Autoblog

When we last saw the Lotus Esprit in 2004, it was equipped with a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V8 rated at about 350 hp. Offering much more motivation than its early turbocharged 4-cylinder powerplant, the Esprit V8 was quick -- pedal to the floor, the two-seat coupe could punch through 60 mph in less than 5 seconds. Impressive as it was just a few years ago, there are more than a handful of cars (at half the price) that can shame the Lotus back across the Pond today.

To keep the upcoming 2011 Lotus Esprit at the front of the pack, it is rumored to be fitted with the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 found under the hood of the recently released BMW X6. The powerplant is rated at 400 horsepower with only light boost under the German's hood. Under the fiberglass cover of the future British Esprit, it will most likely be tuned to deliver nearly 500 horsepower. It will need every bit of power it can get, as the new Lotus will be competing with the Porsche 911 Turbo, Ferrari F430, and the new Nissan GT-R.

[Source: eGMCartech]

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.

click above to view more high-res images of the BMW X6

Dropping the "concept" descriptor that it carried in Frankfurt, the BMW X6 was just revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in full production trim. Not surprisingly, it's almost identical to what we saw in Frankfurt, with a sharply-raked backlight and hatchback replacing the squared-off rump of the X5. BMW likes to describe it as a blend between a coupe and a crossover, which leads us to ask - is it possible to crossover from something that's already a crossover? Does this mean that it's been double-crossed? The mind boggles.

Follow the jump for our first impression...

During a recent Bimmer-hunting expedition at the Nurburgring, ace photog Hans Lehmann was able to procure a shot of the engine bay of a development mule for the 2010 BMW 7-series. When inspecting the layout, he noticed two intercoolers, and the best guess now is that the V8 fitted to the new 7-series could be the same engine employed in the new M3. With over 400 horsepower on tap in naturally-aspirated guise, it's not a stretch to think that this blown motor could produce upwards of 500 HP with limited tweaking. M7 anyone?

When the new 7-series goes on sale in late 2009, those suspicions will be confirmed.

[Source: Straighline]

Click the image above for more pics of the DigitalChip R34 Skyline GT-R.

During our time in the grand metropolis of Geneva, we had every intention of spending some quality time at the tuner expo adjacent to the main halls. But with all that was going on, time was limited, and aside from the R8-ified TT and those kick ass chairs that our friend Paukert found, there wasn't too much of interest. Then we came across this.

Luc-Michel Faichaud didn't think that the stock RB in his Skyline R34 GT-R would keep up with the rigors of track duty at the power levels he wanted to produce, so he yanked the stock mill and replaced it with a 6.7L V12. And then – just for kicks – bolted on four turbos. The result: 1000+ HP, 1000 NM of torque, a 0-60 time of 2.9 seconds and a quarter mile trap speed at the low end of nine seconds. Complete with carbon-ceramic brakes (381mm front, 355mm rear), 13x18-inch wheels and weighing a paltry 2,200 pounds, the GTR "Unlimited" can reach a maximum speed of 220 MPH and seems to be the highlight of several shows and tuner magazines abroad.

Unfortunately, we were on our way out the door when we snapped these few pics, so no one was on hand to answer questions or pop the hood. UPDATE: But, Mr. Faichaud did contact us with some additional information about the car, which we've added to the post. We would've given our last franc just to sit in the driver's seat, but alas, time wasn't on our side. Frankfurt's coming up at the end of the year, so maybe we'll have a second chance to see the "Unlimited" up close again.

TechArt knows its way around a Porsche, so we aren't the least bit surprised to learn that they've coaxed 600 horsepower out of the Cayenne Turbo.

The TechArt Magnum is in the news today because it's been announced that it'll be appearing at MPH '06. In addition to the expected static displays, MPH '06 ups the motor show ante by incorporating a Jeremy Clarkson-hosted live demonstration of supercars like the Magnum in a theatrical setting (see video). This gives showgoers the opportunity to see the cars in all their tire-smoking powersliding glory.

To rewind a bit: the Magnum made its official debut at last year's Frankfurt show, and benefits from the fitment of larger turbos, a new intercooler, TechArt intake and exhaust, new air filter and a reprogrammed ECU. Complementing the SUV's 600 horses is a healthy 638 lb ft of torque. 62 mph arrives in a scant 4.5 seconds and the top speed is a ridiculous 181 mph.

Equally ridiculous, unfortunately, is the TechArt body kit that turns the Magnum's front end into a busy mess. We know that the Cayenne is not exactly an easy starting point, but a look that works for the Cayman does not fare nearly as well here. Too bad, because from the rear and sides, the Magnum looks sharp. Hopefully, the refreshed Cayenne will give tuners more to work with up front.

All that said, we'd gladly pay the price of admission to see the Magnum shriek across the stage as Clarkson dishes out the one-liners. 600 horses is a lot, and like we said, TechArt knows what it's doing. Should be a helluva show.

(Rear view shot, press releases after the jump)

[Sources: MPH '06 / TechArt]

The eager folks over at e90post.com have come across the complete list of pricing for BMW's new 3-Series Coupe lineup, and the most significant nugget of information is that both the new 328i and 335i coupes are going up in price by a hefty $3,000 each. The base 328i model will now start at $35,300, the all-wheel drive 328xi will start at $37,100, and the 335i with the new twin-turbo 3.0L inline-six will start at $40,600.

BMW must know what people are willing to pay, as the reaction on e90post.com's forum has been one of understanding. The 328i will come with a new, naturally aspirated inline-six that produces 230 horsepower and 200 ft-lbs. of torque, enough to make the base coupe quicker to 60 mph than the current top-of-the-line 330Ci coupe. The new 335i, of course, has BMW's trick twin-turbo 3.0L inline-six cylinder that generates 300 horsepower and 300 ft-lbs of torque. The 335i will reach 60 mph in 5.3 seconds, and we're old enough to remember when that was supercar territory.

So it appears dropping another three large on your 3-Series Coupe might just be worth it.

Follow the link to e90post.com's forum where you'll find a PDF containing the prices of each individual option and option packages.

[Source: e90post.com]