Engines

The heads of Volkswagen and Fiat are currently in a battle of words over the future of Alfa Romeo, with both sides publicly boasting they know what’s best for the struggling Italian brand. At the recent 2011 Geneva Motor Show Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piech proclaimed that he could...

Aston Martin’s engine lineup is currently limited to a range of bespoke V-8 and V-12 powerplants, developing upwards of 750 horsepower in some applications. However, just a few years ago the niche British automaker was selling cars fitted with more mundane six-cylinder engines. Such an engine...

Though we have yet to hear the official word from Lotus, reports of in-house design and construction of a new set of lightweight, high-output V-6s and V-8s from the Malaysian-British operation are growing in credibility. The latest adds some new detail as well. As we reported last December, the...

A few years ago Volkswagen was touting the benefits of its new ‘twincharger’ technology for gasoline engines. Labeled TSI, the technology essentially combined both a supercharger and a turbocharger along with direct fuel injection on a single engine to boost performance throughout the...

Who needs a mortgage (or a house) anyway? With this V-10 in your possession, you'll be the envy of any block, even if you push it around in the shopping cart that has become your residence. Or something like that. The engine itself is based largely on Le Mans Prototype class designs, and built by a...

The Ward's 10 Best Engine list is usually a graphic exercise in what we want under our hoods, but this year's list includes a pair of "engines" that give a nod to the developing reality of modern powertrains: those of the Nissan LEAF and Chevrolet Volt. OK, so maybe the Volt is only half a...

Racing used to be taboo at General Motors, once banned by a corporate edict. Not that things didn't happen under the table. But things have changed over the past 50 years, with Corvette Racing and other teams going full-bore. Now Chevrolet is jumping back into the IndyCar game with a purpose-built...

If you're perplexed as to why anyone would pay $5,800 to build their own already-paid-for engine in a new 2011 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 or Z06, you're not alone. However, at next week’s SEMA event, show goers will get the chance to experience the live build of a supercharged 6.2-liter LS9 V-8...

Chrysler is revamping its powertrain lineup with technology the automaker claims will help contribute to an overall fuel efficiency improvement of more than 25 percent during the 2010-2014 period. In fact, by 2014, more than 80 percent of Chrysler’s current powertrain lineup will have...

With the RX-8 sports car expected to be discontinued after the current model year, Mazda, the last bastion of the Wankel rotary engine, will be without a car in its lineup featuring the free-spinning engine. Why the predicament? Because Mazda just can’t seem to engineer the rotary to meet its...

Subaru has unveiled today the third and latest generation of its trademark horizontally opposed or ‘boxer’ engine, the first major redesign in 21 years. The first Subaru boxer engine was introduced in the Subaru 1000 back in 1966. Since then, the basic engine design has been refined and...

The rotary engine is a love-it or hate-it piece of engineering. Marvelously simple and compact yet viciously inefficient, variants of the spinning triangle have seen use in Mazda's cars for over 40 years. But that robust classic tech won't do the job anymore. The next Mazda rotary will have to be a...

Ford Racing and Roush have already revealed supercharger kits for the new 2011 5.0-liter Mustang V-8, and earlier this week we saw the Australians' take on the theme: the Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) supercharged Falcon. Now the talk is that the FPV Falcon's milder engines may be headed back to...

Porsche is planning to sell its redesigned 2011 Cayenne SUV in China with an entirely different, more modern standard V-6 engine than the Cayenne gets in the U.S. and elsewhere.

The upgraded engines show 22-24 percent gains in fuel economy.

Some of the BMW models that could get four-cylinder engines include the 3- and 5-Series sedans as well as the X3 and X5 SUVs.

PSA/Peugeot Citroen and BMW have been sharing engines for years now, but Peugeot boss Phillippe Varin wants to take it to the next level.

The report is unofficial, but it makes a decent argument that the days of Audi's V-10 program may be numbered.

As if the massive V8s from GM were short of power to start with, Aussie-based Walkinshaw Performance has made a new supercharger kit that’ll pump an LS3 V8 up to 566hp (422kW) and 727Nm (537lb-ft) of torque. The kit is also available for the 6.0L L98 V8. Either one will run you somewhere...

To secure its diesel future General Motors will purchase a 50% stake in Italy’s VM Motori diesel engine plant from current owner Penske Corp. in a new 50-50 joint venture. This is the same engine plant that GM co-developed its new 2.9L V6 turbodiesel, which will initially be sold in...