Category: Autoblog

MINI is apparently not satisfied with the performance levels of its high mileage MINI D so it's working on something a bit more spritely. The current MINI D is not especially quick right off the line, with a 0-60 time of around 10 seconds from its…

Click on the Caliber for a hig-res gallery of the 2008 Dodge Caliber SRT-4
While the new Dodge Caliber SRT-4 was in the Autoblog Garage, I had a chat with Erich Heushele and Kathy Graham from Chrysler. Erich is the Vehicle Development Supervisor at…

Ford Transit Connect – click above for high-res image gallery
Ford's new compact Transit Connect vans are already proving to be a popular option for commercial operators needing something more fuel efficient than the traditional full-size vans.…

General Motors and Coskata today announced that a pilot plant for cellulosic ethanol will be built in Madison, Pennsylvania. The plant will located adjacent to the Westinghouse Plasma Center in Madison. The plasma torches that Coskata will be using…

Tesla Model S – Click above for high-res image gallery
Following the announcement that Tesla had been approved for $465 million in loans from the Department of Energy, CEO Elon Musk held a conference call. Most of what was said wasn't especially…

Click on the Denali XT for a high-res gallery
Even with the growing ranks of hybrids on the road, all so far all the production models relay solely on gasoline for fuel. In mid-2007, Ford began testing Escape hybrids with E85 flex-fuel capability.…

We're used to hearing about European cars being equipped with automatic start-stop systems that shut down the engine when the vehicle is stationary. In 2008, Mercedes-Benz began offering such a system on its Atego medium duty trucks, and the…

One of the many vehicles that will be debuting at the Geneva Motor Show this week is an emergency rescue version of the BMW X3. The rescue version is based on the X3 xDrive 20d which is powered by a 177 hp version of BMW's 2.0L four cylinder diesel…

As a major component of the Volkswagen Group, the Audi division is already strongly committed to diesel engine technology. They build diesel versions of most of their models in Europe and they'll be bringing a diesel Q7 to the U.S. market later in…

General Motors is expanding the use of direct fuel injection technology on it's engines, with the next recipient being the 3.6L V-6 that's used in the 2008 Cadillac CTS. The 2008 version of the engine is expected to get a fuel efficiency increase of…