1990's Mercury 25hp Outboard Motor Lower Engine Cowling on 2040-parts.com

CES: Cranking up Harman's QuantumLogic 3D surround-sound system

Yesterday we reported how Audi was readying a lavish 3D sound experience with 23 speakers and 1,400 watts of goosebump-inducing audio power. Not to be outdone, Harman had been quietly developing a system of its own: Quantum Logic 3D brings together 25 speakers and more than 2,000 watts of Tubthumping power to a new car near you, like driving inside Phil Spector's Wall of Sound. Sitting inside the demonstration BMW 7-Series that Harman painstakingly lifted into the Studio at the Palms, Global Audio Engineering vice president Phil Muzio explained, "great music is delivered in stereo, yet our consumer research indicates that people enjoy surround sound." QuantumLogic 3D's surround sound expands beyond the boundaries of the vehicle's cabin, providing "a sense of detail and spatial placement that you don't get in stereo." Five height component speakers mounted in the corners of the headliner, and above the rearview mirror, elevates audio beyond the confines of the roof, "almost like you're in a convertible," said Muzio.

New BMW M3 and M4 engine secrets laid bare

BMW's M division has lifted the veil of secrecy on the inline six-cylinder engine bound for its upcoming M3 sedan and new-to-the-range M4 coupe and convertible, revealing a potent twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter direct injection gasoline unit that produces an official 424 hp at 7,500 rpm and what officials describe as "significantly more than 369 lb-ft" of torque. The newly developed engine, known under the internal codename S55 B30, shares its 84.0 mm bore and 89.6 mm stroke with BMW's standard turbocharged 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder direct-injection gasoline mill, the M55 used across the German car maker's lineup, endowing the aluminum block unit with an overall swept volume of 2,979 cc. This represents a sizeable 990 cc reduction on the engine BMW's M division's new unit replaces, the S65.

New Jaguar XE will get the V6 engine from the F-Type

The new Jaguar XE (pictured) will get the F-Type’s V6 We’re expecting the Jaguar XE – Jaguar’s new smaller saloon aimed at the BMW 3-Series – to arrive at the Paris Motor Show in September before going on sale in 2015 after Jaguar revealed the first official details on the XE at the Geneva Motor Show this month. Jaguar were a little vague on detail, although they did confirm the XE would come with aluminium underpinnings – a first for the sector and to be shared with the new Jaguar SUV when that arrives – and offer Jaguar’s new range of 4-cylinder diesel and petrol engines. But what Jaguar also said is that there will be a range-topping XE capable of 186 mph, which seemed a bit of a stretch for a 4-cylinder engine, however good.