The fire later was determined to be caused by a mechanical breakdown in the engine room of the ship Cape Trinity, a floating warehouse as long as two football fields.

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At the most basic level, this relates to how carmakers are eliminating the direct mechanical connections between components and the engine.

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They rely on a fluid, rather than a mechanical clutch, to transmit the engine's torque to the wheels, and this is inefficient.

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The Veloster is seriously snouty, a consequence of it being a front-drive car with a transverse-mounted engine (the Veloster is very much a mechanical clone of the new Elantra, complete with torsion-beam rear suspension).

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After all, the mechanical engineering major had worked at the heavy- equipment and engine-maker since May 2010 through an extended internship.

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