The new BMW twin-turbo V-8 has been engineered for a new line of cross-over SUVs for 2009. Technically, it's a unique peice of work: instead of the usual turbocharger location that you'd expect, the turbos are housed inside the V of the engine. The cylinders heads are reversed, with the exhaust ports inside the V and the intake ports on the outside.
Advantage: packaging of the engine in roughly the same width and length as the standard V-8.
Disadvantage: height, heat on the top of the engine, and management of overall airflow thru the engine compartment.
DrivingEnthusiast.net offers extensive BMW super high-res images of the new engine so that readers can study this fascinating new engine in detail. A sample low-res image is shown to the right.
Follow the link http://www.DrivingEnthusiast.net/sec-bmw/ (suggest <right click> and <open in new tab>) to the new BMW section and look under Engines for full detailed information. Similar information is also available for the existing twin-turbo inline 6.
Real driving enthusiasts appreciate a wide variety of performance cars.. .so I'll take a break my my near-constant streeam of Camaro and Mustang news this week to relay you to the JDM Insider site for a report on the Cosworth supercharging kit for the Miata (er, MX-5). It's nearly ready for sale and with 210 horses at the rear wheels it promises to transform the otherwise slow Miata into a real performance car. With excellent handling already built into the Miata, and with additional handling upgrades readily available, this kit looks to be the finishing touch to a very capable car. With the top down, this could be almost as much fun to drive as an S2000 - but with far more torque. And the weight of the new folding-metal hardtop option would be easily offset by all this newfound torque. Hmmm.......
Big question: will an engine-driven supercharger on a high compression naturally-aspirated engine utilizing air-to-water intercooling stay cool enough for track days in extreme climates such as Texas? Most cars with this type of add-on equipment don't... so lot's more data is needed.
GREAT article in the recent Turbo magazine covering technical details of the new 4B11 Evo X engine. Worth your time to read.. .and be sure to save the link.
Continue via the link in the title of this post above. This is Part 1 of the article... keep an eye on your newstand for the latest issue of Turbo.
Meet the new Ford EcoBoost twin-turbo DOHC V-6 engine. Follow the link in the title of this post above and select the "EcoBoost" section. Press releases, and several technical high-res images are available. Note the EcoBoost blog category I've set up to highlight EcoBoost topics.
Click on the image to the right for just one of several high-res images showing parts of the engine in great detail.
This interesting new engine will be available in 2009 in the Lincoln MKS and MKT, the Ford Flex, the new F-150, and the 2010 Taurus (SHO?). It only makes 340-350 HP, and it's not intercooled. But it does make ~340 torque and the torque curve is very flat. It's been shown and discussed only with a 6-speed automatic at this point, although further transmissions are a possibility. Although Ford is not talking any further details, it's interesting to note that Ford has started to use a new automated manual dual-clutch 6-speed transmission in Europe behind a meager 4-cylinder engine. An advanced and much higher capacity version of that same type of transmission (although from Getrag) is used in the new Mitsubisho Evo X MR - and it's rated there at 340 torque. That'd make a nice SHO transmission!
Speaking of the Ford EcoBoost technology, Ford has thoughtfully provided this YouTube video covering the upcoming twin-turbo V-6 Duratec. It's targeted to produce 340 HP and 340 lb-ft of torque. It will be found first in the Lincoln MKS, and later in a wider range of vehicles including the Taurus.
Note the timeline that is shown... several other interesting facts there including an upcoming dual-clutch transmission. It's unclear which market he is talking about for the transmission, it's already known that it will be offered in Europe. Perhaps it will start here as an option in the upcoming Verve, followed by the (finally!) European Focus?
The new BMW twin-turbo V-8 has been engineered for a new line of cross-over SUVs for 2009. Technically, it's a unique peice of work: instead of the usual turbocharger location that you'd expect, the turbos are housed inside the V of the engine. The cylinders heads are reversed, with the exhaust ports inside the V and the intake ports on the outside. 
