V6
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Mercedes-Benz V-6 engines are not long for this world, but it's not all bad news. Ola Källenius, head of Mercedes research and development, did confirm the brand will phase out V-6 engine, but it means a return of the inline-6. Road & Track reported on Källenius' comments on Tuesday after a roundtable interview at the 2018 Detroit auto show. The strategy behind new inline-6s and the V-6's retirement surrounds a shift to more inline-4 powered vehicles. The inline-6 and inline-4 are natural partners, just like the V-8 and V-6 engine were for decades, the R&D chief said...
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Video: Ford taking on luxury carmakers with new Taurus ads
Acura and Lexus aren't the brands you'd normally think of when you think of Ford's competition, but those are exactly the targets of Ford's latest ad campaign for the new 2010 Taurus. Featuring a series of torture tests, the ads try to convey the level of quality and value offered by the big...
Nelson Ireson -
V6-powered TSX joins Acura’s 2010 lineup
Acura teased us back at February’s Chicago Auto Show with a new V6-powered version of its TSX sports sedan, and now the car is finally ready to go sale as part of the automaker’s updated 2010 lineup. The midsize sedan picks up Acura’s familiar 3.5L V6 from its TL and RL siblings...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Lexus wants to build RX 450h hybrid in Canada?
The RX line of SUVs has been Lexus' best-selling luxury utility vehicle since its launch in 1998, and the new generation takes the vehicle into a larger, more powerful realm, while at the same time adding new efficiency-enhancing measures in the hybrid model. Currently, the RX SUV range is...
James Martinez -
Report: BMW to introduce upgraded 306hp twin-turbo diesel
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...
Alex Kaufmann -
Ford releases new high-res Taurus SHO photos, configurator alongside launch event
The 2010 Ford Taurus SHO launch event is currently underway, and driving impressions are still under wraps for a few days yet but Ford has seen fit to let our eyes feast on a new set of high-res photos of the forced-induction family sedan with a mean streak. The AWD, twin-turbo 365hp EcoBoost V6...
Alex Kaufmann -
Despite all the excitement over Ford's EcoBoost twin-turbo six-cylinder engine lineup, the company has yet to drop it into the most likely candidate: the Mustang. That's still the case, but at least a new 3.7L V6 is being tipped to replace the aging 4.0L V6 currently in use. Despite its displacement the 4.0L unit only generates 210hp (156kW) and isn't as gentle to the fuel bill as it could be. The Duratec 3.7L unit expected to replace it, however, will benefit from newer engineering and possibly also direct injection in the near future. The engine won't slot into the Mustang until the 2011...
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Lexus RX crossover awarded IIHS Top Safety Pick
Anyone in the market for the new 2010 Lexus RX can rest assure they are buying one of the safest crossovers available as the vehicle has just earned the highest safety rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Along with the 2009 Toyota Venza, the new RX receives the...
Ralph Hanson -
Nissan GT-R SpecV turbochargers suggest room for more power
For a long time now, news of the Nissan GT-R SpecV has been making the rounds, with many expecting the new model to outdo even the mighty Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 when it finally takes to the Nurburgring for an official run. Part of these rumors was the assumption that the SpecV model would not be...
Kenneth Hall -
Cadillac SRX goes on sale this summer, priced from $34,155
Cadillac’s North American model lineup is about to expand with the addition of two exciting new models: the 2010 model year SRX crossover and CTS Sport Wagon. The first model to go on sale will be the SRX, which Cadillac has confirmed today will be priced from $34,155 when it arrives in...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Nissan 370Z Roadster debuts at New York Auto Show
With the first batch of 370Z Coupes rolling out of showrooms across the United States, Nissan has unveiled the new Roadster version of the car at this week’s New York Auto Show. While the last-generation 350Z drop-top was often criticized for its awkward proportions, the lines of the new...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Nissan reviewing U.S. diesel plans
Diesel engine sales have stagnated in the U.S. due largely to lingering perceptions of the clattering, foul smelling contraptions of the 1970s and earlier. It hasn’t helped that many carmakers have been reluctant to even offer them because of the relatively high cost of emissions...
