Ward’s 2011 Engines of the Year Announced

This year’s engine of the year award winners are full of repeat winners and a few surprises.

The first big surprise is the Nissan LEAF winning this award. Mostly because it doesn’t even have an engine, it’s has an electric motor only. What was Ward’s reasoning? Apparently since the LEAF feels like a regular car (i.e four doors, five seats, an accelerator and brake) it deserves this award. That’s like saying since Stephen Harper has arms, legs and a face he should win a beauty contest.

Another big surprise is the engine/electric motor set up in the Chevy Volt. With the electric motor primarily propelling the car, it’s a wonder why it’s on the list. Ward’s sites reasons similar to the LEAF for its choice.

But despite those odd choices, the one that shocked me the most was Chrysler’s 3.6 litre Pentastar V6 making the list. This has been a traditionally awful engine. Just terrible. However since Fiat has taken the reigns, it appears they have put some work into this engine making it much better. It can be found in the 2011 Dodge Avenger and Chrysler 200.

Volvo also picked up an award for the 3.0 litre inline six that it uses in the redesigned S60. Ward’s says this engine almost rivals BMW’s 3.0 I-6 as it is buttery smooth, has great mid-range pick up and has virtually no turbo lag. Quite the statement, I’ll have to try it out to see if it stacks up.

Speaking of BMW, they unsurpsingly won once again for their N55 3.0 litre twin scrolled turbo engine for the 5th year in a row. I can wholeheartedly agree with this decision after experiencing the 135i (read my test drive in the post below).

BMW also won a second award for the 1.6 litre turbocharged inline 4 that it uses in the Mini Cooper S. With more power, more efficiency and little turbo lag, it helps make the Cooper S quite the little performance machine.

Volkswagen picked up two awards as well. One for the supercharged V6 found in the Audi S4 and one for new Clean Diesel 2.0 litre TDI found in the Golf, Jetta and Audi A3. The former delivers all encompassing performance while the latter does exceptionally well at combining efficiency with performance.

Rounding up the list is the Ford and Hyundai. After reintroducing the 5.0 litre V8 found in the Mustang they were actually able to make a car that could keep up with the BMW M3. Enough said.

Hyundai on the other hand won for its 5.0 V8 as well found in the base Genesis sedan and the upcoming Equus flagship sedan. It won for keeping power plentiful while being even more efficient than the previous engine.

Congrats to all the winners!

[Ward's]

Cover Your Ears, Audi Fans

Because Chief Designer for Mazda Europe, Peter Birtwhistle just dissed the iconic Audi SWB Sport Quarttro.

In a recent interview, Birtwhistle called it “bloody ugly”. How dare he? Who the hell does he think he is?

Well, he’s the guy that designed it. Back in the 80′s Birtwhistle was the go to guy for Audi’s designs, so I suppose that makes it ok for him to be critical of them. But he didn’t stop there. Birtwhistle also said the Sport Quattro’s biggest problem was that it was based on the Audi 80′s platform which meant there had to be some sacrifices in terms of design in order to make it work.

I’ll have to respectfully disagree with Birtwhistle on this one. While I never had the chance to drive one, my neighbour had one for a good year or so, so I got an up close and personal look almost every day. And even today, I still say it’s a good looking car. But more to the point, back in its day (the 80′s) the design was almost ground breaking as most car companies were happy using only rulers for their car designs.

[Autocar]

Auto Express 2011 Performance Car of the Year Announced

As the year draws to a close, another Car of the Year (COTY) accolade is up for grabs. This one is courtesy of Auto Express, however it’s not your typical COTY award. Most COTY awards include any new model and usually the winner is based on how it handles day to day elements. Well Auto Express is tossing that formula out the window as their focusing solely on performance.

They took 20 cars that have performance as their top priority and ranked them from best to worst. Everything from cheap hot hatches to exotic supercars were considered. All were measured based on their performance abilities and value… which is odd considering they have an Aston Martin up against a Seat. Perhaps they meant best balance of performance for value.

Subaru fans will likely be up in arms at the results as the Cosworth WRX was ranked the lowest at number 20, especially since it was bested by several hot hatches including a hybrid, the Honda CR-Z.

Another surprise on the list was the Audi RS5 which ranked a bit low at number 11. Especially considering its arch rival, the BMW M3, not only cracked the top 10, but cracked the top 5 coming in at number 5.

