Autoblog

While we like to chide the Stuttgart crew for "updates" to its 911 range, this newest one actually has some serious substance underneath the tweaked sheet metal. In addition to the revised headlamp and taillight design, CAR is reporting that Porsche will upgrade both the 3.6- and 3.8-liter flat-six boxers with direct-injection. The technology, first employed by Porsche on the 2007 Cayenne, boosted horsepower and torque by around 10- to 15-percent in the SUV, and we hope that similar gains can be made with its iconic six. More impressive, although not entirely unexpected, is the rumored fitment of Porsche's first dual-clutch gearbox. The Doppel Kupplungen transmission will be available on the new 911 after it's unveiled sometime this summer, with sales expected to begin this fall. There's no word on what models will benefit from the DSG 'box initially, nor was there any info about how the new tranny would be implemented on Porsche's all-wheel-drive models.

[Source: CAR]

Land Rovers have run Jaguar's rorty AJ V8 engine since Ford got tired of sourcing engines from BMW. CAR magazine has dug up information on some mules running around in Finland with a new 4997cc engine underhood. Their photographers also caught the vehicles while they hung out in a parking lot full of tantalizing 2 and 7 series Volvos. While the AJ is a great motor, it's well into its design life. Range Rover's new engine is being developed with Bosch, and sports direct fuel injection to boost efficiency while keeping power up and emissions down. Output is rumored at 350 horsepower in naturally aspirated form and 460 ponies come to the party when a supercharger pressurizes the intake. The new engine will wind up in the engine compartment of Land Rovers, Range Rovers, and Jaguars, and will be part of a freshening of Landies and Rangies expected to drop soon.

[Source: CAR]

BMW's twin-turbo 3.0L inline-six has been a rousing success, with nothing less than a Wards 10 Best Engines award sitting in its trophy case. The praise is understandable and well-deserved, as the engine uses a combination of forced induction and direct injection to serve up a torque curve that's far beefier and flatter than what should be expected from a engine of its size. So what next for the propeller brand? Simple -- take similar technology, add it to the company's 4.4L V8 and toss in a dash of unconventional packaging to make everything fit.

BMW put its latest jewel on display at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, and we snapped some shots of it to give you an idea of why this engine is so special. We've included those photos in one of our galleries, and below the fold, we've thrown in a few observations.

GM believes it has a world-class luxury vehicle in the all-new Cadillac CTS, and the General is shipping the RWD clear across the globe to prove its point. Since 1969, Cadillac has been on the outside of OZ looking in, but an emerging luxury market coupled with part-sharing with Holden makes the CTS a great vehicle to end the 40-year hiatus. The CTS will hit Aussie shores by the end of 2008, with the addition of a 2.9-liter turbo-diesel entering the lineup in 2009. With Australian's love for great-handling RWD sports sedans, the CTS is a no-brainer as the vehicle to bring Cadillac back to OZ. The CTS wagon would likely be a hit down under as well. And if you're reading this GM, we'll take that 2.9L diesel option here in the States, too.

[Source: Drive.com.au]

Direct injection has allowed automakers like Audi to compete on horsepower without the need to boost displacement, and the added fuel economy and reduced emissions has helped push the technology as the next big thing on the green scene. Ferrari has seen the benefits of what direct injection can do, and the Italian supercar maker plans on adding the technology to Enzo's babies by 2009. Ferrari is using Audi as its benchmark, due to the fact that the German automaker has used DI successfully in several different engines.

Direct injection will first infiltrate the Ferrari lineup with the updated F430, and a ten-percent bump in power will be the most noticeable byproduct of the engine upgrade. When opening up the engine bay, things will look different as everything from the block up has to be redesigned. New cylinder heads, valve trains, intake, and throttle bodies will need to be updated for DI to make its way into the famous engine bays. Direct injection will also reduce emissions by 40-percent, which will bring the powerful sports car to more acceptable levels of pollution.

Look for the 612 Scaglietti and the 599 GTB Fiorano to receive DI next, and all applications will receive a 5- to 8-percent bump in fuel economy once the engine tech is incorporated. While direct injection will undoubtedly change the personality of Ferrari's sought-after powerplants, we're sure the ten-percent power bump and improved green stature will help everyone become accustomed to the change.

[Source: Autocar.co.uk]

The Chevy small block V8 has been around in one form or another longer than many current GM engineers have been alive, but continuous updates continue to keep the venerable powerplant relevant. GM is currently developing the world's first overhead valve Direct Injection engine, giving the 6.2L test engine big gains in horsepower and torque while bumping fuel economy from 3% to 6%.The 6.2L currently pumps out up to 403HP without DI in the Escallade, but Dave Sczomak, development engineer-GM Powertrain Advanced Engineering, says the technology will bump power to "well over 450HP."

