Super Car: Updates on the newest 2010 Jaguar XJ concept

2010 Jaguar XJ
2010 Jaguar XJ Hybrid Version

This is an update version of the newest model of the 2010 Jaguar XJ, the wheelbase will remain virtually identical to the last model, so the improvements will come from mounting the rear seat to lower. All the Major updates will be made to the dashboard, with a facial modeled on the XF.

There will be a revised version of the 3.0 liter V6 and the top model R under the hood. It will be powered by a 500BHP 5.0 liter supercharged V8 engine. The Hybrid version of this car is also in the work. All engines are mated to Jaguar's latest six-speed box, all with complete steering wheel-mounted paddles. The 2010 Jaguar XJ will also have a new damping system similar to Audi's Magnetic ride.

MC 1 Super Car is it possible??

The creators of the design hope to attract the eyes of Ferrari and Aston Martin buyers, this MC1 super car was first unveiled in Germany.

The popularity of Super Cars has increased dramatically over the last decade as personal wealth exploded, with a vehicle that can accelerate from zero to 100km/h in just around 3.0 seconds is not new to the Super Car Industry.

There is one thing that sets the MC1 Super Car apart from any other modern super car, it is the design time of this model. This V10 powered super car was fully designed under 3 months.

The makers wants to prove that super cars don't need years of development, but can be developed just in months.

Some are hesitating about the short turnaround time, and maybe it would change the face of auto industry, but until the production is possible and this car finds a handful of keen buyers,and is built and on the road to be expected by 2011, we will never now.

So is this car even possible to build?

They conducted a survey among their staffs and some like the design but others commented that “it is like a week old garbage”.

The vehicle will feature a mid mounted V10 engine that will output around 450 kilowatts(600hp), and with a light weight carbon fiber body shell it should be one of the fastest super cars ever built with gut wrenching acceleration.

It will have a 20 inch front and wider 21 inch rear wheel rims that is expected to reach around 320km/h (200mph).

The MC1 super car design also features a Lamborghini inspired vertical scissor doors, and measures just over 4.5 meters long, which is fairly short for a modern super car. Until this car is built then we will never know if this type of approach can change the super car industry.

Saleen S5S Raptor Super Car Debut

At a quick glance, you might think this car is Italian a Lamborghini perhaps, or even a Ferrari. This yellow supercar is all-American, however. The Saleen S5S Raptor made its world debut at the New York Auto Show, putting an exclamation point on the specialty manufacturer's recent reinvention of itself.

Considerably more restrained than Saleen's previous supercar the S7, the S5S Raptor features clean lines sculpted in lightweight composites. A solar-tinted glass roof allows daylight in, and the purposeful mid-engine design looks world-class.

Saleen's racing heritage is obvious at the S5S Raptor's heart, a new 5.0 liter supercharged V8. This 650-horsepower, 630 lb-ft torque engine runs on ethanol, just like the IRL and American Le Mans cars, and Saleen reports a 3.2-second 0-60mph time and a top speed of over 200mph. Saleen chose the ethanol burning engine partly as a nod to the track and partly to consider reduced emissions and oil dependence. The engine uses a twin-screw supercharger and is hooked up to a six-speed manual transmission. The Raptor is also designed to handle a paddle-shifted sequential gearbox, if desired.

Double wishbones are used at all four corners, and the massive fifteen-inch front, thirteen-inch rear brakes are augmented by ABS and traction control. The 20-inch forged aluminum wheels have a black diamond and carbon-fiber finish.

That's all very exciting, but it's all just bench talk until the rubber hits the road. Saleen says that the S5S Raptor could be on the road in two years at an estimated $185,000 MSRP, depending on the public's reaction to this car. Saleen seems to have thought this through, so it's a good bet that we'll see a roadgoing Raptor in the near future.

