1997 Toyota Camry Le Sedan 4-door 2.2l 32 Mpg Needs Nothing Runs Great on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Cosworth announces Power Packages for Subaru BRZ, Scion FR-S with up to 380 hp [w/video]

Cosworth stands on the list of the most famous engine tuners in the world with its DFV engine engine dominating Formula One for a time in the '70s. So when it teases plans to take on the FA20 engine from Subaru and Toyota found in the BRZ, Scion FR-S and Toyota GT86 abroad, our interest is indeed piqued. Cosworth is promising to take the 2.0-liter, four-cylinder boxer engine from its current 200 horsepower all the way to 325 hp and even 380 hp in a future track version through a series of staged Power Packages. At the moment, only the first stage is available that takes the mill to a potent 230 hp.
Cosworth says that its new strategy is to offer its upgrades in kits rather than individually so that it can be sure that everything works and fits when owners receive it. The Stage 1 Power Package emphasizes helping the FA20 breathe better and includes a nearly complete replacement for the stock exhaust system. There is a sports exhaust with four-inch, diagonally cut, polished tips and Y-shaped muffler, an overpipe front pipe with a spherical resonator and a new manifold header that is 22 percent lighter the standard unit. In addition to that, the kit comes with a software reflash, low temperature thermostat, Cosworth badge and plaque.
The stage one kit is available now, and stages two and three go on sale later this summer, according to its website. Autoblog contacted Cosworth for pricing information for the kits. We will update this story, if we hear back. The company also released a video showing off the exhaust upgrades. Scroll down to watch it and read the full release, below.

White House clears way for NHTSA to mandate vehicle black boxes

At present, over 90 percent of all new vehicles sold in the United States today are equipped with event data recorders, more commonly known as black boxes. If the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gets its way, that already high figure will swell to a full 100 percent in short order.
Such automotive black boxes have been in existence since the 1990s, and all current Ford, General Motors, Mazda and Toyota vehicles are so equipped. NHTSA has been attempting to make these data recorders mandatory for automakers, and according to The Detroit News, the White House Office of Management Budget has just finished reviewing the proposal, clearing the way. Now NHTSA is expected to draft new legislation to make the boxes a requirement.
One problem with current black boxes is that there's no set of standards for automakers to follow when creating what bits of data are recorded, and for how long or in what format it is stored. In other words, one automaker's box is probably not compatible with its competitors.

Recharge Wrap-up: Audi to build Q6 e-tron in Brussels, Boris Johnson test drives Toyota Mirai

Audi will build the Q6 e-tron at its factory in Brussels, Belgium. Production for the electric vehicle - which will be based on the concept car from the Frankfurt Motor Show in September - is slated for 2018. Its expected driving range of about 311 miles should help make it competitive against the Tesla Model X. Audi's Brussels plant is also where the A1 is made. It employs about 2,500 workers and produced about 115,000 vehicles in 2014. Read more from Automotive News Europe. During a visit to Toyota Headquarters, London Mayor Boris Johnson confirmed that Transport for London will be the UK's first Toyota Mirai customer. Mayor Johnson traveled to Japan on a three-day trade mission, and took a test drive of the fuel cell vehicle. "By embracing this technology of the future, we aim to consolidate hydrogen's role as a practical alternative fuel for the 21st century and beyond," says Johnson. "I am sure that Transport for London will provide the ideal environment for us to see everything Mirai can do and, in doing so, take another great step towards improving air quality in our city and protecting the health of Londoners." Read more from Toyota, or at Green Car Congress. The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) has delivered 12 electric commercial lawn mowers to government and nonprofit organizations in San Bernardino County. The donation of the electric mowers is part of a demonstration program to promote zero-emissions equipment. At prices ranging from $3,000 to $20,000, the electric mowers cost about 25 percent more than their gas-powered counterparts, but their lower operating costs can make up for the price difference in about two years. In addition, they produce about half the noise, and save about 600 pounds of harmful emissions per year. SCAQMD plans to deliver five more of the mowers as part of the same program. Read more in the press release below. SCAQMD Launches Nation's Largest Zero-Emission Commercial Lawn Mower Demonstration Program in San Bernardino SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Oct. 13, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The South Coast Air Quality Management District today delivered a dozen new, battery-electric commercial lawn mowers to agencies in San Bernardino County as part of a long-term demonstration program to promote the zero-emission equipment.