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Red Bull says VW deal in F1 now 'up in smoke'

The Volkswagen diesel scandal will likely have long-term repercussions, reverberating across the industry potentially for years to come – the likes of which we're only beginning to discover. And that could include Formula One. Now if you're thinking that VW doesn't compete in F1, you're right. Even between all of its various brands, the group has little history in post-war grand prix racing. But if was getting close. As we reported last week, the German auto giant and the Red Bull Racing team were nearing an agreement that would (or would have) seen the former take over the latter. The deal was said to include VW developing a new power unit (as the combined turbo engine and electric motor are referred to in the sport) and acquiring the multiple championship-winning team, with the energy drink company that now owns it transitioning back to a more traditional sponsorship role. It remained to be seen, though, just which of its many brands VW would choose to promote through the new program. Team principal Christian Horner, however, now says that the deal has "seemed to go up in smoke." That doesn't mean that it's off the table entirely and indefinitely, but it would follow logically that between the scandal it's currently facing, the ensuing change in leadership, and drop in stock value, the board in Wolfsburg has other problems to focus on and devote its resources. While ostensibly a logical move for Volkswagen, that would leave Red Bull in a difficult position. The Renault partnership that once led to utter domination with four back-to-back world championships has since fallen dramatically off pace. Although it impressively held on last season to come second in the championship with three race wins, it hasn't won a race yet this season – and heading into this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix, stood fourth in the standings... its worst position since 2008. "With the way the regulations are, unless you have a Mercedes or Ferrari power unit it is quite simply impossible to compete," said Horner. "And if we are not able to compete, then you have to question what is the validity of remaining in F1." If the Volkswagen deal does indeed fall through, the team will likely need to buy its power units from another supplier – with its chief rivals as the only likely candidates. Related Video:

Volkswagen Jetta getting new 1.4L turbo four

In yet another example of engine downsizing, Volkswagen has announced it is slotting a new 1.4-liter turbo four into the Jetta. The smaller, forced-induction engine will replace the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter four in the Jetta S and the 1.8-liter turbo four in the Jetta SE, bringing with it direct injection and improved fuel economy. The 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine is from the EA211 family. It's made of aluminum and features a compact single-scroll compressor, an intercooler integrated into the injection-molded induction pipe, exhaust manifold integrated into the head, variable intake and exhaust valve timing, direct fuel injection, dual overhead cams driven by a toothed belt, and a 10.0:1 compression ratio. All that adds up to 150 horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque, mated in the Jetta to either a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy figures have yet to be certified, but are projected to come in at around 39 miles per gallon on the highway with the automatic, representing 13- and 7-percent improvements over the units it replaces. The EA211 is Volkswagen's new global small gasoline engine family, manufactured principally by Skoda in the Czech Republic. It's set to replace the old EA111 series, offering higher efficiency in a more compact and adaptable package. The Jetta Hybrid already uses essentially the same engine paired with an electric motor, and is being adapted to three-cylinder formats as well. INTRODUCTION OF NEW 1.4T ENGINE REINFORCES VOLKSWAGEN'S LEADERSHIP IN TURBOCHARGED, DIRECT INJECTION TECHNOLOGY Aug 4, 2015 Fitment of EA211 engine in Jetta models extends implementation of intelligent downsizing to 97 percent of Volkswagen vehicles sold in the U.S. market Traverse City, MI — Volkswagen pioneered the use of small displacement; highly efficient turbocharged and direct-injection engines in the U.S. Volkswagen first used this combination of turbocharging and direct injection in this market in its TDI® Clean Diesel engines in the Passat in 1996 and extended it into the gasoline field in the 2006 Jetta GLI and GTI models. Since then, the Volkswagen EA888 four-cylinder engine has set the benchmark for small-displacement turbocharged engines, beginning with the 2009 CC, while the EA288 TDI has set the standard for diesel engines in the North American market since it first appeared in the 2009 Jetta TDI Clean Diesel.

2015 Green Car Of The Year finalists announced, run alt-fuel gamut

The 2015 edition of the Green Car of the Year award is following right in the footsteps of previous years with a variety of alt-fuel powertrains making the just-announced finalists list. You've got your plug-in vehicle (the BMW i3), your compressed natural gas (the Chevy Impala Bi-Fuel), your high-efficiency diesel (the Audi A3 TDI), your 40+ mile-per-gallon gas engine (the Honda Fit) and, finally, a car that can do a little bit of everything (the VW Golf). The Golf is available – at least in some parts of the US – with three different powertrains: a 2.0-liter diesel, a gasoline engine and all-electric drive. The Impala can burn either natural gas or gasoline in its 3.6-liter engine. The A3 is an efficiency champ, able to get 73.5 mpg on some European tests. The i3 can be a pure electric vehicle or come with a short range extending engine. And the Fit brings 41 miles to the gallon in a practical, affordable package. The GCOY award is announced every year at the Los Angeles Auto Show by Green Car Journal. The committee doesn't just take the fuel-saving technology into account, but also a vehicle's "availability to the mass market." Last year, the Honda Accord Hybrid/Plug-In Hybrid won top honors, following up on wins from the Ford Fusion models (plug-in hybrid and hybrid) for 2013, the Honda Civic Natural Gas for 2012 and the Chevrolet Volt for 2011. FINALISTS ANNOUNCED FOR 2015 "GREEN CAR OF THE YEAR"" Green Car Journal to Reveal Winner of 10th Annual Award at LA Auto Show" Press & Trade Days, November 20 LOS ANGELES, CA (October 21, 2014) – Green Car Journal has announced its five finalists for the magazine's high-profile 2015 Green Car of the Year® program. The 2015 models include the Audi A3 TDI, BMW i3, Chevrolet Impala Bi-Fuel, Honda Fit, and VW Golf. The Green Car of the Year® award, an honor widely recognized as the auto industry's most important environmental accolade, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. An increasing number of vehicle models are considered for the Green Car of the Year® program each year, a reflection of the auto industry's expanding efforts in offering new vehicles with higher efficiency and improved environmental impact. Green Car Journal has been honoring the most important "green" vehicles every year at the LA Auto Show, since its inaugural award announced at the show in 2005.