How to check the car engine when buying a used car

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Please note, this article is designed to give you an initial idea about what to look for when buying a used car and might possibly help you to avoid some used cars with potential problems, but it can not substitute for a detailed mechanical inspection performed by a professional. As a final step before purchase, take the car to a mechanic of your choice for thorough mechanical inspection. Use caution when doing any tests on a car, If you don’t feel comfortable doing any of these tests, have the car inspected by a mechanic.

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Imagine, you are shopping for a used car. You enter the dealership and see that nice-looking car. You love it from a first sight. Meanwhile, the salesperson hanging around and telling you that regular story that, the car was lady driven and the engine works like a clock, and this is only "Today special" - "We need to clean inventory!", and you are so lucky because they are selling it very cheap - "We even lose money on this deal!" and that you have to give a deposit right now or else you will regret about it for the rest of your life! - Sounds familiar so far?
You decided - "deal!" - shaking hands, you're happy, salesperson is happy. Finally, you got your new wheels.
Few weeks later you notice blue smoke when you're starting the car in the morning. Few months later you discover that there is no oil left in the engine and finally got your car towed to the garage. "The engine is gone - has to be rebuilt" they diagnose.
In fact it's quite common scenario.
This article will give you an idea an may help you to avoid such a troubles buying a used car.
However, it's always good idea to have the vehicle inspected by a specialist prior purchase. This is what I'd recommend to any used car buyer.

internal parts through the oil filler neck

If it's possible, look at the internal parts through the oil filler neck (Don't open the oil cap while the engine is running!)

Dirty engine Clean engine

Oil sludge inside the engine

With the engine turned off, try to open the engine oil cap and look inside through the oil filler hole. Use a small flashlight. If it's possible to see any internal parts there, check their condition. What you are looking for is the oil sludge - this thick black buildup on internal parts you can see on the lower photo (this is how the sludged up engine looks inside, with the valve cover removed). If you see a lot of black oil sludge buildup inside the engine it means that either the engine oil hasn't been changed for a long time, or the engine has been overheated, or poor quality oil was used.
In either case, avoid buying such a car - sooner or later it will have serious engine problems.
Well maintained engine usually looks pretty clean inside; if you check few cars of the same model it's easy to see the difference. However, again, if the engine looks clean inside it doesn't mean that it has no other possible problems - as a last step, have the vehicle inspected by a mechanic of your choice.

If you find evidence of badly made repairs, avoid any such car.

If you find evidence that the engine has been repaired with inaccuracy (too much bulging of gasket maker, as in the image, loose bolts, stripped treads, altered wiring, broken fastenings, missing bolts or covers, etc.), avoid buying such a car because quality repair is possible only by very skilled mechanics. Just imagine how the engine has been repaired on the inside if it looks this way on the outside?

Timing belt

Many cars, especially with four-cylinder engine, have a timing belt that needs to be replaced at a certain interval - usually between 60,000 and 100,000 miles (100,000 and 160,000 km). If it wasn't replaced by the previous owner, you will have to do that. It's difficult to check it on the car because the timing belt is protected by the protective covers. The only way is to ask the previous owner if they have a receipt. Sometimes though, dealers place the timing belt replacement sticker somewhere on the top of the engine (see the picture) that indicates the date and the mileage when the belt was replaced.

Check the smoke

Blue smoke at start-up may indicate engine problems - avoid such a car. Black smoke means the engine consumes too much gas - possible problem with fuel injection.
Normally, there should be no smoke at all (Diesel engine may have slight black smoke at a cold start - it's normal). A small amount of white water steam and water condensate dripping from the exhaust is normal.

Listen for noises when the engine is running

There shouldn't be strong noises, coming from the engine under any condition with no matter is the engine cold or hot. By the way, knocking or tapping at a cold start is one of the indicator of poor maintenance. Knocking, tapping or rattling noises indicate excessive wear of internal engine parts. Whistling may be caused by loose belt. If the engine makes too much noises, avoid buying such a used car (however, Diesel engines are always more noisy, it's normal).

Why my Check Engine light comes on?

