Motor Authority - blog Tag: Engine

Mazda will showcase at next month’s 2009 Tokyo Motor Show its next-generation of powertrain technologies, which include two new engines and an advanced automatic transmission. Grouped under the ‘SKY’ family of technologies, Mazda will be showing the new SKY-G direct injection gasoline engine, SKY-D clean diesel engine, and SKY Drive high-efficiency automatic transmission.

The new technologies are part of Mazda’s greater goal of improving its average fuel economy of vehicles 30% by 2015 compared to 2008 levels. Mazda is committed to significantly improving the core aspects of its vehicles that affect performance--engines, transmissions, and...

Mazda will showcase at next month’s 2009 Tokyo Motor Show its next-generation of powertrain technologies, which include two new engines and an advanced automatic transmission. Grouped under the ‘SKY’ family of technologies, Mazda will be showing the new SKY-G direct injection gasoline engine, SKY-D clean diesel engine, and SKY Drive high-efficiency automatic transmission. The new technologies are part of Mazda’s greater goal of improving its average fuel economy of vehicles 30% by 2015 compared to 2008 levels. Mazda is committed to significantly improving the core aspects of its vehicles that affect performance--engines, transmissions, and lighter vehicle weight--in order to achieve fuel economy gains without hurting the ‘Zoom-Zoom’ philosophy. The new engines and transmissions are due to be introduced from 2011 onward. First up is the SKY-G, a direct injection gasoline engine with significantly improved fuel economy and output performance due to enhanced thermal efficiency. The engine block is newly designed to reduce mechanical friction and achieve an optimal air-fuel mix, and is further improved with direct injection. Specifically, fuel economy and torque are improved by approximately 15% compared to Mazda’s current 2.0-liter engine. This was achieved by adopting new fuel injectors and more efficient valve timing. The engine enables fuel economy equivalent to the compact Mazda2 to be achieved in a vehicle the size of a Mazda3. Next is the SKY-D clean diesel engine, which boasts high fuel economy and output performance as well as low exhaust emissions. The newly designed engine block reduces mechanical friction to the level of a gasoline engine. By employing piezo injectors, a two-stage turbocharger and other technologies, fuel economy becomes approximately 20% better than the company’s current 2.2-liter diesel engine. Mazda has achieved fuel economy equivalent to the current Mazda2 in a vehicle the size of a Mazda6 with this engine. Finally, there is the new SKY-Drive automatic transmission. It improves fuel economy by approximately 5%, due to a complete redesign that significantly reduces mechanical friction, a revised torque converter and clutch with minimized slip, and an optimized lock-up mechanism. A rapid clutch action was achieved by identifying the minimum amount of fluid necessary, making shifts feel almost like a dual clutch transmission. Also on show in Tokyo will be Mazda’s Kiyora minicar concept, first seen at last year’s Paris Auto Show. The Kiyora is a preview of Mazda’s next-generation minicar and promises a fuel economy of 75 mpg. Click here for a more detailed report. Read More

Editor's note: High Gear Media wants you to write for us. Here's what happens when you do--you get published alongside the pros, if your post is smart, well-written and has the grammar goods. Congratulations to Kinder Essington for being the first-ever High Gear Media enthusiast to be published on one of our core sites--TheCarConnection, Motor Authority, GreenCarReports and CelebsandCars. Want to be the next? We have 39 sites waiting for your words--check them out, sign up, and join us in the auto world's fast lane.

First, let's get one thing straight. The new 2010 Ford Taurus is light years ahead of the most recent model, and with its...

