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.

UK Car Numberplates – National Flag now legal

It is now legal to display a national flag on UK Car Number Plates [ad#ad-1] I bet, just like us, you already thought it was legal to have your UK Car Numberplate displaying the national flag of your choice. But it wasn’t. At least until today.

Volkswagen give the VW XL1 Ducati power

Volkswagen give the VW XL1 Ducati power It’s more than two years since Volkswagen rolled out the VW XL1 Super Efficient Vehicle as a demonstration of how light weight and low power can make for extremely economical motoring. But the silly mpg VW quoted for the XL1 – 313mpg – comes at a fairly horrible price, with the news at Geneva this year that the XL1 is heading for limited production, but with a price tag likely to be around £100k. Bit it seems that VW has found a new use for the XL1, and this time it’s not about extreme economy but more about real performance.