Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

Toyota talks powertrain plans

After trailing many of its competitors in the recent engine- and transmission-technology wars, Toyota Motor Corp. will launch a swath of powertrains in the next several years, a top powertrain r&d executive said. Koei Saga, senior managing officer in charge of drivetrain r&d, said that Toyota is investing heavily in turbocharged engines, larger displacement Atkinson cycle engines, continuously variable and fixed-gear automatic transmissions, and new hybrid and fuel cell technologies.

2012 Porsche Boxster unveiled

2012 Porsche Boxster revealed The 2012 Porsche Boxster has been revealed with a new lightweight body, revised chassis and engines – and looking much the same as the old Boxster. The 2012 Porsche Boxster (or, as always, if you’re on the other side of the Pond, the 2013 Porsche Boxster) has been revealed, not at the Detroit Auto Show, but, just as Audi did yesterday with the A6 Allroad, as a diversion from the car antics in North America. Looking, as you would expect from Porsche, little different to the current Boxster, the new Porsche Boxster does however get a thorough makeover of body, engines and chassis to make the new Boxster fit to fight for another decade (or so).

Volvo S60 Review (2014): S60 D4 SE Nav 181 PS manual

This Volvo S60 D4 has the new Drive-E engine Most of the Volvo news of late has been about the new XC90, and Volvo’s new range of engines – the Drive-E range – which look to offer improved economy and emissions with better performance and more flexibility. It’s a bit early to get our hands on the new XC90, but Volvo has sent us the S60 D4 SE Nav with the new 181 PS Drive-E engine to judge for ourselves just how big an improvement the new D4 Drive-E engine is over the old D4. Of course, the 2014 S60 may get the all-news Drive-E engine, but it is still a five year old design and runs on a platform that came from Ford in the first place, so although we get a good idea of what the new engines mean for Volvo going forward, the basics of the S60 are far from new.