xcel
02-01-2008, 06:56 AM
Newer luxury cars are shifting toward smaller, more sophisticated engines for power. (http://money.cnn.com/2008/01/29/autos/rise_of_the_v6/index.htm?postversion=2008013014)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2008_Cadillac_CTS1.jpgPeter Valdes-Dapena - CNNMoney – Jan. 30, 2008
2008 Cadillac CTS w/ DI - 304 HP and 26 highway (20 combined) is making the 15 mpg V8 something for the history books. Someday the Euro I4 Turbo-diesels will arrive and shake things up even further. -- Ed.
NEW YORK -- When Ford's new flagship Lincoln sedan, the MKS, goes on sale later this year it will be available with all-wheel-drive, a six-speed transmission and plenty of rear-seat legroom. But one feature usually found on full-size luxury cars will not be available on the MKS at any price: a V8 engine.
That might seem a risky step for a brand that's supposed to be undergoing a renaissance, getting back into fighting trim as a true luxury brand. For a certain segment of the market, a big luxury car just isn't a big luxury car without V8 power.
But V8 engines just aren't needed in many of these cars anymore, according to Ford and General Motors. New, more sophisticated V6s offer nearly the same performance with better fuel economy.
"End-game performance when you step on the gas is what it's all about" said Alan Hall, a Ford spokesman.
The top-end engine in the new MKS sedan, to be offered within a year of the car's launch, will be a twin-turbocharged V6 with direct gasoline injection. Turbochargers push air into the engine's cylinders for higher compression and greater power. Direct injection pushes fuel directly into the cylinder at high pressure.
Combining the technologies creates more compression that allows the engine, Ford says, to put out as much power as a V8 while using only slightly more fuel than a non-turbocharged V6.
Shifting tastes
GM is already seeing lesser V8 demand in its luxury cars. Last year, they were under the hood of about 26% of Cadillac STS sedans sold. This year, V8s accounted for just 17% of STS sales, according to data from Power Information Network… http://money.cnn.com/2008/01/29/autos/rise_of_the_v6/index.htm?postversion=2008013014
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2008_Cadillac_CTS1.jpgPeter Valdes-Dapena - CNNMoney – Jan. 30, 2008
2008 Cadillac CTS w/ DI - 304 HP and 26 highway (20 combined) is making the 15 mpg V8 something for the history books. Someday the Euro I4 Turbo-diesels will arrive and shake things up even further. -- Ed.
NEW YORK -- When Ford's new flagship Lincoln sedan, the MKS, goes on sale later this year it will be available with all-wheel-drive, a six-speed transmission and plenty of rear-seat legroom. But one feature usually found on full-size luxury cars will not be available on the MKS at any price: a V8 engine.
That might seem a risky step for a brand that's supposed to be undergoing a renaissance, getting back into fighting trim as a true luxury brand. For a certain segment of the market, a big luxury car just isn't a big luxury car without V8 power.
But V8 engines just aren't needed in many of these cars anymore, according to Ford and General Motors. New, more sophisticated V6s offer nearly the same performance with better fuel economy.
"End-game performance when you step on the gas is what it's all about" said Alan Hall, a Ford spokesman.
The top-end engine in the new MKS sedan, to be offered within a year of the car's launch, will be a twin-turbocharged V6 with direct gasoline injection. Turbochargers push air into the engine's cylinders for higher compression and greater power. Direct injection pushes fuel directly into the cylinder at high pressure.
Combining the technologies creates more compression that allows the engine, Ford says, to put out as much power as a V8 while using only slightly more fuel than a non-turbocharged V6.
Shifting tastes
GM is already seeing lesser V8 demand in its luxury cars. Last year, they were under the hood of about 26% of Cadillac STS sedans sold. This year, V8s accounted for just 17% of STS sales, according to data from Power Information Network… http://money.cnn.com/2008/01/29/autos/rise_of_the_v6/index.htm?postversion=2008013014