I won’t spill the beans on who won the coveted top spot, however I will say that I definitely agree with their decision. Check it out in the video above. Notice no domestic cars were nominated? Just sayin’.

Do you agree with the performance COTY?

[Auto Express]

That’s More Like It, Audi

I’ve reviewed the A3 TDI and while I think it’s a nice car, I can’t for the life of me understand why someone would spend the extra $10,000+ over the Volkswagen Golf TDI, since they are essentially the exact same car. I suggested that Audi needed to do something different to set it appart – or at least do more than adding leather and a premium badge. One of my suggestions was to make the diesel more available on other models and it seems Audi took that advice to heart (you’re welcome Audi, by the way).

Audi says the A4, A5, A6, A8 and Q5 will join the A3 and Q7 for diesel availability by 2015. That’s every model in Audi’s lineup. Well, almost every model. Audi was quick to burst our bubble of having a R8 V12 TDI any time soon. Anyway, Audi would be the first automaker in North America to offer a diesel variant in every model it sells. And if they’re smart they’ll also make TDI’s available with Quattro models (as I also suggested). Although apparently Quattro isn’t as good as we once thought.

Audi is hoping their diesel increase will gaim them 20% of the diesel market in the States. Currently they have about 5.5% of the market with the A3 TDI alone.

[Automotive News]

Quattro FAIL: BMW’s xDrive System Humiliates Audi’s System

The two German heavyweights are duking it out again and this time BMW is claiming victory.

It’s unclear where this event is or who is holding it, but judging buy the outcome, it’s safe to say this is BMW’s doing. They pitted Audi’s Q5 with Quattro AWD against their new BMW X3 with xDrive AWD. The results are actually quite surprising.

If you don’t know, Audi’s quattro system is world renowened, in fact Audi has been perfecting its system for over 25 years. As a result, quattro has helped Audi win many rally races over the years. Today, buying an Audi without quattro AWD is like cheating on Beyonce with Tara Reid. It just doesn’t make any sense.

BMW, on the other hand, has been using xDrive AWD for 25 years as well, but have had little to show for it – until now that is. It’s not that it was a bad AWD system, it’s just that Audi’s system clearly garnered the most attention.

Well BMW is hoping to shift that attention towards itself as the video above has the Q5 and X3 take on a metal ramp with some ‘slippery spots’ to test each AWD system.

The Q5 embarrassingly couldn’t even make it up the ramp! The X3 on the other hand had no problem at all, not even any wheel slippage and finished the small course without a hitch. Ouch.

As mentioned, since this is likely a BMW event, take the results as you will, but there is really no denying what you see with your own eyes. Check it outin the video above.

In any event, Audi will likely have to do a bit of damage control, but you can bet that they won’t take this sitting down.

The BMW vs. Audi rivalry continues.

[Youtube]

BMW M3 GT Coming?!

Rumours are floating around the internets (from fairly reliable sources too) that the next generation M3 sedan will be replaced by a GT hatchback version similar to the 55oi GT pictured above.

I must say, I really liked the 550i GT that I tested a while back because it blended excellent performance and handling with a luxurious comfortable drive and excellent versatility. But that’s not what M cars are about.

M cars, specifically M3′s are all about raw performance and eff anything else. That means ride quality, luxury, versatility, and reliability even all take a back seat to the raw performance.  Adding some versatility to a vehicle that has traditionally been a raw performance coupe since its inception is a bit like adding a business degree to a porn star’s education.

Still, there’s something deliciously awesome about the CTS-V Wagon, the C63 AMG wagon and the RS3 hatchback.  And when you think about it, BMW has no high performance car that is also practical. The M3 GT is probably meant to that void. Sure the X5 M and X6 M are options, but let’s get real here. While they are tremendous for SUV’s they are still SUV’s nonetheless. Showing up to a track in your X6 M is pretty ridiculous afterall.

[Inside Line]

Audi S4 Wins Esquire Car of the Year

Esquire magazine has just named its Car of the Year and this year it goes to the Audi S4. No arguments here, the S4 is a brilliant if often forgotten sports sedan. Since the introduction of the RS4, the S4 has sort of taken a back seat to its bigger brother. Which is a shame because the original S4 was something to be desired and with the new one even more so.

