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Tuesday, 13 September 2011

Ford’s 1-Liter EcoBoost

EcoBoost 3-cylinder 7

Ford has unveiled its latest EcoBoost engine, a three-cylinder one-liter capable of delivering up to 118 bhp, in turbocharged form, and up to 147 lbs.-ft. of torque during transient overboost, while producing less than 120 g/kms in next year’s Focus and, according to sources at Ford, below 100 g/kms in the 2012 B-max. A 98 bhp non –turbo version will also be available.

EcoBoost 3-cylinder 1

This is the smallest engine Ford produce and will be available in 2013 model year products for US customers.

The direct injection engine is unique in that Ford has done away with the balancer shaft normally demanded to smooth out the firing irregularities of a three-cylinder. In what Ford claim is a world first, the flywheel and front pulley are engineered to be precisely out of balance to counter vibrations; careful design of the engine mounts and driveline also enhance the engine’s smooth running, claims Ford.

EcoBoost 3-cylinder 2

Measuring just 11.25 inches front to back the engine will easily sit on a sheet of A4 paper, while the turbocharger, alternator and air-conditioning compressor are all on the front face of the engine leaving the rear largely flat for maximum clearance to absorb frontal impact with minimal intrusion into the passenger cell.

The exhaust manifold is cast into the cylinder head and then feeds into a single port to the Continental turbocharger which runs at peak speed of 248,000 rpm, 15% higher than the 1.6. The cylinder head is split longitudinally with two separate cooling systems, one each for the intake and exhaust.

EcoBoost 3-cylinder 3

Ford has focused on delivering peak torque from 1300 rpm, no easy achievement for a small capacity engine but, because of the pulse separation from the three cylinders it has been possible to use a lot more scavenging at low speeds where they’re able to overlap the cams to get true scavenging into the turbo.

Ford has also conceded that in a much less sophisticated form it would make an ideal range extender.

Source : Googler Reader

Monday, 12 September 2011

Vauxhall and Opel to Show Tandem-Two-Seat Electric Vehicle at Frankfurt Auto Show

Vauxhall and Opel to Show Tandem-Two-Seat Electric Vehicle at Frankfurt Auto Show:

The 2011 Frankfurt auto show is shaping up to be all about small, strange-looking electric vehicle studies. In addition to Audi’s Urban Concept and Urban Concept Spyder, Volkswagen’s NILS concept, and Smart’s Forvision concept, Opel (and Vauxhall, its GM sibling in the United Kingdom) will present a tandem two-seat EV. According to Vauxhall and Opel, the concept has “production potential” and is intended to be both affordable and eye-catching.

The concept certainly isn’t boring—the tandem passenger seats are enclosed in a wedgy body that tapers to a point above the open, narrow-track rear wheels. The front of the wild-looking EV is low, wide, and angular. Opel and Vauxhall claim the car is good for 75 mph and a 60-mile range, and will be very lightweight. We expect more details at the auto show on September 13th.

Source : Google Reader

Vauxhall and Opel to Show Tandem-Two-Seat Electric Vehicle at Frankfurt Auto Show

Vauxhall and Opel to Show Tandem-Two-Seat Electric Vehicle at Frankfurt Auto Show:

Source : Google Reader

Eterniti Motors Releases First Images of New Hemera Super-SUV Debuting at Frankfurt—And it’s an Old Cayenne

Eterniti Motors Releases First Images of New Hemera Super-SUV Debuting at Frankfurt—And it’s an Old Cayenne:

Last month a new, unknown British automaker calling itself Eterniti Motors made a mild ker-plunk in news circles after posting a cryptic commercial on its website and releasing a sketch of a new “super-SUV” it would bring to the Frankfurt auto show. Eterniti had dubbed its yet-unseen creation “Hemera,” and now the fledgling automaker has unveiled a prototype of the car in photographs.

We poked a fair bit of fun at Eterniti’s Hemera-less anticipation-building commercial—which featured a brewing storm overlaid with text flashing across the screen describing how the weather system would hit us—a few weeks back. Now we are going to poke a bit harder. The photos of the Hemera in the flesh give off a feel that is more “wet fart” than “storm-of-limitless-force,” and reveal that the Hemera isn’t exactly an all-new hyper-SUV. Instead, it is clearly based upon the first-generation Porsche Cayenne, but Eterniti at least partially rebodied it. It is currently unclear whether the underlying Cayenne is Eterniti’s idea of rapid prototyping, or if the production Hemera will also be based on an old Porsche.

Prototype or not, the rear of the Hemera is quite a bit different from the donor Cayenne’s, and features massive vents that wrap down the rear quarter panels from the tips of the taillights, along with a big diffuser and giant exhaust outlets. Eterniti hasn’t fully exposed the Hemera’s front end, but we don’t expect it to be as different from the Cayenne’s—the side view of the SUV shows very Porsche-like headlights and intakes. The Hemera rides on big wheels wrapped tightly with low-profile rubber.

In addition to releasing the photos, Eterniti detailed a few technical specifications for the Hemera. For starters, Eterniti claims the SUV will boast 620 hp and a top speed of 180 mph. The new company isn’t just chasing hardcore performance— Eterniti Motors also played up the Hemera’s luxury side. The SUV will apparently feature a “limousine-like rear cabin” with two reclining rear seats, a drink chiller, and iPads. Eterniti will reveal more specifics when the Hemera debuts at Frankfurt, and plans to begin production of its creation in 2012.

