engine-technology

  • 2011 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback

    Not so long ago, variable valve timing systems like Honda's VTEC and Mitsubishi's MIVEC were used to extract ludicrous horsepower from relatively small capacity engines. Now, in an age of MPG rather than MPH, the carmakers are using these systems to meet a greener end, reducing fuel consumption and emissions. Mitsubishi has announced a new version of its MIVEC variable valve timing and lift system is being used in a new, 1.8-liter 138-horsepower engine for the Outlander Sport compact SUV, Lancer sedan and Lancer Sportback 5-door hatchback. Combined with a new stop-start system designed for...

  • Mercedes-Benz Nanoslide engine technology
    Mercedes-Benz Nanoslide: Ultra Low Friction Engine Tech

    If you thought a NANOSLIDE was a driving situation fixed by a dab of nanocorrection on the steering, think again. It's actually the name of a new, award-winning technology developed by Mercedes-Benz for use in engine design. NANOSLIDE technology is a way of giving the cylinder walls in an engine a...

  • Coffee Car
    Coffee-Burning Car Gives You A 77.5 MPH World Record Boost

    You might have heard of Cars and Coffee before but almost certainly not in this way... Rather than car park full of shiny supercars and classic metal, this combination of a car and coffee involves powering the former with the latter to break a land speed record. It's not as simple as giving your...

  • 2009 Honda FCX Clarity
    More Future Fuels: Bacteria To Power Hydrogen Fuel Cells?

    Hydrogen fuel cells for automotive use are one of those "great in theory, flawed in principal" ideas for the future of car propulsion. New technology using bacteria could eventually change that. Fuel cells have several advantages over pure battery-electric power, for example. Firstly, hydrogen has...

  • chevy corvette zr1 motorauthority 042
    Does Chevy's Small-Block V8 Have a Future? GM Thinks So

    In an age known for its electric vehicles, hybrid drivetrains, clean diesels and alternative fuels, you might not think there's a place in the world for a pushrod V8 with architecture dating back to the 1950s. GM disagrees though, and is currently making a case for continuing the lineage of one of...

  • Ammonia could be used as fuel. Image: Wikipedia user Ben Mills
    Ammonia: The Latest "Fuel Technology Of The Future"?

    Ammonia: Useful in fertilizers, cleaning products and fairly unpleasant in direct human contact. Used as a fuel for vehicles? Certainly not impossible, according to an article in New Scientist. John Fleming and Tim Maxwell at Texas Tech University are developing a system to produce ammonia that can...

  • 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI

    Cylinder deactivation has been with us for several years in big V8 engines. Both GM and Chrysler have used it and Audi now offers it on its S range. Rather firing on all cylinders during steady freeway driving, the units use cylinder deactivation to save fuel when the power demand is low, shutting off the power to half the cylinders. Volkswagen thinks the technology could be of use in smaller engines too and is introducing the world's first 4-cylinder engine with cylinder deactivaion. The technology will be seen in Volkswagen's next generation 1.4-liter TSI engine. The current model fitted in...

  • Thorium could be used as car fuel
    Thorium Powered Cars: A Million Miles Without Refuelling

    It reads more like a 1950s space race vision of the future than a pragmatic 21st Century theory, but we could now be a step closer to driving a nuclear-powered car. In light of the recent events in Japan following the tsunami that caused meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant, and previous events...

  • New 1.8 TFSI turbocharged four-cylinder for the Audi A5
    40 MPG And 170 BHP? Audi Engine Offers Frugality And Fun

    High performance usually means taking a hit as far as economy is concerned, and impressive economy numbers don't often provide much in the way of fun. Proving that MPG and MPH aren't mutually exclusive, Audi's new 1.8 TFSI engine boasts some impressive statistics. Turbocharging, clever fuel...

  • EcoVelocity's Volkswagen Camper Van
    EcoVelocity's Modern Tech Transforms Classics (Virtually...)

    We may spend the day writing about modern car technology, but that doesn't mean we can't appreciate the classic cars that helped form the industry we know today. Some might even suggest "they don't make 'em like they used to", and they'd be right. Unfortunately, they also lack all the safety...

  • 2011 Chevrolet Cruze
    2012 Chevrolet Cruze: High Tech Electrics Deliver Fuel Gains

    GM has recently confirmed that from 2013 the Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan will be sold with a turbodiesel engine option, allowing an auto-equipped diesel Cruze to hit low to mid 40s miles per gallon on average. Even the regular gasoline version is fairly efficient by the standards of many cars...

  • 2009 VW Passat wagon test car w/Bosch-Mahle turbocharged 1.2-liter, 3-cyl engine, from WardsAuto.com
    3-Cyl Volkswagen Passat: An Insight Into Extreme Downsizing

    Think turbocharger and you may think high performance, but the latest generation of cars are using turbochargers in order to maintain performance whilst engine capacity decreases in the push for improved fuel economy. Volkswagen is no stranger to forced induction, having used turbochargers on...

  • 2012 BMW 1-Series Hatchback

    You can make your own mind up about the styling of the upcoming 2012 BMW 1-Series hatchback, but one thing is for certain: with larger dimensions and more efficiency, the appeal of BMW's smallest model will be broader than ever. Most exciting for tech fans will be the EfficientDynamics and ConnectedDrive infotainment technology helping to make the new compact ultra efficient and safe whilst retaining all the qualities driving enthusiasts expect. ConnectedDrive will bring high-beam assistance, adaptive headlights, parking assistance with reversing camera, lane departure warning, collision...

  • Toilets sign by flickr user Koffiemetkoek
    Want A Car Powered By Human Waste? Urine Luck...

    The concept of powering a car on waste products has been around for a while, and indeed it's an idea that's very attractive for a sustainable fuel future. Why let waste go to waste? Scientists have already explored methane power harnessed by the gases that escape from good old "number twos", but...

  • Laser beams on a car windshield, photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
    Losing The Spark: Lasers May Replace Plugs For Igniting Fuel

    "You can't start a fire without a spark" sang Bruce Springsteen in his 1984 hit Dancing In The Dark. Great line, but unfortunately for old Bruce he wasn't quite technically accurate, as a research team in Japan and Romania is looking into using lasers to ignite the fuel-air mixture in combustion...

  • 2012 BMW 1-Series Coupe and Convertible
    BMW Reveals Downsized 3 Cylinder Engine, U.S-Bound?

    Home of the Ultimate Driving Machine and bringer of Joy to drivers, BMW has revealed its latest powerplant and to the casual observer or diehard enthusiast neither corporate phrase sits very easily with the new engine. The reason? It's a 3-cylinder, and it's low capacity. Buyers in Europe are used...

  • Wave Disk Generator engine
    Video: Revolutionary New Engine, 90 Percent Lower Emissions

    There may be life in the old dog yet - engines have never been the cleanest of machines, requiring fossil fuels for their power and releasing all manner of gases, elements and chemicals through the combustion process. Carmakers have come on in leaps and bounds over the last few decades to make the...

  • Renault R-Space Concept
    2011 Geneva Motor Show: Technology And Design At Swiss Show

    The Geneva Motor Show is one of the top auto shows each year for new cars, concepts and car technology, and 2011 was no exception. Under the shining lights and amongst the glamorous girls were some pretty hot ideas and cool technology, so here we've chosen our favorite gadgets, details and tech...

Follow Us on Instagram @motorauthority

News First Drives Auto Shows Photos Videos Spy Shots