2013 Porsche 911 4s on 2040-cars

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Ward's Automotive Ten Best Engines of 2014 dominated by diesels, turbos

With the Car and Driver Ten Best decided, the North American Car and Truck of the Year finalists announced and Cadillac, Ram and Subaru chalking up wins with Motor Trend, it's fair to say that the automotive awards season is in full swing. The next set of trophies to be handed out will be from Ward's Automotive, which has announced the winners of its 2014 10 Best Engines.
The latest contest was marked by the widespread emergence of diesel power and the continued success of turbocharged engines. There was even an electric motor on this year's list. In fact, only three of the ten winners were naturally aspirated and only two winners returned from last year.
"We weren't looking to throw the bums out, as they might say about an election. We were just really impressed with the flood of new powertrains," said Ward's Automotive Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter. Those new powertrains include the 83-kilowatt electric motor from the Fiat 500e, the 1.0-liter, EcoBoost three-cylinder from the Ford Fiesta and the 2.0-liter turbodiesel from the Chevrolet Cruze.

Audi spearheads development of an ultra-luxurious EV code-named Landjet

The rumors claiming Audi wants to release a model positioned above the A8, and the reports of an ongoing electric car development program called Artemis internally, have seemingly converged. Citing sources inside the carmaker, a German media outlet reported the firm is busily creating a super-luxurious EV code-named Landjet. Audi is leading the development process, but sister companies Bentley and Porsche will reportedly receive their own version of the Landjet. All three models will likely take the form of three-row SUVs with generous dimensions. They'll be so big that none of Audi's production facilities will be able to manufacture them, according to an anonymous insider who spoke with German newspaper Handelsblatt. Luckily, Volkswagen makes vans, too. It's too early to tell what will power the Landjets. Audi assigned some of its most brilliant engineers to Project Artemis, and the technology they develop will permeate the three EVs before trickling down into cheaper models in the group. Expect high performance, a high driving range, and semi-automated driving technology. If the report is accurate, the Landjet vehicles will enter production in Hanover, Germany, by the end of 2024. The facility currently makes the Volkswagen Transporter, which is a direct descendant of the rear-engined Bus sold for decades, and it will start manufacturing the production version of the ID.Buzz concept in the coming years. Volkswagen hasn't commented on the report, and car companies rarely address speculation, but its Commercial Vehicles division released a statement in November 2020 that confirms the Hanover site will begin building SUVs about halfway through the 2020s. It's a major shift for a factory normally tasked with manufacturing vans. "Our main plant in Hanover is becoming the production site for three completely new premium electric vehicles in the Group. These D-SUVs are genuine flagship projects: premium, 100% electric, and highly automated," said Carsten Intra, the head of Volkswagen's Commercial Vehicles division, in a statement. He added the firm will invest about 680 million euros (about $807 million) to build a new assembly line, among other upgrades.

2017 Porsche 911 gains AWD traction for its turbos [w/video]

The new 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 (in all its numerous iterations) joins its downsized, turbocharged, rear-drive brethren, but adds the benefit of an electro-hydraulically controlled all-wheel-drive system. These latest additions to the 911 family feature all updates applied to the new Carrera, both cosmetic and functional. The rear-end bodywork is also widened by 1.7 inches, with a light strip running across the tail. There are two engine choices, but either way you're getting a 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six. The base version produces 370 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque, while the S model cranks up to 420 hp and 368 lb-ft. Then you'll need to choose your transmission: seven-speed manual or dual-clutch. Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) suspension comes standard, but the Sport Chrono package (which adds a 918-inspired drive mode selector switch on the steering wheel) is an option. Four-wheel steering is available on 4S models as well. And of course you'll need to choose between body-styles. There are three in all: coupe, convertible, or Targa – each available in either engine tune. Those are largely the same choices you'd have to have made for the previous models, but now they're faster and more powerful, while delivering up to 12-percent higher efficiency. Zero-to-60 times are down 0.3 seconds over the preceding, naturally aspirated models: the Carrera 4 is quoted at 3.9 seconds, and the 4S at just 3.6. Convertible and Targa models add 0.2 seconds to those times, with top speeds ranging from 178 to 189 miles per hour. Pricing for the US starts at $97,295 (with delivery) for the new 911 Carrera 4, and stretches all the way up to $123,595 for the Targa 4S. Don't feel the need to rush your decision though, as the all-wheel-drive 911s won't start hitting dealers Stateside until April of next year. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. THE PORSCHE 911 CARRERA 4 AND 911 TARGA 4 MODELS WITH NEW TURBOCHARGED ENGINES AND ENHANCED ALL-WHEEL DRIVE SYSTEMS ATLANTA, Oct. 6, 2015 -- With the new 2017 911 Carrera 4 and 911 Targa 4 models, the traction advantage courtesy of an enhanced all-wheel drive system is paired with innovative turbocharged engines that are more powerful and consume less fuel than their predecessors.