The male-centric magazine listed the following reason for the S4′s win:

Numbers and stats are starting points, but we believe that the Esquire Car of the Year should make you feel something deep in your gut. You should lust for it and dream about it, but it shouldn’t be an impossible goal. It must be attainable for the average man. It should sit in front of your house or office without drawing attention to itself and tackle four seasons of day-to-day transportation with ease. Yet crucially, sometimes, without warning, it must make you snatch the keys off the wall, haul off to the country and just drive.

Well said. Basically it does everything a good sports sedan should do. Congrats Audi!

[Esquire]

Turns Out ‘E-Tron’ is a Crappy Name, Audi

The all-electric E-tron is expected to make production in the next few years, promising to be an efficient alternative to those who value performance but have a concern for the environment and how much they spend on gas. It is said to have similar performance of the Audi R8 but uses absolutely no gas. Cool idea.

What wasn’t a cool idea though, was naming it E-tron. While the name sounds cool and futuristic, obviously the whole world doesn’t speak English. Which means that different words have different meanings in cultures across the world. Audi is finding that out the hard way.

Turns out in French Etron is slang for feces. Obviously having a car named after excrement is not ideal. It would give way to way too many puns such as “that car is a piece of shit.” This isn’t the first time Audi has screwed up names. Remember when they insensitively created the Green Police? The same guy responsible for that in Audi’s research department must’ve come up with the Etrons name.

This also isn’t the first time a new car’s name meant something hilariously different in another language. GM came to the startling realization that the name of its top selling sedan, the LaCrosee, means rather crudely to masturbate in la Francais Quebecois. Luckily for GM, they came to this realization before the LaCross went on sale and named it the Allure in our market. Since then, GM has decided that LaCrosse will be the name of here and Canada too. They apparently don’t care about Quebec culture or references anymore.

[Green Car Ports]

Test Drive: 2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Highline

By Kevin Harrison

There are a lot of things about North Americans that I really don’t get. For instance why do we like Walmart enough that it has to be open 24 hours? Have you ever bolted up at 4 am wanting to buy a new set of silverware?

Likewise, why are we so opposed to diesels? For some reason we’ve asphyxiated them with a bad reputation, and as a result, North Americans have not responded well to them.

This attitude is in complete contrast to Europe where selling a car without a diesel option is like ordering a hamburger at a Chinese restaurant – it just doesn’t make sense.

VW has been trying for decades to make diesels more mainstream in our market but they hit a bit of a snag in 2007 when stricter emission standards forced them to axe their diesel and revamp it. During that period TDI’s were missing in action in our market.

But they’re back and VW promises them to be even more powerful yet more efficient than before.

Read the rest of this entry »

Saab and BMW Team Up for Upcoming Audi A1 Fighter

Auto Express apparently has it on good word that Saab has officially inked a deal with BMW to build its upcoming sub-compact 9-2.  Rumour also has it that BMW will lend a helping hand with the next generation 9-3.

The 9-2, however, will use the Mini chasis along with other technologies from the lovable little Cooper.

According a Spyker exec: “We could build the 9-2 on our own, but that wouldn’t make sense. Thanks to the crisis in the industry, everyone is willing to share everything. So Spyker couldn’t have bought Saab at a better time.”

Nissan vs Germany Round 2

Recently Nissan has been becoming quite cocky as they have released ads taking jabs at three German companies known as being among the best for performance: BMW, Audi and Porsche.

Porsche didn’t take too well to Nissan’s new marketing approach as they threatened legal action against Nissan of using their logo without permission. I, on the other hand, said that Porsche should shut Nissan up by going head to head on the track. But anyway, technical legalities is definitely not stopping Nissan from digging at Porsche heals. Audi is also targeted again in this new round of advertising.

Nissan actually went out and bought an Audi TT-S and a Porsche Cayman S and is driving them around London with special messages to the public written on the side of each car. For the Audi, the message reads “More expensive, slower and less powerful than a Nissan 370Z”. The Porsche got branded with “I dream of being as fast as a Nissan 370Z”. Ouch.

That certainly is a way to get around the legalities that Porsche set out. BMW was not targeted this round, but I’m sure Nissan has something special in mind for them.

[Nissan via Top Speed]

Test Drive: 2010 Audi A3 TDI

By Kevin Harrison

I was driving behind an old Mercedes-Benz diesel a while back and I have to say, it was about as desirable as playing strip poker with your parents. It was just awful.

I actually had to turn my radio up because that diesel clatter was making my ears bleed. Then, despite being 30 degrees outside, I had to roll up my windows because the exhaust coming out of the tailpipe had a rather black/purple-ish hue that would make even Stephen Harper concerned about its effect on the environment. On top of that, the smell was less agreeable than a hockey player locker room after the second period.