James Martinez -
Twin-turbos, 365hp - stock - aggressive looks and...four doors? A Blue Oval on the grille? The Ford Taurus SHO is a legendary nameplate with a promising new face for the 2010 model year, and the tuners at Hennessey Performance have taken notice. Not much about the planned modifications are yet known, but before 2009 is over the Hennessey gang will have upgrades for the SHO ready, including intake and exhaust, boost controller and gauges, upgraded turbos, higher capacity intercoolers, improved suspension and more on the table. Already rated at 365hp (272kW) from the factory, the SHO is set to...
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Touareg Hybrid set to join Volkswagen BlueMotion range next year
Volkswagen, looking to improve the efficiency of its fleets, has released today details about a number of new and upcoming technologies that it has grouped under its BlueMotion environmental tag. These technologies include engine start-stop systems, regenerative braking, electric propulsion, hybrid...
Alex Kaufmann -
Leaked brochure confirms EcoBoost for 2010 Ford Taurus
It's amazing what a few lines of text can do, and while a few leaked details on the powertrain of the 2010 Ford Taurus is not in a league with the Declaration of Independence, both serve to illustrate the power of words. In this case, it's the power of an acronym - 3.5L GTDI - that conveys a hint...
Nelson Ireson -
Live photos: 2010 Nissan GT-R SpecV
Nissan earlier this month revealed details for its new limited-production GT-R SpecV model, which goes on sale in Japan early in February and is expected to arrive in the U.S. later this year. The SpecV is targeted specifically at enthusiast drivers who desire race car-level performance in a...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Ford reveals 2010 Taurus sedan pricing
Ford’s facelifted Taurus sedan was revealed today just hours ahead of its debut at the Detroit Auto Show, revealing a new design theme that was first showcased on the updated Fusion range and is expected to filter across more Ford models over the next couple of years. Alongside the unveiling...
Ralph Hanson -
New Renault-Nissan V6 diesel to power wide range of cars, SUVs
Diesel engine sales have stagnated in the U.S. because of lingering perceptions of the clattering, foul-smelling contraptions of the 1970s and earlier. Many carmakers have been reluctant to even offer them in America because of the cost of emissions certification and small profit margins, but...
Nelson Ireson -
Sporty, luxurious crossovers, like the crossover niche in general, haven't had the success the industry might have hoped for. Nevertheless, there is a definite market for the vehicles, and Cadillac has just unveiled its latest contender for the driveways of those buyers. Cadillac gave us a sneak preview of the 2010 SRX at the 2008 Pebble Beach Show, and later in a video as it flung snow about, powersliding over a frozen lake. Designed to offer similar aggressive style and sporty handling to the award-winning CTS sedan but also with clear cues from the fuel-cell Provoq concept, the SRX...
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Dyno tests confirm Nissan GT-R drivetrain loss, power ratings
Testing cars for power ratings is a tough and tricky business - accounting for different conditions, locations, equipment and techniques can make it tough to generalize results. And to make matters worse, there is often a lot of guesswork employed to get between real, delivered wheel horsepower and...
Ralph Hanson -
Rumored full specs for Nissan GT-R Spec-V
Nissan execs have confirmed the existence of a Spec-V GT-R, a lighter and more powerful version of the already extreme Japanese supercar, and we now have what is rumored to be final specs for the car based on information revealed at this weekend’s 12th annual Nismo Festival in Japan. The...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Report: Updated S5 to feature supercharged V6
Audi’s decision to downsize the engine in the recently revealed S4 range from a naturally-aspirated V8 in the previous model to a forced-induction V6 is set to be repeated for a number of important performance models from the Germany luxury carmaker. According to latest reports the facelifted...
Ralph Hanson -
Renault offering two new V6 engines in Laguna
Following the lead taken from the Renault Laguna Coupe, both the hatchback and estate variants of the Renault Laguna will be available with a 3.5L petrol V6 and a 3.0L dCi diesel engine. Both of these engines will likely be based on Nissan's award winning VQ family of engines. Both V6 engines are...
Kenneth Hall -
Pontiac to offer four-cylinder G6 Coupe for mid-cycle update
A mid-year refresh brings a smaller, more efficient 2.4L four-cylinder engine to Pontiac's G6 Coupe despite tumbling gas prices. Car sales have tumbled even further, however, and fuel prices are likely to rise, so the decision is surprising only in its lateness - the G6 Coupe had previously only...
Ralph Hanson