The engine computer or ECM

All modern vehicles have a computer or the ECM (Electronic Control Module) that controls the operation of the vehicle powertrain (the engine and transmission). The main purpose of this is to keep the engine running at top efficiency with the lowest possible emissions. With constantly growing demands for better fuel economy and new strictest emission regulations it's not very easy to achieve. The engine parameters need to be constantly and precisely adjusted according to various conditions such as speed, load, engine temperature, gasoline quality, ambient air temperature, road conditions, etc. That's why today's cars have much more electronics than in early days - there is a large number of various sensors and other electronic devices that help the vehicle computer or ECM to precisely control the engine and transmission operation and monitor emissions.
The vehicle computer system has self-testing capability. When the computer senses that there is a problem with some of the components it stores the correspondent trouble code(s) in its memory and lights up the "Check Engine" or "Service Engine Soon" light to tell you that there is a problem and your car needs to be looked at. To properly diagnose what is wrong, you need to take your car to a mechanic or a dealer. The technician at the dealership or a garage will then hook up the scanner to the car computer and retrieve the stored trouble code(s). Then he (she) will look it up in the service manual provided by a car manufacturer. The service manual contains the list of possible codes (about few hundreds) and describes what each code means and what needs to be tested. The code itself doesn't tell exactly what component is defective - it only indicates where to look, what engine parameter is out of normal range. The technician will have to perform further testing to pinpoint a defective part.

Test drive

Try to test drive a car for as long as you can. Try to accelerate, decelerate, take it on the highway if it's possible. The more you drive, the more chances you discover possible problems. If it's your first car, try to test drive few different cars of the same model to have better idea. If you feel anything that may indicate possible engine problem (e.g vibrations, stumbling, misfiring, delay during acceleration, rattling noise, smoke, rough idling, etc.) avoid buying such a car. If you have any hesitation about the way the car drives, shop around, there are plenty of used cars available. Sometimes a sales person may try to push you to buy a car today and now because "tomorrow I won't give you this price" or "I have the customer who will buy this car tomorrow" - Don't rush, take your time to think, the more you shop around, the more chances to find the right car for the right price.

The Lotus Eco Elise

In their attempt to produce the greenest car in the neighborhood, Lotus not only focused on CO2 emissions during the operation of the vehicle, but also at the emissions required to produce the vehicle. For their body panels and spoilers they used a hemp composite material instead of the traditional carbon fiber (one can’t help but wonder if this idea was inspired by the Weed-mobile from Cheech and Chong’s Up in Smoke). The car was painted using water-based paint, the seats are covered with dye-free biodegradable woolen fabrics, and the carpets are made from sisal, a plant where no chemical fertilizers are used during farming. At their Hethel England headquarters they recycle 57% of their waste and have been able to reduce electricity consumption by 14%, gas 30% and water 11% from their 2006 levels.

But make no mistake, the fine folks over at Lotus have also kept sustainability in mind when working on the car’s performance. Using as many lightweight materials as possible they’ve managed to shave approximately 100lbs of fat off the car making it more fuel efficient, while installing solar panels in the roof to help generate usable energy during the car’s operation. According to an article at http://greenupgrader.com Lotus is also developing a “Tri-fuel” engine that would run on gas, ethanol or methanol.

Nanowire Batteries

While many feared that GM was a something of the past, they released what promises to be the vehicle of the future. They are ironically the same company that tried to squash the electric car, but they’re making huge strides towards redeeming themselves with the new Chevrolet Volt. The plug-in electric hybrid features a revolutionary propulsion system that permits the car to cover over 64 km without using any gas whatsoever (the average Canadian commutes 67km to and from work). Of course for longer distances the car runs on a gas tank, which serves to recharge its batteries rather than running its engine. Which brings us to the heart, literally, of the electric car: the battery.