For the first time ever, I finally started to understand North American tendencies. Diesels of the past were terrible.

Since then, many automakers have refined diesel technology, most notably Volkswagen. Even though most automakers bailed on the idea of bringing diesels back, Volkswagen stuck with it, leaving them with virtually all the market share. Not a bad move. BMW and Mercedes-Benz have followed suit with each brand offering a small dosage of their diesel technology for open minded North Americans.

Volkswagen has expanded the technology into four of their models. But what if you want a little premium with that oil burner? Well, for the first time Volkswagen has made its famous TDI engine available in the Audi A3. Is it worth it?

Read the rest of this entry »

‘How to Beat the Germans’ Nissan Style

Nissan is taking jabs at the Germans claiming their performance cars can do anything the Germans can do and do it better.

In a new ad campaign in the UK, Nissan touts the abilities of the 370Z and the GT-R. Both make an excellent case for being among the best in the performance world, but Nissan really wants everyone to know it.

When people think of performance, they tend to think of the German makes such as BMW, Audi, and Porsche. Well they are exactly who Nissan is taking aim at. The billboard ads feature either the 370Z or the GT-R with BMW, Audi and Porsche logos on the side of the car. Next to that is the five bar gate scoring system etched into the paint which showed the number of racing victories against each brand in the famous Nurburgring. Then the ad says “How to beat the Germans” or “The Germans came off Wurst” or “Kaisers Chiefed”.

BMW and Audi are no strangers to taking jabs at each other through friendly ads, so they likely won’t care too much, however this ad seems to have hit a nerve with Porsche. Apparently lawyers for Porsche are threatening legal action for unauthorized use of their logo. Nissan reportedly will comply, but will continue on with the campaign nevertheless.

That’s a bit of a bitch move Porsche. I mean, really? Getting lawyers involved? How about shutting Nissan up by putting your cars against theirs on the track instead?

[The Guardian]

BMW’s Supercar to be Called M8? May Have Hybrid Set Up

It’s going to be the battle of the 8′s! M8 vs. R8.

BMW’s new supercar is reportedly going to be called the M8 according to Autozeitung. It is going to take aim directly at the Audi R8.

The M8 is going to take a lot of styling cues from the Vision Efficient Dynamics concept pictured above. That concept uses a diesel-hybrid engine which relies mostly on torque for its get-up-and-go and was thought to carry over to the production model, but apparently BMW has dropped that idea in favour of another hybrid set up.

They will reportedly take the power plant from the upcoming M5 which is expected to produce 580 horsepower from either a V8 or a V10. They are then going to add two electric motors for added boost and of course for added efficiency. Since it’s a BMW, the weight will be distributed properly with one electric motor in the front, and the other in the back for perfect weight distribution. Total output is expected to be in between 600 and 700 horsepower!

Add the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG into the mix and you’ve got yourself one tasty German supercar showdown. Can’t wait!

[Autozeitung via BMWblog]

International Engine of the Year Award Winners Announced

Congrats to Volkswagen!

They picked up International Engine of the Year award honours for 2010 for the 1.4 litre TSI twincharger engine typically found in the Golf, Jetta, Scirocco, Tiguan, Touran, and Seat Ibiza Cupra. Unfortunately for us, we don’t get to experience that engine in any of VW’s offerings in North America. Volkwagen also picked up a second award for the 2.5 litre five-cylinder turbo that they use in the amazing Audi TT-RS.

BMW picked up the most awards for four different engines. The first was for the incredible 3 litre inline six D1 twin turbo used in the 135i, 335i, 535i, X5 35i, X6 35i and Z4. Next BMW was awarded for the 1.6 litre turbo found in the Mini Cooper S, Clubman S, Peugot 207 & 308 as well as the John Cooper works Edition Cooper and Clubman. BMW’s wonderful diesel was recognized as well, specifically the 2 litre twin turbo used in the 123d and X1 123d. Finally, and not surprisingly, BMW picked up an award for the 4 litre V8 used in the M3.

Mercedes-Benz and Toyota rounded out the list, each picking up one award. Mercedes-Benz won for their 6.2 litre V8 found in all the AMG models and Toyota was awarded for their 1 litre engine found in the Yaris and IQ.

Congrats to all the winners!

[International Engine of the Year]