Perhaps even more exciting is the possibility that the anxiously awaited Camaro may receive a variant of the engine. The mere thought of the ultra-sexy Camaro packing over 450HP without added boost could make us want to have a smoke. While we're hoping the Camaro gets the DI engine, the halo status of the Corvette makes the two-seater a shoo-in for the improved engine. That would give the base 'Vette nearly 500HP, and it boggles the mind to imagine the output of a Z06/SS/Blue Devil.

Editor's Note: There's no reason to believe GM wouldn't drop the DI V8 in both Corvette and Camaro. Back in December, a source we spoke to who was familiar with Camaro powertrain discussions told us that there was a faction pushing for seriously big power in the Camaro. When we asked exactly how big, the individual smiled and held up five fingers. We'll learn how that pans out in due course. Then in January at NAIAS, Ed Peper specifically told us that there were no concerns with having Camaro step on Corvette, power-wise, as the two cars have such different market positioning -- sports car vs. muscle car. Plus, the ZR1 ensures that there will be a Corvette with power that greatly exceeds that of Camaro anyway. No matter how things play out, there's good reason to expect some real excitement.

[Source: Motive Magazine via GM Inside News]

click above image for photo gallery

The A5 is Audi's latest salvo in its battle to rule the luxury automotive landscape, and the German automaker is putting its technical might behind the launch. The A5 was launched in June in Europe, and now two all-new six cylinder engines are under the svelte coupe's bonnet. Audi's 3.2L engine isn't all-new, but direct injection and variable lift control have been updated to produce an impressive 265 hp. The 3.2L will be available in the U.S. at launch this fall.

In Europe, oil-burning engines are necessary to compete in any significant segment, and Audi is packing its common-rail fuel injected 2.7L turbo-diesel under the A5's hood. The engine produces 190 hp, which is enough grunt to get the diesel A5 to 62 mph in 7.6 seconds. It also returns 35.3 mpg! As is the case with all euro diesel powerplants, U.S. customers likely won't be able to check that option for a while, if ever.

[Source: Audi]

The highly-anticipated Mazda2 still hasn't been launched in Europe, and word out of Hiroshima is that an MPS (a.k.a. Mazdaspeed) version is already in the works. Mazda's 2.0L powerplant will be outfitted with direct injection and turbocharging to the tune of 230hp and 231 lb-ft torque. With every souped-up vehicle comes the prerequisite larger wheels and body kit, and Mazda isn't one to shun tradition, so we'll see all the added goodies on the hotted-up little hatch. Chances are that the boosted Mazda econobox won't hit US shores (after all, the Mazda2/Demio's only planned for Europe and Japan right now), and we're more disappointed than surprised. If this rumored edition is as good a deal as the blown Mazda3, then it'll be a shame for it not to grace our shores.

[Source: Winding Road]

BMW fans in the United States have long been clamoring for an opportunity to buy the 1-series, which until recently was thought to be a Europe-only car. Now that we know that a few two-door versions will be available in the U.S. in 2008, we're thrilled to see a convertible undergoing testing.

Brenda Priddy and company spied the 1-series convertible, and progress on the pint-sized droptop seems to be moving along nicely. We're likely to see similar engine offerings in the convertible as the coupe model, which will be unveiled with either the twin-turbo 3-liter or the naturally-aspirated inline-six. When the convertible will make its debut is up in the air, but expect it soon after its fixed-roof sibling.

[Source: Insideline]

A little over a year ago Volkswagen introduced their TSI engine range in 138 hp and 168 hp flavors. Those two engines both had displacements of 1.4L with the output of something considerably larger. They achieved this by combining gasoline direct fuel injection with what they call twin charging. Both engines had both a turbocharger and mechanical supercharger.

A third 122 hp TSI engine has now been introduced at the Vienna Motor Symposium. The new engine still has direct injection and a turbo but loses the blower. The engine puts out seven percent more power and thirty percent more torque than VW's 1.6L FSI engine while burning six percent less gas. All the power of the TSI engine is transferred to the wheels via a new seven speed version of the DSG dual clutch gearbox. The new box loses the wet clutches of the current six-speed unit in favor of a dry setup.

The new engine/gearbox combination will be rated at 40mpg when installed in the Golf and is also available in the Jetta and Touran models.

[Source: Volkswagen via EuroCarBlog]