Omix-ada 17118.03 Thermostat Housing on 2040-parts.com

Mini unveils next-generation hardtop

The wraps are off the all-new, third-generation Mini hardtop. Updates include renewed exterior styling, lots of gee-whiz electronics inside, and a new fuel-efficient, three-cylinder turbo engine under the hood as the base engine. “On the inside is where you see the revolutionary aspect,” said Jim McDowell, vice president, Mini of the Americas.

Mitsubishi plans ‘Colt-successor' for the United States around 2012

Mitsubishi plans to bring a global small car to the United States sometime around 2012. It would be the successor to the Colt small car currently sold in Europe and Asia. The new car would be all-new, and the name has not been decided yet, a spokesman said, referring to it as the “Colt-successor.” “There's obviously a need for a very small car,” Mitsubishi spokesman Moe Durand said.

BMW's new M engine needs a better voice

BMW's M division claims its new twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine is every bit as good -- if not better -- than the glorious, naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V8 powerplant it replaces in the new M3 sedan and M4 coupe. The figures are certainly impressive. They say it kicks out 424 hp and more than 25 percent extra torque, with what is described as significantly more than 369 lb-ft below 2,000 rpm.