Keeping the batteries charged for as long as possible is the ultimate goal for any electric care company. Electric cars use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, known as Li-ion batteries. Well, Dr. Yi Cui and his colleagues at Stanford University’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering have discovered a method to increase the charge of Li-ion batteries tenfold! In an article written by Dan Stober of the Stanford News Service, he describes how Dr. Yi Cui employs nanotechnology to give batteries ten time more juice:

The electrical storage capacity of a Li-ion battery is limited by how much lithium can be held in the battery’s anode, which is typically made of carbon. Silicon has a much higher capacity than carbon, but also has a drawback.

Silicon placed in a battery swells as it absorbs positively charged lithium atoms during charging, then shrinks during use (i.e., when playing your iPod) as the lithium is drawn out of the silicon. This expand/shrink cycle typically causes the silicon (often in the form of particles or a thin film) to pulverize, degrading the performance of the battery.

Cui’s battery gets around this problem with nanotechnology. The lithium is stored in a forest of tiny silicon nanowires, each with a diameter one-thousandth the thickness of a sheet of paper. The nanowires inflate four times their normal size as they soak up lithium. But, unlike other silicon shapes, they do not fracture.

So far we’ve only been looking under the hood for innovations in automotive greenery, now its time to check out the body.

Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) Engines

Okay, so from what I’ve read and understood about fuel injection, I’m come to the conclusion that when it comes to going green, direct fuel injection technology is the way to go. As opposed to multi-point injection (MPI), where fuel is injected through the intake ports before entering the cylinders, GDI engines inject highly-pressurized fuel directly into the combustion chamber of each cylinder which not only increases engine performance, but also increases fuel efficiency while reducing CO2 emissions by as much as 25%. Companies like GM, Mercedes, and Volvo are introducing their new cars with directly fuelled engines, even Ford’s 2010 Mustang comes a twin turbo 3.5L “EcoBoost” engine, lowering emissions by 15% and increasing fuel efficiency by 20% thanks to direct injection technology.

In fact during last year’s “Engineer Technology +Innovation Awards” in the UK, project HOTFIRE took first prize in the automotive sector when they designed a gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine concept that reduces fuel consumption by 15%. Made up of engine designers from Lotus Engineering, fuel injection specialists from Continental Powertrain and thermodynamics and mechanics experts from University College London and Loughborough University, the team achieved a final product with “direct injection spark ignition engine architecture that does not require stratified lean burn combustion to achieve the approximate 15% fuel savings. This ensures that the system can be used over all speed/load ranges and eliminates the need for an expensive lean NOx trap which is usually required when lean combustion is employed.” I don’t fully understand what that means, but it sounds awesome.

Greenest Innovations in Auto Parts Technology

As the environmental impact of global warming rose to the forefronts of our awareness, so consumer demands for greener methods of transportation rose to the top of the automotive industry’s list of priorities. 2008 saw many improvements in the lowering of CO2 emissions into the atmosphere, and while car companies like Toyota paved the way with their groundbreaking Prius, every other company is chomping at their heels developing better, more efficient hybrids, creating cars which are leaning further and further away from their dependence on gasoline. The following are some of the most innovative technological leaps forward in our journey to put greener vehicles on the road.

Thermal Energy Recovery System (TERS)

We all remember when we first received those blue or green bins in our homes. We started rinsing our cans and milk containers, separating papers from plastics. For many of us recycling was the first step towards a greener future. Converting waste materials into valuable commodities to reduce the environmental impact remains at the heart of sustainable living, which is one reason why in November 2008 Heat2power, a France-based developer of waste heat regeneration technologies, won the Powertrain Innovation of the Year Award at the Professional Motorsport World Expo in Cologne with its Thermal Energy Recovery System (TERS). The company’s goal has been to create fuel savings and to reduce C02 emissions in tomorrow’s vehicles. By focusing their attention on the heat normally lost through the exhaust, they’ve managed to create a waste heat recovery (WHR) system which captures and redirects this heat to improve engine performance while lowering harmful emissions and improving fuel savings by 15-35% under all driving conditions. The unit is compact, lightweight, simple to implement, and requires little to no maintenance. To find out more about Heat2power’s award-winning technology visit here.

