Turbocharging

At a Powertrain technology event in Europe, General Motors has announced a pair of new small displacement turbocharged engines. The 1.4L turbo is gasoline fueled and will be used globally in cars like the Opel/Saturn Astra starting in 2010. Depending on the application, the engines will generate 120-140hp and use eight percent less fuel than a comparable output 1.8L normally aspirated engine. The turbocharger is integrated into the exhaust manifold and both the intake and exhaust valve timing ca

Car makers the world over are looking for the most cost effective ways to increase fuel economy as fuel prices continue to climb and CO2 limits and fuel economy standards come into force. One approach that seems to be appealing to most is adding direct fuel injection and turbocharging to smaller displacement engines. Continental Automotive Systems sees the trend and is jumping on the bandwagon. Continental has announced their intention to build their first turbocharger plant for produ

There's no doubt that there are a lot of advances in powertrain technology that will improve the efficiency of vehicles over the next few years. There are near-term features like direct fuel injection, turbocharging and dual clutch transmissions. Other features like start stop systems and electrification of accessory drives will help too. The problem is these features all add cost to the vehicle. If consumers don't buy vehicles equipped with this kind of technology, there is no net benefit. Erni

The powers that be in Formula One have been tossing around ideas for making the sport more environmentally and technologically relevant for several years. While many if not most of the readers would respond to that discussion with the answer that it should just be shut down, the FIA is unlikely to do that anytime soon. Barring that drastic option, there are still some interesting possibilities. Most recently, the discussion has focused on Sam Abuelsamid

Potential benefits of biofuels seem obvious with a reduced carbon footprint being a key reason. But, as we've covered in the past, alcohol fuels such as ethanol can also increase the performance of an engine if the engine is optimized properly. Saab realizes this fact and is considering Jeremy Korzeniewski

It's nothing new that torque addicted, diesel junkies abroad get all the cool stuff, and now this. BMW just released details on its new 2.0-liter, variable twin turbo diesel engine that is making 204 HP and almost 300 ft.-lbs. of torque. The two-stage turbo system, initially introduced on the 535d, all but eliminates any amount of lag by utilizing a smaller turbo at low engine speeds and a larger snail higher up in the rev range. The result: 147 ft.-lbs. at 1200 RPM and 295 ft.-lbs. of twist at

According to the folks at BorgWarner, the number of turbocharged, direct-injection engines will increase four-fold by 2011. In 2006, approximately 500,000 vehicles were equipped with the technological duo, and based on their market projections, over two million such engines will be on the road in the next four years. A good chunk of this expansion will occur in Europe, however, Japan, China and those of us in North America stand to benefit from the highly efficient, power-producing setup.

The Focus we should've received - diesel-powered, 50 MPG and thoughtfully styled.

Touted as a means to give V8-like horsepower with V6 fuel economy, the TwinForce V6 at this year's Detroit Auto Show stands as one of Ford's biggest announcements so far. Started with the Duratec 35 as a foundation, the engine's combination of turbocharging and direct injection yields a claimed 415 HP and 400 ft-lb of torque - more than enough to smoke any naturally-aspirated V8 currently offered by the Blue Oval here in the United States.

Even with Ford's GT making 550 HP (somewhat underrated) courtesy of a supercharger, of course we all know that there will still be owners out there who seek more power. Once the route of pulley swaps has been explored, where to go next? Stage 6 Motorsports thinks that it has the answer in the form of a twin-turbo kit.