Old-timers will remember that several decades ago there was yet another push
for metrication. At
that time, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), among others, switched to
publishing its
flagship AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING magazine in metric units. I am purposely not
saying SI, because old
metric units were still there, the editors not knowing better. A decade later,
it was back to IP
units at SAE, enacted on a protest by protesting "letters form members." (It
was 6 or 8 letters we
were told and none of us on the committee saw any of them; the rumor was that
they originated with
influential retirees).
Now I am pleased to share with you that, in the latest issue, although still
?dual united? here and
there, almost all units were SI metric including the most ignored unit of them
all, the joule.
Here are some examples: Referring to the Le Mans racing technology the article
says ?10 MJ per lap?
(followed by the silly conversion of (2.77 kWh)). Porsche has 8 MJ assist, Audi
6 MJ (no I-Ps). Car
dimensions 4650 mm l., 1050 mm w., 1050 h. (with inches in brackets), but both
the displacement
volume and fuel capacity in L only.
Perhaps the new era of fuel efficiency in racing and the existence of both IC
and el. cars will
accomplish what our generation has not.
Stan J.