Editor's note: High Gear Media wants you to write for us. Here's what happens when you do--you get published alongside the pros, if your post is smart, well-written and has the grammar goods. Congratulations to Kinder Essington for being the first-ever High Gear Media enthusiast to be published on one of our core sites--TheCarConnection, Motor Authority, GreenCarReports and CelebsandCars. Want to be the next? We have 39 sites waiting for your words--check them out, sign up, and join us in the auto world's fast lane. First, let's get one thing straight. The new 2010 Ford Taurus is light years ahead of the most recent model, and with its fresh looks and ground-breaking technologies, it is most in keeping with the spirit of the original Taurus of 1986.  But naming its EcoBoosted model the SHO indicates a total misunderstanding of the brand. The original SHO Taurus (I owned two in a row) was a visceral machine. It was powered by version of the standard 3.0 liter Vulcan V-6 re-engineered by Yamaha featuring among other things a long and a sort set of intake runners.  Below 3,500 RPM, the long runners provided good torque characteristics, which made the car very tractable around town.  But when the short runners opened up above 3,500, the whole car took on a different character...the engine howled, vibrations shot through the car and it lept toward the rev limiter.  The engine itself was good for some 8,000 RPM, but the accessories (alternator, power steering pump etc) whold have turned to road shrapnel.  This powerplant put 225 hp through a front-drive system at a time when 200 hp was considered the front-drive max. Add to this the amazing inclusion of a five-speed manual transmission, which was engineered into the original vehicle because fleet cars of the day were required to offer a four-cylinder and a manual transmission--a Taurus version that never sold to anybody. Without this fleet car feature, the original SHO would never have been the cult success it was (even though the ratios left much to be desired). (Ed. note--the manual on the SHO was different from the four-cylinder manual.) Then enter the DN101 Taurus of 1996.  The SHO name was carried over to a new, V-8-powered car with an automatic transmission.  No manual available.  I drove this car on the Dearborn track and was sorely disappointed. It was a heavier car. The performance off the line was adequate, but in the mid-range, where the old SHO did its Jekyll/Hyde act, the new car felt flat. And with no manual to play with, the new SHO was just a V-8-powered car. At the time I described the old car as a home-built hydroplane with a screaming Mercury outboard clamped to the stern, while the new car was more like a vintage mahogany speedboat...fast but stately. I pleaded with my compatriots to ask that the SHO moniker be dropped and the car sold simply as a V-8-powered Taurus (minus the effective but dorky-looking spoiler). Of course I was ignored and the DN101 Taurus was soon discontinued. The 2010 Taurus SHO is an even heavier car, the characteristics of the powerplant have been described as smooth and linear and again, no manual transmission. In other words, it's no SHO. And finally, it seems to me that the EcoBoost brand is a lot more important to Ford's future than is SHO (the EcoBoosted 2010 Ford Flex carries no SHO designation), so the emphasis should be there, not on some old promise of explosive excitement which also happens to be missing in the new car. Now a good question is, should a marketing blunder be cause for not winning the NACOTY? An overpromise or a mis-promise is as much a failure as bad brakes. These days you need great cars and insightful marketing to qualify for greatness, not one or the other. -------------------------------- Write your own car blog at High Gear Media! Sign up to write and tell car enthusiasts and shoppers what you think about your vehicle or today's car news and get published to High Gear Media sites like AllSmallCars, LexusReports, FamilyCarGuide and more! Read More

The web is already buzzing with the snake-branded American supercar's potential benefit from Chrysler's new association with Ferrari parent company Fiat. The latest rumor? A Ferrari-derived V-10 powerplant in the works for the next-gen Dodge Viper.

Just a few months ago Chrysler was trying to sell off the Viper brand and its factory as the dark veil of bankruptcy descended. But now the future looks bright, with CEO Sergio Marchionne professing a desire to see the brand live on and now the latest talk of a Prancing Horse-inspired mill.

Originating with anonymous Fiat sources cited by Car and Driver, the reports are still anything but...

The web is already buzzing with the snake-branded American supercar's potential benefit from Chrysler's new association with Ferrari parent company Fiat. The latest rumor? A Ferrari-derived V-10 powerplant in the works for the next-gen Dodge Viper. Just a few months ago Chrysler was trying to sell off the Viper brand and its factory as the dark veil of bankruptcy descended. But now the future looks bright, with CEO Sergio Marchionne professing a desire to see the brand live on and now the latest talk of a Prancing Horse-inspired mill. Originating with anonymous Fiat sources cited by Car and Driver, the reports are still anything but official. Still, the talk of a turning the Viper from the little-known brute-force powerhouse it is now into the brand-defining halo car for Dodge is an attractive one for enthusiasts. The V10 engine at the heart of all this speculation would be a two-cylinder extension of the Fiat family V8. With 90-degree cylinder banks and pushrod-actuated valves, the Viper version would be a bit of a cross-breed, skipping the high-tech flat-plane crank found in the Ferrari version. Of course, the original Viper V-10 was born of collaboration with Lamborghini, so it's oddly appropriate another Italian supercar maker should help out this time around. The current 600-horsepower, 8.4-liter V-10 in the 2009 Viper SRT10 uses Mechadyne variable cam timing and pushrod valve actuation, so it's certainly not anything that would hold the car back. After all, the Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR is the current unofficial Nurburgring production car lap record holder with a time of 7:22.1 - over four seconds quicker than the 2009 Corvette ZR1 or 2010 Nissan GT-R. [Car and Driver] Read More

Diesel is just beginning to make its comeback in the U.S., and BMW is ready to capitalize on that with a more powerful version of its 3.0L twin-turbo six-cylinder diesel engine. The extra grunt will help to move larger cars around more efficiently.

And larger cars are likely to be the first beneficiaries of the new engine. The European 735d is expected to get the engine first, followed by the 535d and 335d. Other 35d models, such as the X5 xDrive 35d could also get the powerplant. The new engine rates a cool 306hp (228kW), and in typical diesel fashion, impresses with 443lb-ft (600Nm) of torque.