Lamborghini Concept S specs

Lamborghini Concept S specs
Engine: 5 liter V-10 500 HP

Lamborghini Concept S concept car was perhaps one of the most awaited sports supercars at the Geneva Motor Show a few years back. Everyone had their expectations high thanks to the Lamborghini tradition of producing sports cars and supercars and they were not disappointed. Lamborghini stole their hearts and stole the show eventually with the introduction of Lambirghini Concept S. It is a concept car designed by the Head of Design at Lamborghini, Luc Donckerwolke. He considers this sports car an embodiment of the open car concept. He got a few awards for this supercar when it got introduced.

The sports car as such is great looking and has been modeled like the classic single-seated racing cars of the yesteryears. The traditional windscreen has been replaced by a 'sauté-vent,' which happens to be the French term for change wind. It goes on to divide the interior of the super sports car into two sections, giving it a slick yet aggressive look. It is so strategically placed that in addition to giving an awesome look, it also serves as an air inlet for the mounted engine which is placed behind the seats. There is an electronically operated rearview mirror which is mounted in the middle of two cockpits. It can be used by the driver when he wants and can be hidden when not used. The body of Lamborghini Concept S supercar is designed aerodynamically and it makes it more efficient.

Though based on the super cool sports car Lamborghini, the design team has labored hard to make this car look unique and hence a few aesthetically appealing changes have been made. The supercar's front and rear spoilers have been slightly remodeled and the twin offset grilles in an angular honeycomb pattern are just amazing to look at and rear of the concept car has been loaded with black mesh vents and the well-placed flush mounted tail pipes and the rear diffuser has been slightly reshaped. Simply put, when you look at the sports car inch by inch, the style quotient is evident everywhere and the design really makes you wonder how many hours of work went into come up with this kind of stylish look.

You would imagine this kind of a stunning supercar to have a dynamic engine and that is exactly what you get here. The 5.0 liter V-10 engine is the same engine used in the Lamborghini Gallardo Coupe. This 500 horsepower engine is very powerful and makes for one heck of a drive. The body of Lamborghini Concept S sports car is around 70 kg lighter than that of Lamborghini Gallardo Coupe, thanks to the aerodynamically designed body. It has an elegantly designed 6 speed manual gearbox and the engine has an output of 4500 rpm. With these kinds of features, you would expect a car like this to literally fly on the roads, and it certainly lives up to the expectations. You can clock from 60 mph to 200 mph in about four seconds, which makes it a driver's dream. If you are the kind of driver who loves to race his heart out, then the Lamborghini Concept S is just about the perfect sports car for you.

Alar, The Ugliest Lamborghini Ever

Lamborghini released first official photos of Alar, which could quite possibly be the world’s ugliest Lamborghini. We understand that aerodynamics are important, but to do that to a Lambo, well, that’s a crime. More photos after the jump.

Detroit Auto Show

Detroit Auto Show
Cobo Center
One Washington Blvd
Detroit, Michigan 48226

Public Viewing: January 17-25, 2009
Press Viewing: January 11-13, 2009

Tata Nano: The World’s Cheapest Car

Ratan Tata, chairman of Tata Motors, displaying the Nano in New Delhi on Thursday. (Photo by Money Sharma/European Pressphoto Association)

BMW 5-series 2010

Could this really be the new 5-series? According to the article below, this model will be available in 2010.

