Archive for May, 2011
Tweeted: Ram 1500 Getting Pentastar V-6 Next Year
Posted on 31. May, 2011 by admin.
Chrysler's powertrain chief, Paolo Ferrero, has confirmed that the Ram 1500 half-ton pickup will receive the all-new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 in 2012, according to a tweet by WardsAuto.
The move isn't unexpected but it remained unofficial until now.
The Pentastar six-cylinder features aluminum construction for weight savings, dual-overhead-cams and variable valve timing. It will replace the Ram's 215 horsepower, 235 pounds-feet of torque single-overhead-cam 3.7-liter V-6 that was introduced for the 2002 model year.
Power output varies by application and it's still unknown how much grunt the compact six will put to the ground in the Ram 1500. The Jeep Grand Cherokee with the 3.6 is rated at 290 horsepower and 260 pounds-feet while the Challenger V-6 is rated at 305 hp and 268 pounds-feet.
Other Pentastar features include torque-activated cam phasers, a standard oil cooler and improved fuel economy. It's likely we'll see Fiat's sophisticated Multi-Air valve timing system added to the engine down the road.
The Pentastar Ram 1500 will compete directly against the Ford F-150 with the new 3.7-liter Duratec V-6 and GM's full-size Chevy Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 with the ancient 4.3-liter V-6.
[Source: WardsAuto]
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Tanner Foust Takes Hot Wheels Jump To Record 332-Foot Distance
Posted on 31. May, 2011 by admin.
Maybe I was irreparably scarred by my youth watching Dukes of Hazzard, but jumping cars is just about the coolest thing a person can do. Unfortunately, cars don’t magically repair themselves like the Dodge Chargers did on the show. But not all cars are used like handi-wipes when filming stunt jumps. Case in point: the Team Hot Wheels truck at the…
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BMW Z3 Set To Make A Comeback?
Posted on 31. May, 2011 by admin.
Rumors of BMW model proliferation continue to spread like wildfire, with the latest being a resurrection of the Z3 roadster. It’s a somewhat convoluted chain of development and re-development that gets us there, too. Consider this one highly speculative for now, but plausible at the same time. BMW may be working to re-shuffle its model lineup to…
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1,500-HP Twin-Turbo Corvette Hits 231 MPH At Texas Mile
Posted on 31. May, 2011 by admin.
High-speed runs might seem simple enough: lots of runway, a straight line, and your foot to the floor. But they can go horrendously wrong at a moment’s notice. That’s what makes this 231-mph standing mile run by the Late Model Racecraft 1,500-horsepower twin-turbo Corvette in the video below all the more impressive. It also gives a good feel for…
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Cars.com Reviews the 2011 Toyota Corolla
Posted on 31. May, 2011 by admin.
The Toyota Corolla has been the best-selling compact car in America for eight consecutive years, and so far it remains the top seller in 2011. Part of the Corolla’s long-term success has to do with the car’s fuel efficiency and Toyota’s earned reputation for making solidly reliable vehicles. But now there are other fuel-efficient cars in the mix that are newer and more stylish. Continue reading Cars.com editor Mike Hanley’s review to find out whether the Corolla should still curry favor from car buyers over newer competition from Ford, Chevrolet and Hyundai.
2011 Toyota Corolla Review
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Next-Gen Dodge Viper Appears In Chrysler Dealer Ordering System: Report
Posted on 31. May, 2011 by admin.
We have expected the return of the Dodge Viper given the frequent confirmation from the company. We didn’t expect it–and still don’t–until late 2012 as a 2013 model year car, despite reports of a 2012 model popping up in the Chrysler dealer inventory system, according to Allpar.com. To make it to market in time for the 2012 model year, the Viper…
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Lotus CEO Contemplates Sale, Partnership For Brand
Posted on 31. May, 2011 by admin.
Whether you’re a fan of Lotus’ transformation under the leadership of Dany Bahar or not, it’s happening, and it may soon take a much more drastic path. According to reports from a roundtable last week, Bahar is considering a partnership with a larger car maker or possibly spinning the brand off from current corporate owner Proton to be publicly…
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991 Porsche 911 To Get 7-Speed Three-Pedal Manual Transmission?
Posted on 31. May, 2011 by admin.
The demise of the horsepower wars, predicted for years now, still hasn’t come, but a new rival is rapidly gaining ground: the transmission wars. Once it was dual-clutch proliferation, but now Porsche looks to be taking it in a different direction for the next-gen (991) Porsche 911: stick-shift gear count. Seven-speed layouts are nothing new in…
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BMW M2 Trademark Talk Revived
Posted on 31. May, 2011 by admin.
It’s been almost one year exactly since talk of the BMW M2 trademark last circulated–likely as a result of refreshing the intent to use the mark–and that has inspired a new round of speculation on what it might mean. Coupled with trademarks from last October for the 228, 230, and 235 names, the talk of an M2 has at least the solidity of an…
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2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster: First Look
Posted on 31. May, 2011 by admin.
While Mercedes-Benz made its 2012 SLS AMG Roadster official in an earlier announcement, the luxury automaker released a suite of photos today of the production-ready model.
The roadster will debut this fall and feature a soft-top power-folding roof that’s available in black, red and beige. The top can open and close in 11 seconds and operate at speeds of up to 31 mph.
The soft-top doesn’t really inhibit the SLS’s already small trunk space — the convertible has 6.1 cubic feet of trunk space and the coupe has 6.2 cubic feet — but we wonder if the lack of gullwing doors, which make the coupe so unique-looking, will damage its allure. Probably not.
The model comes with the same 563-horsepower V-8 found in the hardtop; all other mechanics in the car are identical.
A blind spot warning system is standard for both the 2012 coupe and convertible. New options include a three-mode AMG adaptive suspension and a driving telemetry and g-force measurement system. The roadster goes on sale this fall; the coupe goes on sale in July.
Continue below for more photos.