Source : Google Reader

Chrysler Confirms that the Fiat Doblo Will Come to the U.S., Will Launch as a Ram in 2013

Chrysler Confirms that the Fiat Doblo Will Come to the U.S., Will Launch as a Ram in 2013:

While Ford’s Transit Connect sales have been merely decent since the van’s arrival on our shores, Chrysler’s Ram brand is ready to provide competition in the compact European transplant commercial van segment. (Perhaps it hopes just as much as Ford does that Americans will soon take notice.) Today, Ram’s future model took a step toward reality as Fiat signed a letter of intent with TOFAS, the Italian company’s Turkish joint-venture partner responsible for assembly of the Fiat Doblo, for a supply of 190,000 units for export.

We started to expect that the Doblo would arrive in the States as a Ram back in March when we outlined the Chrysler Group’s options for plucking commercial vans from Fiat’s lineup. While larger options like the front-drive Fiat Ducato or the rear-drive Iveco Daily would fill the void left when Mercedes-Benz took back its Sprinter, the company picked the Doblo because of its lower cost and relatively good fuel economy; it’s also a good way to test American reception of Fiat’s commercial vehicles.

Chrysler says that exports of the Doblo will start in early 2013, and in the time in between, TOFAS will invest more than $160 million for the necessary changes for U.S. homologation and customer expectations. We presume that will include some work to redraw the Doblo’s bulbous nose into something more in line with Ram’s other machines, which right now includes just the Ram pickups and a cargo version of the Dodge Caravan. We don’t expect to hear much more about details like engines, variants, and price until that work is done. February’s Chicago auto show is generally regarded as the place to launch commercial products, so perhaps we’ll get a more thorough preview from McCormick Place this winter.

Source : Google Reader

2012 BMW 650i Convertible: If We Complain Enough, They’ll Fix That Steering

2012 BMW 650i Convertible: If We Complain Enough, They’ll Fix That Steering:

BMW’s maximum-exposure machine raises a familiar complaint but can’t escape our praises.

If we may, a hypothetical situation for the reader: Say a family of ducks lives in your yard. And when the neighbor kid mows your lawn, he runs over a duckling. You’d complain, right? And, if he kept doing it, you’d continue to complain until he finally stopped? (For the purposes of this illustration, you must retain his services.)

Keep Reading: 2012 BMW 650i Convertible – Short Take Road Test

Source : Google Reader

2012 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback First Drive: A Taste of Forbidden Euro Fruit

2012 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback First Drive: A Taste of Forbidden Euro Fruit:

Chevy puts a hatchback on its most successful nameplate.

The Chevrolet Cruze was the bow-tie brand’s bestselling model worldwide in 2010. Standing on the latest Opel-developed compact-vehicle platform, which it shares with the Opel Astra and Buick Verano, the Cruze is comfortable, solid, and capable—a far cry from its U.S.-market predecessors. Now, in an effort to add even more sales to the charts—and more cash to its coffers—Chevy is adding a hatchback to the Cruze’s European lineup.

Keep Reading: 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback – First Drive Review

Source : Google Reader

Peeling Back the Jaguar C-X16 Concept’s Lid: Next Jag Roadster Rendered

Peeling Back the Jaguar C-X16 Concept’s Lid: Next Jag Roadster Rendered:

Like much of the American Northeast, Car and Driver‘s HQ in Ann Arbor has been absolutely drenched by unrelenting skies this week—so to pass the time a bit, we decided to see what Jaguar’s C-X16 concept would look like without a roof. You can read all about the Jaguar’s Frankfurt auto show-bound concept here, but we know that when the C-X16 coupe goes into production—possibly with the XE name—eventually it will be followed by a convertible variant. When that car bows, we imagine it won’t look terribly different from the above rendering. The resulting roadster’s look may be predictable, but that certainly doesn’t take anything away from its sleek good looks.

Illustration by Schulte Design.

Source : Google Reader

A British School for Automotive Journalists

A British School for Automotive Journalists:

School of Engine Knocks: A university in England churns out the next generation of automotive journalists.

For those who love cars, a career in automotive journalism promises access to the latest and greatest vehicles on the market, the opportunity to meet the people who design and engineer them, and heaping mounds of chilled shrimp. Who wouldn’t want to be a car journalist? Not surprisingly, we’re often asked, “How do I get your job?”

Keep Reading: A British School for Automotive Journalists – Feature

Source : Google Reader

VW’s Huge Display at Frankfurt

VW’s Huge Display at Frankfurt:

vw-at-frankfurt

If you’ve ever been to the bi-annual Frankfurt Auto Show you have to be impressed by some of the enormous and often extravagant displays created by the major German manufacturers as they show off their latest models to the home crowd.

Volkswagen has released a sketch of its display that will open to this year’s visitors next week.

The company says 1,000 people are putting the finishing touches to the display which completely fills Hall 3 and is shaped like a cloud. The 6,000 sq ft stand will accommodate over 50 vehicles and showcase the new VW Up! city car, which is making its public debut along with the recently unveiled new generation Beetle, new Tiguan and Golf Cabriolet. The NILS single-seat electric commuting vehicle concept will also be making its world premiere.

Apart from the cars themselves, Volkswagen is using a 100-foot long interactive wall to give visitors a taste of mobility in the future, as well as presenting details on innovations and alternative technologies.

Volkswagen says there will also be a selection of commercial vehicles and motorsports displays. Apparently 2,100 lamps and roughly 50 miles of cables will be required to power everything.

If you think the 2011 VW display sounds extravagant, I remember one year when Mercedes-Benz actually dug up the foundation of one hall and built a below ground tavern to host visitors.

Source : Google Reader