When you think of luxury executive saloons, one car always comes to mind, the BMW 5-series. A class leader since its inception, the 5-series remains a crucial car to BMW. With the current E60 5-series introduced back in 2004, BMW is preparing the sixth-generation model to be revealed in 2010. It will be a tough job for the designers as well as the thousands of engineers working across BMW’s development centers to renew the current model, a car that already resides at the edge of the technical front line. The new design is critical for BMW’s design manager Adrian van Hooydonk and his team, who have to create an exterior that radiates the brand’s distinctive design values and at the same time feels new and fresh. Using information from various sources, these renderings were compiled by our partners over at Sweden’s Auto Motor and Sport and their illustrator Radovan Varicak, giving us a preview of what the final version will look like. The front-end will likely feature a more upright kidney grille in order to comply with stronger pedestrian protection laws, while the headlights won’t be stretched out like on the current model. BMW’s characteristic interaction between convex and concave shapes will still be emphasized, and will be clearly indicated in the engine hood’s lines.

Top Gear Season 13 Episode 3 Full Online

Top Gear Season 13 Episode 3 s13e03 Top Gear Mercedes-Benz SL 65 Watch Online

Watch Top Gear Season 13 Episode 3 s13e03 - Top Gear Mercedes-Benz SL 65 Online Free Stream. Hello guys waiting this show ? yeah Top Gear Season 13 Episode 3 will be airs at July 05, 2009 and Top Gear Season 13 Episode 3 entitle to “Mercedes-Benz SL”, so guys if you fans of Top Gear Show! don't ever miss to watch this episode. yes guys you can watch online here because we will embed and share video for all fans of Top Gear Series 13 Episode 3.Top Gear Season 13 Episode 3 Synopsis :Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May confront the credit crunch head on as they attempt to find three sensibly priced small cars that won’t make you miserable, a process that involves haranguing bankers, harnessing large dogs, and almost getting arrested. Plus, James meets American stunt driving legend Ken Block, Jeremy tests the mildly insane Mercedes SL Black on the track, and Michael McIntyre is the Star in a Reasonably Priced Car.

Mercedes SLR McLaren, one of the 10 most expensive cars in the world

The SLR is part supercar and part GT. It was built as a collaboration between Mercedes and McLaren Autos. The SLR has a hand-built, 5.4-liter V8 engine.

Check out McLaren Automotive's official SLR McLaren website for additional specs and a couple of cool pics.

Car Wallpaper Gallery

Car Wallpaper Gallery

Car Wallpaper Gallery

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Scythe Exotic Car By GAS, Galpin Auto Sport

GAS, Galpin Auto Sports, is known for modifying some of the ugliest cars into golden stars, don't believe me, just watch Pimp My Ride on MTV. Watch as they turn this 2008 Ford Mustang Convertible into something out of this world.

This creation by GAS is known as the Scythe, an unusual name for an unusual car. When at first glance, you are taken by the soft,smooth body texture that creates it. The style is completely unique and the chrome very subtle but in your face at the same time.

"With Scythe, we set out to showcase all of our unique fabrication abilities here at GAS," Beau Boeckmann, owner of GAS, said in press release. "From the handmade composite body and voice-activated on-board computer system to the twin-supercharged 1,005 horsepower engine, this car was built to make a statement."

Now along with having a unique look and an insane amount of horsepower, it also has two steering wheels. The Scythe has dual automatically-retracting steering wheels, which are configurable for right- and left-hand drive should drivers want to terrify the British or use it to deliver mail. Interesting right? So what do you think of this masterpiece?

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2012 Opel Ampera

The revolutionary Opel Ampera celebrated its world premiere at the 79th Geneva Motor Show. General Motors Europe president, Carl-Peter Forster, unveiled the extended-range electric vehicle and announced plans to put the car into production in late 2011.

The five-door, four-seat Opel Ampera is influenced by Opel's award-winning design language of sculptural artistry meets German precision, incorporating several styling cues from the innovative Flextreme and GTC Concept show cars.

The Opel Ampera's wheels are turned electrically at all times and speeds. For journeys up to 60 km (MVEG), it runs on electricity stored in the 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery, and emits zero CO2. When the battery's energy is depleted, electricity from an engine-generator extends the Ampera's range to more than 500 km.

