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UK's Loughborough University improving Ford's 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine

How much does it cost for college students to study zero emissions vehicles? At Loughborough University in the UK, a new Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) is being built at a cost of a billion pounds ($1.7 billion US). The school has just announce that it will fund a number of grad student positions and is creating a new Chair in Advanced Propulsion Systems, which sounds like a fun job to us. We're weird like that. There will be a total of four professor-type positions in the new Center, including the chair, all focused on teaching students about low-carbon vehicle technologies, specifically electric and hybrid ones. The school is investing 1.5 million pounds ($2.5 million) for the new positions. There is a bigger picture as well, a 26-million pound ($44 million) Advanced Combustion Turbocharged Integrated Variable-valvetrain Engine (ACTIVE) project, which uses funds not only from the school but also from Ford and others. The point of ACTIVE is to study Ford's 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine and "improve further its efficiency and ensure it exceeds 2020 emission regulations." This is already a popular engine for the automaker, and it will need to stay at the bleeding edge of efficiency to remain as important in 2020 as it is today. Loughborough University has been working with automakers on advanced energy technologies for years, for example with Rolls-Royce and fuel cells in 2007 and the Lotus Hotfire engine in 2008. University invests GBP1.5M in advanced propulsion research to advance zero emissions vehicles challenge Loughborough University is investing GBP1.5M over five years in strategic research appointments, inspired by the global challenge to develop the new advanced propulsion technologies required for the move to zero emission vehicles. These appointments reinforce the University's world-class research in low-carbon vehicle technologies, adding new dimensions concerned with electric and hybrid drives. Four appointments will be made, including a Chair in Advanced Propulsion Systems, supported by a number of PhD studentships. The GBP1.5M investment is part of the University's commitment to the recently announced Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) to support the development of new supply chains for low carbon vehicles. APC is an initiative established by the Automotive Council that will see GBP1 billion of investment from government and industry over the next 10 years.

Ford Figo concept unveiled in India

Ford has officially unveiled the Figo Concept at the 2014 Auto Expo in New Delhi. While it may wear a concept badge, we'd argue this little sedan, which is under 12 feet long, looks ready to replace the current Figo and do battle with other B-segment cars in the world's emerging markets.
"With the Figo Concept, we are showing that choosing a compact sedan does not mean compromising on premium design or smart solutions," said Kumar Galhotra, Ford's VP of engineering, global product development. That premium design includes Ford's familial, trapezoidal grille and Fusion-esque headlights in front, while the rear end reminds us of the last-generation Focus Coupe. While that car wasn't exactly attractive, the chopped off tail looks pretty nice on this smaller car. And if you really don't like the looks of the Figo Concept, just remember - it looks better than the current production model. Aerodynamically, the Figo's shape is quite slippery, which means reduced wind noise and improved fuel economy.
As for the "smart solutions" touted by Galhotra, the narrow confines of Indian streets make driving even the tiniest cars a challenge. To give the Figo Concept a one-up on the competition, Ford has fitted power-folding mirrors that sport a "flexible architecture," which should stand up well to bumps from cars, people or bikes. We don't have any interior images, but Ford is promising a large cabin, that includes a dock that can accommodate a phone or MP3 player, allowing either to be controlled through the car.

Project CARS 2 is coming

It's barely been a month since we released our review on Project CARS, and already, developers Slightly Mad Studios is preparing a sequel. It'll use the same crowd-funding formula that put together such a successful game this time around. The sequel was announced on the World of Mass Development portal, the same source of crowdfunding for the first Project CARS. Among the enhancements Slightly Mad is planning, there's the usual promise of more tracks and cars, but what we're really looking forward to is the news hidden in that promise. Project CARS 2 will boast bigger, more exciting forms of racing, including rallycross. In total, there will be over "50 unique locations and 200+ courses," "8 different disciplines," and "200+ cars from over 40 different vehicle classes including never-before-seen Concepts and Banned Race Cars." Yes, this all sounds very good. Project CARS 2 will also add a new customizable test track feature, and there will be an increased emphasis on both co-op and social gameplay and "skill and behavioral-based matchmaking" in online play. The crowdfunding campaign for the new title is currently underway, although it's unclear when we'll get a planned release date. As for our own wish list, it's remarkably short. We'd like a more fully fleshed out career mode, actual vehicle upgrades and customization options, and a genuine economy would be welcomed additions. Part of the fun of racing titles is working up the coin to acquire new and exciting cars. It's not that we mind full access to the game's entire roster of vehicles, we just wish that in the career mode, there was a bit more planning and challenge to getting ahold of new racers. In short, we want the best parts of Forza Motorsport with combined with the best parts of Project CARS. Oh, and if the frame-rate issues we experienced on the Xbox One could be sorted out too. What would you like to see included in Project CARS 2? Perhaps cleaner menus? A better soundtrack? Have your say down in Comments. Until then, check out the launch announcement over at WMD. Related Video: Featured Gallery Project CARS 2 News Source: World of Mass Development via Kotaku Toys/Games Ford Racing Vehicles video games xbox one playstation 4 project cars slightly mad studios