Technical Very hot hood after 30 minute drive in TwinAir

[44sunsets]

Pardon me if this is a stupid question, but I was wondering if it's normal for the front hood of the 0.9L TwinAir 500 to be very hot (basically scalding hot) after a 30 minute drive around the suburbs? I popped the hood and I could barely manage to quickly latch it up before it started burning my fingers. It's winter here, so the ambient temperature is about 15-20ºC.

This is my first car so excuse me if this sounds like a no-brainer question. And does the turbo cause the engine to run hotter as well? I'm guessing the very limited space tends to keep the heat bottled up more than with bigger cars.

 

[The Twins]

Yes the turbo that makes it hot.
It's normal. You don't need to worry. There is a metal heat shield on the underside of the bonnet to protect it from the worst heat.
The bonnet of my BMW 135i (twin turbo) used to get crazy hot. So hot in fact that rain would evaporate almost instantly!
The TA engine is designed with a Turbo in mind so whilst it runs hot, it's within what the engine is designed for.
I notice on my TA that the dash temp gauge pretty much stays bang on the halfway mark regardless of harsh driving, hot days etc.
it's will be fine. Enjoy!

 

[bgunn]

The turbo is affixed to the front of the engine and is surrounded by heat shielding. The packaging of the Twin Air is nowhere near as tight as the Abarth, and it will have passed desert/hot climate testing before being put into production.

It'll be fine.

 

[UFI]

And does the turbo cause the engine to run hotter as well? I'm guessing the very limited space tends to keep the heat bottled up more than with bigger cars.

The TA is the coolest running car I've had, 88 degrees is normal, but even on the hottest 44 degree days, I've barely seen it move past 90. Most cars run around 95-98 degrees by comparison.

 

[44sunsets]

It's normal. You don't need to worry. There is a metal heat shield on the underside of the bonnet to protect it from the worst heat.Enjoy!

Thanks for the responses everyone, always good to learn something new

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

The TA is the coolest running car I've had, 88 degrees is normal, but even on the hottest 44 degree days, I've barely seen it move past 90. Most cars run around 95-98 degrees by comparison.

Thats the temperature of the engine block though, not what the turbo etc run at and what the engine bay heat soak will necessarily be.

 

[portland_bill]

From decades ago, when I did the theory relating to engines, I seem to remember that petrol burns in the combustion chamber at about 850 degrees celcius. It will not have lost much of that as it escapes into the turbo, then the catalyst adds a bit of heat as it does its stuff. So some heat soak to the hood (bonnet) is likely.

Diesel burns at about 650 degrees I think, which added to the greater density of metal explains why they take so much longer to warm up in winter.

Just don't touch the hot bits.