Pontiac 389 Engine on 2040-parts.com

Detroit Auto Show 2004 Trends and Overview

Where last year's Detroit Auto Show was all about horsepower and luxury, this year's show was more muted, with few truly outstanding cars making shockwaves. The main contender, the Chrysler ME Four-Twelve, didn't create anything like the reaction of the Cadillac Sixteen last year and seemed a bit late to the party, with its massive power and excessive styling. And after all the hype, shouldn't it have been a Dodge, the power brand of DaimlerChrysler, rather than just a Chrysler?For the past couple of years the show has been dominated by truck and SUV launches, so it was good to see the focus shifting back towards cars once again.

Silver linings: Saab and Mitsubishi see sales grow in May

Despite the company’s financial troubles, Saab sales are steadily increasing in 2011, with April and May numbers up 190 percent and 121 percent, respectively, from the same months last year. The Swedish automaker reported 385 units sold this May, versus 155 the year prior. So far this year, Saab has sold 2,765 vehicles, compared with 954 at the same point last year.

New Ferrari California T gets new twin turbo V8 with 49% more torque (+video)

The new California T (pictured) revealed ahead of a Geneva debut It’s been a long time since Ferrari gave one of its cars a turbo charged engine, not since the late ’80s and the Ferrari F40, but that all changes – and no doubt points the way to the future – as the Ferrari California T gets revealed ahead of a debut next month at the Geneva Motor Show. Based on the V8 Ferrari build for the Maserati Ghibli, the California T’s new engine is a 3.8 litre twin turbo with 552bhp and a mountain of torque, 557lb/ft, a massive 49 per cent more than the current California produces. That improves performance marginally – 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 196mph – but has a big impact on economy; the new California T improves on the current California by 15 per cent, recording official figures of 27mpg and 250g/km.