Engineering

GM powers up redesigned V-8 engine for 2014 Corvette

11:17 am U.S. ET | Oct. 24, 2012
The next-generation Chevrolet Corvette will be powered by a new 6.2-liter small-block V-8 that will produce more horsepower and torque than the current engine and deliver better fuel economy, General Motors said today.... Read More »

 

Ferrari shows off hybrid supercar's chassis

Oct. 7, 2012 06:01 CET
Ferrari says it will launch its most powerful road car ever at the Detroit auto show in January: a gasoline-electric hybrid that replaces the limited-edition Enzo.... Read More »

 

Ford promotes German engineer Schamel to global role

Oct. 5, 2012 12:25 CET
Ford is strengthening Europe's role in the company's engine development with the appointment of Andreas Schamel as its first European-based director of global powertrain, research and advanced engineering.... Read More »

 

PARIS AUTO SHOW

BMW plans up to 12 models on new platform

Oct. 1, 2012 06:01 CET
BMW will develop 10 to 12 compact models based on its new front-wheel-drive platform, said Ian Robertson, board member for sales and marketing. The platform, known as UKL, debuted on the Concept Active Tourer at the Paris auto show.... Read More »

 

GM, Ford jointly developing 9- and 10-speed transmissions

6:11 pm U.S. ET | Sept. 28, 2012
GM and Ford are jointly designing nine- and 10-speed automatic transmissions for use across their lineups in a bid to boost fuel economy. GM is leading design of a nine-speed gearbox for use in front-wheel-drive vehicles, said three people familiar with the companies' plans. Ford is taking the lead on a 10-speed transmission for rear-wheel-drive vehicles such as pickups, SUVs and performance cars, the sources said.... Read More »

 

2012 PARIS AUTO SHOW

Daimler, Renault-Nissan to develop engine, transmission technology

9:39 am U.S. ET | Sept. 28, 2012
Daimler and Renault-Nissan will jointly develop a turbocharged, direct-injection gasoline engine and will share transmission technology as the two companies expand their collaboration.... Read More »

 

Nissan to buy back 2 Leafs from disgruntled owners

11:50 pm U.S. ET | Sept. 27, 2012
Nissan has agreed to buy back two of the seven Leaf electric cars whose owners in Arizona have publicly raised concerns about aging batteries. The gesture could help mollify a small group of Leaf owners and green-car enthusiasts who have been raising questions about whether the electric car's battery is too quickly losing its ability to hold an adequate charge.... Read More »

 

SPECIAL REPORT

China's automakers find new success at making better cars

12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 22, 2012
China keeps getting better at making cars. One reason: It's getting better at cutting corners. Paring back on crash tests, skimping on frills, simplifying designs, using cheaper materials and, in a departure for the industry, outsourcing most of their design and engineering are having a profound effect on the cost bases of China's dozens of automakers.... Read More »

 

GM, aiming to remain market leader, opens China's biggest proving ground

10:46 am U.S. ET | Sept. 22, 2012
GM opened a new, large vehicle test track west of Shanghai on Saturday as part of its push to retain its leading market share in the world's largest auto market.... Read More »

 

BMW finds engine issue in 2013 M5, M6 cars, halts shipments

7:35 am U.S. ET | Sept. 22, 2012
BMW AG halted deliveries and will recall some newly built 2013 M5 and M6 performance cars due to an engine oil pump problem that could lead to severe engine damage.... Read More »

 

Mahindra sets up first North American technical center in Michigan

4:00 pm U.S. ET | Sept. 18, 2012
India's Mahindra & Mahindra today opened a technical center in suburban Detroit, the conglomerate's first in North America. The center will provide design and consulting services for Mahindra's automotive customers in the region as well as support its automotive and tractor engineering operations in India.... Read More »

 

BMW bets awd 3-series sedan will help top Mercedes in U.S.

Sept. 17, 2012 06:19 CET
BMW is betting a new all-wheel drive variant of its 3-series sedan will it help catch a resurgent Mercedes that has outsold BMW all year long in the U.S. market.... Read More »

 

BMW bets awd 3-series sedan will help top Mercedes in U.S.