[Source: Opel]

Koenigsegg CCX/CCXR Edition Car Picture

Koenigsegg CCX/CCXR limited version models feature a 5.0L twin supercharged engine. 14 CCX model with 888 BHP and 6 CCXR with 1018 BHP would be manufactured. Being a limited editions, these cars are really expensive. The 888 HP CCX is 1,333,000 Euros (US $1.95 million) and the 1018 HP CCXR is 1,500,000 Euros ( US $2.2 million).

Gracenote in Auto Products

Named by Motor Trend as the 2008 car of the year, the Cadillac CTS is the first car in North America outfitted with both Gracenote's MusicID® and Playlist™ products, providing a solution that not only enhances the in-car digital entertainment experience, but makes listening to music while driving safer and easier.

The cars that will likely set the pace in 2014

Expect these new models to hit the road in the next five years.

Everybody knows the auto world has shifted. The trick is divining which brands have got the gumption to last.

Now, with President Obama's new efficiency standards requiring a fleet-wide fuel economy average of 35.5 miles per gallon, automakers have their work cut out for them.

Domestic carmakers in particular are gearing up to battle forthcoming offerings from new-to-the-U.S.Fiat, with its diminutive 55.5-mile-per-gallon Fiat 500, and Chinese newcomer BYD, maker of the staid hybrid-electric F3DM sedan.

Motor City had better get cracking. It takes four years to produce a market-ready vehicle, and a typical lifecycle for one model is seven years. While we wait to see what brands emerge victorious, Honda's mod CR-Z and Ford's "eco-boosted" Euro models point to the types of cars we can expect by 2014.

Just don't get your hopes up for lots of choices when it comes to plug-in cars. Automakers insist there's still much to improve about the humble combustion engine, and they plan to eek out all the improvement they can get.

Tom Plucinsky, a spokesman for BMW, says the company will bring a gasoline-powered and highly efficient X1 compact SUV to market by 2014.

"There's no breakthrough," Plucinsky says. "It's all little things that can add up. We've made big advances over the last five years or so in the efficiency of the gasoline engine, but we think that there's another 10 percent there."

BMW will find that 10 percent by using smaller (read: lighter), forced-induction engines that generate more power. (Plucinsky says naturally aspirated engines will be relatively nonexistent by 2014). Ford and Mercedes have also said they'll bring 4-cylinder, turbo-charged engines to the U.S. in the next several years.

Audi has joined the light-engine surge as well, committing to building a next-generation S5 that weighs hundreds of pounds less than the current version. Audi's Bradley Stertz says advances in aluminum construction will lighten its load, making it more fuel-efficient.

In the meantime, Americans can expect a trickle of vehicles from afar. Italian-run Fiat and Alfa Romeo will likely have vehicles in U.S. showrooms by 2014. But the real news lies further east: China.

At the Detroit Auto Show Chinese automakers Brilliance and BYD ("Build Your Dreams") showed cars that could eventually reach the states, perhaps branded under a different name. Geely and Chery are other Chinese automakers with ideas for expansion outside the East.

Lincoln Merrihew, senior vice president of business solutions for market research firm TNS, says he expects a China-made car to hit in five years or less.

"It'll be a mixture of capabilities and bravado that will determine who comes in under their own flag," Merrihew says.

Asia leads the green-power front. Nissan is testing battery-charging networks in Arizona, saying an unnamed electric vehicle will go on sale by late 2010. Toyota says it will sell one million gas-electric hybrids per year during the 2010s; Honda President Takeo Fukui has repeatedly said his company is most-heavily endorsing hydrogen technology.

Still, no one technology has emerged the clear winner. Sara Pines, a spokeswoman for Honda, says the company is experimenting with several possible solutions. Others say the as-yet undetermined carbon-emission standards in California will largely determine how automakers move forward.

That uncertainty has basically created a level playing field. Now it'll come down to whether the upstarts can hang with the big boys.

Automotive Piston Pin Illustration

Randal Birkey created this quick felt tip ink line sketch showing the location of a “piston pin” in the layout of an automotive V-8 engine.