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Volkswagen XL Sport Concept gets Ducati power: Paris 2014

The Volkswagen XL Sport Concept (pictured) gets Ducati power The Volkswagen XL 1 may well be an impressive ‘Supercar’ (that’s super-economical, rather than plain ‘super’), but it’s a daft amount of money and, unless you’re trying to make a ‘Green’ statement, not for everyone. But this Volkswagen XL Sport Concept is a more appealing car – both visually and mechanically – as VW take the XL 1 and rework it in to a sports car with a little help from Ducati. Because under the skin of the XL Sport lies a 197bhp V2 that’s come from Ducati (just as we reported a year ago) and delivers 197bhp through a seven-speed dual-clutch ‘box, with a reduction gear between engine and gearbox to boost torque, revs to 1,000 rpm and can get to 62mph in 5.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 157mph.

Is the V8 a dying breed? Auto engineers expect more turbos, smaller engines

The V8 engine, a symbol of power and prestige for more than a century, is looking more and more like an endangered species. A panel of powertrain experts speaking on Tuesday at the 2009 SAE World Congress painted a bleak picture for big engines in this era of tightening emission standards and volatile fuel prices. But smaller engines will not mean drivers have to give up performance.

2013 Ford Fusion is spotted on the road in light camouflage

The 2013 Ford Fusion made its public debut at the Detroit auto show in January. It was completely restyled from the last-generation car and bears a strong resemblance to the Ford Evos concept revealed in Frankfurt. The new Fusion will hit showrooms soon, but one of our intrepid readers spotted this camouflaged prototype cruising the streets of metro Detroit on Thursday morning.