car easier to drive fast seems counterintuitive. This is the same argument I have against this decade’s fad for AWD rally replicas; as far as I can see, all they offer is less involvement, with three times the differentials to service.

MultiAir is another matter entirely. It’s a system with tangible, inarguable benefits, and it may be the technological leap that lets enthusiasts continue to buy sporting cars for the foreseeable future. In concept MultiAir is little more than a set of hydraulic push rods between the exhaust camshaft and the intake valves. This allows some of the benefits of a DOHC system, with lower drive losses, a not inconsiderable plus by itself. But the real benefits of the system come in when a computer (of course), and a set of pressure regulating valves come into play. At that point MultiAir becomes little short of black magic. This video does a better job of explaining than I ever could. All of this makes the New Mito Quadrifoglio Verde a better car than the first Mitos were. It’s cleaner, more powerful, and more efficient. And keep in mind this is with conventional fuel injection, combined with the latest generation of direct-injection systems, the results could be staggering.

At the same time, I can’t help but be a little chagrined at yet another layer of computer control between driver and car, and the added complexity the system brings to what is, in effect, a simple hatchback. It also seems destined to be a frustrating source of extra maintenance and fluid leaks. In truth, it’s been a while since home mechanics could realistically pretend to care for a new car without specialist assistance. But with systems like MultiAir and Direct-Injection motors become so complex that almost no involvement with the machinery is possible. There simply isn’t anything (other than perhaps changing the oil) that you, and a set of tools, can bring to the relationship. It’s just as well that they cover engines over with sound deadening these days, seeing one could only make you a little sad.

Again, I could be wrong; perhaps MultiAir will prove not only incredibly reliable, but also maintenance friendly, a drive system that can simply be drained and dismounted as a unit. Time, and ownership surveys will tell. But at the moment it’s just another pile of complex technology that takes the automobile –especially the performance car- further from being the purely mechanical objects that I’ve known and loved, and further toward a computerized transport module that makes me want to take the bus.