Significant advances in technology and manufacturing has closed the performance and reliability gaps among most auto brands. Its getting harder and harder to define the "best," "most efficient," "most economical," etc… car in any given segment or niche, which in all respects is good for the consumer but difficult for anyone who makes a living either selling, building, or, heaven forbid, writing about cars.
Unless you happen to have a degree in mechanical engineering, that summary of gibberish at the end of most road tests doesn't really help a whole lot of consumers. Sure the top and slalom speeds, or 0 – 60 times, skid pads, and so on are fun for bragging rights, but really, who decides between a Porsche and Ferrari because the second gear ratio is 1.30:1 vs. 1.27:1?
"Internationalization" and worldwide competition have put many of today's cars on the same playing field with an increased emphasis on marketing, costs, design, and virtually any other aspect that can be used to differentiate a brand. One tactic the manufacturers seem to embrace is inventing a completely new vocabulary to describe the inner mechanics of their vehicles. If you don't have at least a half a dozen ASR, DSC, ESP, ABS's to describe any given vehicle, you are pretty much sucking wind. What was once known as 4WD (Four wheel drive) is now called Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All – Electronic Torque Split, or ATTESA – ETS as far as Nissan is concerned.
It doesn't really matter what any of these terms and acronyms mean or stand for. Many, if not most people probably won't ever use their gadgetry to its full potential (or at least realize that they are). But automotive competition today is often battled out in the "what if" territory. People like to be assured their car could respond appropriately, should they try, for example, to negotiate a ninety degree right hander at 70 mph during a driving rain at night, going downhill, with one wheel on the pavement and the other three on slick wet grass while fully braking, changing the CD, and replacing a flat time all at the same time.
If you are one of the people who does, in fact, want to compare the electronic brake distribution (EBD) between your two favorite brands, then I suggest keeping an up to date list of current terms used to enlighten (if not frighten) automotive readers. I have found a good one at:
From what I know, "dead on balls accurate" means the same as just being "dead on." According to one site I came across, though, it's also a technical term machinists use to describe the accuracy with which they work.
Posted by: Grant | November 02, 2004 at 03:49 PM
What does "dead on balls accurate" mean? Where does this phrase originate?
Hey, thanks
Posted by: Julie | October 31, 2004 at 07:00 AM