12:19 am U.S. ET | Sept. 17, 2012
BMW is betting a new all-wheel drive variant of its 3-series sedan will it help catch a resurgent Mercedes that has outsold BMW all year long in the U.S. market.... Read More »

 

2012 PARIS AUTO SHOW

BMW previews front-drive future with hybrid concept

4:13 am U.S. ET | Sept. 14, 2012
BMW will unveil a front-wheel-drive concept car at the Paris auto show that previews the automaker's upcoming range of front-wheel-drive vehicles. The Concept Active Tourer high-roof hatchback also gives a glimpse of a potential rival to the Mercedes-Benz B class. Its platform will also underpin the next Mini.... Read More »

 

2012 PARIS AUTO SHOW

BMW previews front-drive future with hybrid concept

Sept. 14, 2012 10:13 CET
BMW will unveil a front-wheel-drive concept car at the Paris auto show that previews the automaker's upcoming range of front-wheel-drive vehicles. The Concept Active Tourer high-roof hatchback also gives a glimpse of a potential rival to the Mercedes-Benz B class. Its platform will also underpin the next Mini.... Read More »

 

Waste not, want not: Engineers make use of lost engine heat

12:01 am U.S. ET | Sept. 11, 2012
Engineers say that 60 percent of the energy used by a gasoline engine is wasted because of thermal losses from exhaust heat and radiator coolant. By contrast, engine friction wastes just 3 percent.... Read More »

 

VW adds $27 million California technology center to accelerate U.S. sales

Aug. 21, 2012 06:01 CET
Volkswagen has opened a $27 million (21.7 million euro) technical center in California to expand its engineering capabilities in the region as part of a push to accelerate U.S. sales.... Read More »

 

Lords of the Ring

12:01 am U.S. ET | Aug. 20, 2012
The average American car buyer probably has never heard of the fabled old racetrack in the dark and rainy German forest. But there are plenty of performance-oriented consumers. And that interest keeps automakers hopping to prove themselves at the racetrack.... Read More »

 

Bentley considers extension to Mulsanne family with convertible concept

Aug. 20, 2012 11:12 CET
Bentley Motors has released details of a convertible concept version of its flagship Mulsanne model, which it believes could help extend the appeal of the brand in developing markets such as China.... Read More »

 

Michigan, auto industry begging for $100,000 engineers amid economic recovery

12:01 am U.S. ET | Aug. 19, 2012
Michigan's unemployment was the worst in the United States at 14.2 percent in August 2009, shortly after General Motors and Chrysler emerged from a government-backed rescue, and has since plunged to 8.6 percent, roughly in line with the national average. Employment in skilled positions is rising, reversing a decline under way since the turn of the century. Now Michigan and the auto industry are stretching to find the engineers needed to handle expansion.... Read More »

 

GM seen planning global reorganization to tackle 'fiefdoms'

Aug. 17, 2012 10:34 CET
GM CEO Dan Akerson is planning a reorganization of the automaker that would move it away from long-entrenched regional authority toward a structure built on global functions, said two people familiar with the planning.... Read More »

 

Chrysler engine plant workers reject contract, production unaffected

4:26 pm U.S. ET | Aug. 16, 2012
Chrysler said today that production will not be affected at a Michigan engine plant after union workers there rejected a plant contract. Production of the engines will continue, said Chrysler spokeswoman Jodi Tinson.... Read More »

 

2012 MANAGEMENT BRIEFING SEMINARS

How engines will get smaller, more efficient

2:39 pm U.S. ET | Aug. 7, 2012
Automakers say they will squeeze much more efficiency from the internal combustion engine. For instance, they will use excess heat to warm engine lubricants more quickly to reduce friction. Better transmissions will reduce friction, and turbocharging and direct injection will boost power from small engines.... Read More »

 

Internal-combustion engine will motor on for years, U.S. study finds

4:33 pm U.S. ET | Aug. 2, 2012
The internal-combustion engine, propelling U.S. automobiles since before the Model T Ford, will remain the dominant power source for cars until at least 2050, according to a study by a panel advising the Energy Department.... Read More »

 

Chrysler considers $200 million investment to build more V-6s

4:08 pm U.S. ET | July 23, 2012
Chrysler Group says it is considering investing nearly $200 million into its Mack I Engine Plant in Detroit to boost production of the V-6 Pentastar engine. The company said it is working with the City of Detroit and State of Michigan on an incentive package before it commits to the project, which Chrysler says could create about 250 new manufacturing jobs.... Read More »