Powertrain
Makes the power: the engine or electric motor, plus turbo, fuel and cooling.
02 / Anatomy
Every part,
inside and out.
Drag to rotate, scroll to zoom, pull the car apart with the slider, or click "Sit inside" to jump into the right-hand-drive driver's seat and inspect the cabin from behind the wheel.
MOD-ICE · 21 PARTS
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01
Sit inside: Interactive driver's cockpit
Start with the clean full-cabin overview, then click any numbered control (01–12), cockpit part, or label below to smoothly zoom into that section and test how it works.
02
The main systems & interactive crash structure
Mechanics think in systems rather than individual parts. Below the eight core systems, use the interactive crash test simulator to see how sacrificial crumple rails and the rigid boron-steel safety cage protect the cabin at different impact speeds.
01
02
Drivetrain
Carries power to the wheels: gearbox, clutch, driveshafts, propshaft and differential.
03
Chassis
Holds the car up and keeps it on the road: suspension, wheels and tyres.
04
Brakes
Slow you down: discs or drums, the hydraulic system, ABS and stability control.
05
Steering
Points the front wheels where you want to go.
06
Electrical
Battery, alternator, lights and the computers (ECUs) that run everything.
07
Body & safety
The structure, crumple zones, airbags, seatbelts and glass.
08
Energy (EV)
Battery pack, inverter and charger: the electric car's version of fuel and engine.
03
How a car is built, layer by layer
Factories build a car from the floor up. Picture it as five layers stacked on top of each other.
01
Body shell
The painted metal "skin" plus doors, bonnet, boot and glass. Under it is a safety cage with crumple zones.
02
Interior
Seats, dashboard, airbags, wiring and the screens. Around 1,500 metres of wiring in a modern car.
03
Powertrain
The engine and gearbox, or the electric motor. Dropped in from below on the assembly line, a step called "marriage".
04
Running gear
Wheels, tyres, brakes, suspension and steering: everything that touches or controls the road.
05
Platform
The shared floor that sets wheelbase and layout. One platform can underpin dozens of models across several brands.
04
Classic vs modern vs electric
The same job is done in very different ways depending on the era. Here are the headline differences.
| Job | Classic (1960s) | Modern petrol | Electric |
|---|---|---|---|
| Making power | Carburettor engine, no computer | Fuel-injected turbo engine run by an ECU | Electric motor fed by a battery |
| Driven wheels | Usually rear | Usually front | Rear, front or both |
| Gears | 3–4 speed manual | 5–6 speed manual or 6–10 speed auto | Single speed (counts as automatic) |
| Brakes | Drums, sometimes front discs, no ABS | Discs with ABS and ESC | Discs plus regenerative braking |
| Safety | Lap belts, rigid body, no airbags | Crumple zones, 6+ airbags, driver assists | Same as modern, plus a very low centre of gravity |
| Servicing | Every 3,000–6,000 miles | Every 10,000–20,000 miles or yearly | Fewer moving parts, mainly tyres, brakes and cabin filter |
| Steering | Unassisted and heavy | Electric power steering | Electric power steering |