Here in the U.S., both of those models are... Diesel is just beginning to make its comeback in the U.S., and BMW is ready to capitalize on that with a more powerful version of its 3.0L twin-turbo six-cylinder diesel engine. The extra grunt will help to move larger cars around more efficiently. And larger cars are likely to be the first beneficiaries of the new engine. The European 735d is expected to get the engine first, followed by the 535d and 335d. Other 35d models, such as the X5 xDrive 35d could also get the powerplant. The new engine rates a cool 306hp (228kW), and in typical diesel fashion, impresses with 443lb-ft (600Nm) of torque. Here in the U.S., both of those models are already eligible for an IRS tax credit, thanks to the efficiency of their current diesel engines. With a 4% boost over the engine in the 335d and X5 xDrive 35d right now, the new engine should also qualify for the tax credit. It's not yet clear, however, if or when BMW plans to roll the new engine out, and if the U.S. is on the distribution list. Diesels still aren't a high priority here, so it may take some time if it happens at all. Via: Autoblog.nl Read More

Jaguar's transfer to new ownership last year had many, from customers to dealers to industry analysts, worried about what might come of it. But Tata Motors' ownership has so far proven reassuring in its commitment to the Jaguar brand. The latest word from Ratan Tata reaffirms the vision Tata has for Jaguar, and it looks like an attractive one.

The current economic recession has hit the globe hard in almost every sector - the car industry in particular finding it tough. Jaguar's position within the industry is similarly poor - though it has a plan for coming out the other side, and it includes a focus on a new roadster.

Tata has previously... Jaguar's transfer to new ownership last year had many, from customers to dealers to industry analysts, worried about what might come of it. But Tata Motors' ownership has so far proven reassuring in its commitment to the Jaguar brand. The latest word from Ratan Tata reaffirms the vision Tata has for Jaguar, and it looks like an attractive one. The current economic recession has hit the globe hard in almost every sector - the car industry in particular finding it tough. Jaguar's position within the industry is similarly poor - though it has a plan for coming out the other side, and it includes a focus on a new roadster. Tata has previously confirmed that development of the roadster was well underway and that it was currently in the early stages of the design phase. According to Motor Trend, the car will miss its originally scheduled 2011 release date though the extra development time will allow Jaguar to offer a new plug-in hybrid option. The advanced drivetrain will reportedly feature a fuel-efficient three-cylinder petrol engine matched to an electric motor running on lithium-ion batteries. We already know that the British government has provided Jaguar with funding in order to speed up the development of emissions reducing technologies, and there have also been reports that the company is planning a plug-in hybrid option for its upcoming XJ flagship saloon as well. As for the roadster, expected to see Jaguar’s new 5.0L V8 engine rated at 385hp (287kW) in standard trim and 510hp (380kW) with a supercharger strapped on for the range-topping model. Even the company’s new 3.0L V6 diesel would pack enough punch to be exceptionally fun at 272hp (203kW) and 442lb-ft (600Nm) of torque, not to mention giving the expected diesel Mercedes-Benz SLK a run for its money. Jaguar recently registered the ‘C-XE’ trademark with the UK Intellectual Property Office, suggesting that the XE will appear at least in concept form. The concept version of the XF was labelled the C-XF, which means the new roadster model will likely be called the XE. Read More

Four teams have reportedly paid the necessary deposit to reserve a supply of Cosworth's customer formula one engine for 2010.

Accompanying the sport's lower-cost future, the independent British company is set to return to F1 next year at the initiative of the FIA, guaranteeing a low-cost engine amid quit threats of engine makers that are currently involved.

Peter Windsor, the British journalist behind the USGPE (formerly USF1) team, confirmed at Monaco that accompanying a team's official 2010 entry must be an arrangement for an engine supplier.

He said USF1 has indeed done a deal with Cosworth, and Germany's Auto Motor und Sport claims... Four teams have reportedly paid the necessary deposit to reserve a supply of Cosworth's customer formula one engine for 2010. Accompanying the sport's lower-cost future, the independent British company is set to return to F1 next year at the initiative of the FIA, guaranteeing a low-cost engine amid quit threats of engine makers that are currently involved. Peter Windsor, the British journalist behind the USGPE (formerly USF1) team, confirmed at Monaco that accompanying a team's official 2010 entry must be an arrangement for an engine supplier. He said USF1 has indeed done a deal with Cosworth, and Germany's Auto Motor und Sport claims that the arrangement must have involved the transfer of €2.5 million. The publication said three other potential 2010 entrants have also paid the Cosworth deposit: including probably Campos Racing and Joan Villadelprat's Epsilon Euskadi. "It is true that we are trying (to set up a F1 team)," Villadelprat confirmed to the Spanish newspaper El Pais. "At the moment I would say the chances of the project coming to fruition is 50 per cent." Before Cosworth left F1 in 2006, it had been part of the league for 43 years. Its return is already anticipated by fans and foes alike, as primary manufacturers prepare to do battle with private teams on a level not seen in recent years. Read More