Built, Tested, Proven
Jaguar was readying its top-of-the-line XFR sedan, set to release in 2010, and it needed an engine. Well, it had a variety of good options. The tried-and-true supercharged 4.2-liter V8 in the XFR Supercharged was one such option, but it wouldn’t be powerful enough to challenge the new 500-horsepower V10 that BMW was about to put in its M5 sedan. So Jaguar took the recently developed superchareged and intercooled 5.0-liter all-aluminum V8 straight from the slinky XKR coupe.
The XKR only recently got this mill, in 2009. Jaguar engineers were familiar with it, as were product planners and marketing folk. They knew its direct-injection technology and 11.6 psi from the Eaton supercharger worked out to 510 horsepower. But after bolting it into the XFR, they didn’t advertise it as “Probably 510 horsepower,” just because that’s what it made in the coupe. They tested it on the dyno, like they would for any other engine.
All automakers do this. A dyno is what puts the “b” in “bhp,” which stands for “brake horsepower” (not “brochure horsepower,” smart aleck). A dyno is basically a brake that the car has to work against. It’s like a treadmill or exercise bike, but with carefully calibrated resistance. By measuring the speed of the dyno barrel, the car’s total output at the wheels can be determined.
An engine’s power is only known when it’s put to the test. People are the same way, which explains the old saying, “A sailor is known in the tempest.” Those opportunities reveal a person’s character, faith, and integrity in a practical way. God loves us too much to allow bench racing or armchair racing. He drops us into situations that may seem tough but are really opportunities to “rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3-4). God knows how to take a willing heart and challenge it and train it to grow strong and faithful, as he did with his beloved people throughout the Bible as they faced challenges.
Where is character without challenge? Where is faith without works (James 2:14-26)? What is grief and sorrow without this perspective? These challenges threaten our peace of mind if we face them without the perspective of God’s guidance every step of the way. This inspired German theologian Walter Bruegemann to say, “Grief is a doorway to joy.”
Dynos operate differently than a crash test, where the strength of a car is determined by destroying it. When a car is on a dyno, its tires are spinning and its engine is roaring. It’s doing exactly what it was built to do. Similarly, God carefully hand-picks these tests for us to showcase his power and let us build on the strength and faithfulness we already have. He is with us the whole time. He won’t “allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear.” (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Think about the biggest challenge in your life right now. Ask yourself, “What does God want me to learn from this? How can I grow through this? Who in my life will benefit from my faithfulness through this? How will God be glorified through this?” And imagine yourself as a car on a dyno, doing exactly what you were built to do. Next time, you’ll be even stronger, more faithful, more trusting, and more ready to turn this challenge into an opportunity. God is preparing you for even more.
The gorgeous XFR, designed by head Jaguar designer Ian Callum, had a low drag coefficient of 0.29. In 6th gear, banging against the speed governor at 162 mph, that dyno-proven engine is only turning at 4700 rpm. The engine redlines at 6800. Which means one thing: it is ready for more.
