Ford’s vanlet spins off electric-, propane-, and natural gas–powered variations, plus one for serialized people-hauling.

Ford’s little Transit Connect utility van is about to try out some new forms of versatility. At the Chicago auto show, Ford is debuting two new powertrains for the TC—a battery-powered electric vehicle and one powered by natural gas or propane—as well as a taxi. All these models are, of course, primarily aimed at fleet buyers.

Transit Connect EV: Short Connections Only

The Transit Connect EV uses a liquid-cooled, 28-kWh lithium-ion battery pack capable of up to 80 miles on a charge. Ford says it will accelerate at a rate similar to the gas TC—no rocket ship, to be sure—and achieve a top speed of 75 mph. Not surprisingly, the vehicle is intended for urban work.

Keep Reading: 2011 Ford Transit Connect Taxi, EV, Natural Gas, and Propane – Official Photos and Info

Related posts:

1. 2010 Ford Transit Connect – Auto Shows
2. 2010 Ford Transit Connect – First Drive Review
3. Ford Transit Connect Family One Concept – Auto Shows

Ford’s vanlet spins off electric-, propane-, and natural gas–powered variations, plus one for serialized people-hauling.

Ford’s little Transit Connect utility van is about to try out some new forms of versatility. At the Chicago auto show, Ford is debuting two new powertrains for the TC—a battery-powered electric vehicle and one powered by natural gas or propane—as well as a taxi. All these models are, of course, primarily aimed at fleet buyers.

Transit Connect EV: Short Connections Only

The Transit Connect EV uses a liquid-cooled, 28-kWh lithium-ion battery pack capable of up to 80 miles on a charge. Ford says it will accelerate at a rate similar to the gas TC—no rocket ship, to be sure—and achieve a top speed of 75 mph. Not surprisingly, the vehicle is intended for urban work.

Keep Reading: 2011 Ford Transit Connect Taxi, EV, Natural Gas, and Propane – Official Photos and Info

Related posts:

1. 2010 Ford Transit Connect – Auto Shows
2. 2010 Ford Transit Connect – First Drive Review
3. Ford Transit Connect Family One Concept – Auto Shows

The burliest Mustang loses some weight and gains 10 hp and an optional track-focused package for 2011.

The Blue Oval is leaving no Stang untweaked for 2011, now announcing significant updates to the Shelby GT500 to go along with the already revealed 5.0-liter Mustang GT and base 3.7-liter V-6 cars. The most important alteration to the Shelby is a switch in engine-block material, tossing the old cast-iron block for a version of the all-aluminum lower end that was originally developed for the Ford GT. A larger intercooler and a revised exhaust bump power by 10 hp to 550, while torque stands pat at 510 lb-ft.

Keep Reading: 2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Official Photos and Info

Related posts:

1. 2011 Ford Mustang V6 – Official Photos and Info
2. 2010 Chevy Corvette Grand Sport vs. 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Comparison Tests
3. 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Auto Shows

The burliest Mustang loses some weight and gains 10 hp and an optional track-focused package for 2011.

The Blue Oval is leaving no Stang untweaked for 2011, now announcing significant updates to the Shelby GT500 to go along with the already revealed 5.0-liter Mustang GT and base 3.7-liter V-6 cars. The most important alteration to the Shelby is a switch in engine-block material, tossing the old cast-iron block for a version of the all-aluminum lower end that was originally developed for the Ford GT. A larger intercooler and a revised exhaust bump power by 10 hp to 550, while torque stands pat at 510 lb-ft.

Keep Reading: 2011 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Official Photos and Info

Related posts:

1. 2011 Ford Mustang V6 – Official Photos and Info
2. 2010 Chevy Corvette Grand Sport vs. 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Comparison Tests
3. 2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 – Auto Shows

Holy schnikes! The have-it-all Turbo S returns to the 911 lineup.

After an absence of five years, the Turbo S has returned to the 911 lineup.

The new, 997-flavored twist on the ultimate neunelf will feed some 530 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels from its twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter flat six. The regular, and now useless, non-S 911 Turbo makes do with an inadequate 500 hp and 480 lb-ft from the same engine, although it can match the 516 pounding feet of the Turbo S via an overboost function. The creation of the S involved revising the engine software to pump up the maximum boost from 11.6 psi to 14.5, which just so happens to be the figure made during the Turbo’s overboost function. No engine internals were changed. Fuel economy is rated at 17 mpg city and 24 mpg highway.

Keep Reading: 2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S – Official Photos and Info

Related posts:

1. 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo – Official Photos and Info
2. 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 R Race Car – Official Photos and Info
3. 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder – Official Photos and Info

Holy schnikes! The have-it-all Turbo S returns to the 911 lineup.

After an absence of five years, the Turbo S has returned to the 911 lineup.

The new, 997-flavored twist on the ultimate neunelf will feed some 530 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels from its twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter flat six. The regular, and now useless, non-S 911 Turbo makes do with an inadequate 500 hp and 480 lb-ft from the same engine, although it can match the 516 pounding feet of the Turbo S via an overboost function. The creation of the S involved revising the engine software to pump up the maximum boost from 11.6 psi to 14.5, which just so happens to be the figure made during the Turbo’s overboost function. No engine internals were changed. Fuel economy is rated at 17 mpg city and 24 mpg highway.

Keep Reading: 2011 Porsche 911 Turbo S – Official Photos and Info

Related posts:

1. 2010 Porsche 911 Turbo – Official Photos and Info
2. 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 R Race Car – Official Photos and Info
3. 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder – Official Photos and Info

Newer is always better among luxury flagships, and the third-gen A8 may have just moved to the head of the class.

The full-size luxury-car segment is a ship constantly steered by a new captain. Indeed, whenever one of the usual suspects—Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar, or Audi—releases a new model, it seems the current favorite then drops to second place. The BMW 7-series recently pulled off this feat, topping the previous gold standard, the Mercedes-Benz S550, in a comparison test. The Porsche Panamera then swooped in to knock off the Bimmer. (Granted, the Panamera is a bit of an outlier, given that its five-door body doesn’t fit the traditions of the segment.) Now, the 2011 Audi A8 looks like a strong contender to be the next to sit in the captain’s chair.

Keep Reading: 2011 Audi A8 – First Drive Review

Related posts:

1. 2010 Audi A8 / 2011 Audi S8 – Car News
2. 2011 Audi A8 – Spied
3. 2011 Audi A8 – Official Photos and Info

Newer is always better among luxury flagships, and the third-gen A8 may have just moved to the head of the class.

The full-size luxury-car segment is a ship constantly steered by a new captain. Indeed, whenever one of the usual suspects—Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar, or Audi—releases a new model, it seems the current favorite then drops to second place. The BMW 7-series recently pulled off this feat, topping the previous gold standard, the Mercedes-Benz S550, in a comparison test. The Porsche Panamera then swooped in to knock off the Bimmer. (Granted, the Panamera is a bit of an outlier, given that its five-door body doesn’t fit the traditions of the segment.) Now, the 2011 Audi A8 looks like a strong contender to be the next to sit in the captain’s chair.

Keep Reading: 2011 Audi A8 – First Drive Review

Related posts:

1. 2010 Audi A8 / 2011 Audi S8 – Car News
2. 2011 Audi A8 – Spied
3. 2011 Audi A8 – Official Photos and Info

Batteries Included: Do short-haul, $200,000 electric supercars make any sense?

In two years, both Mercedes-Benz and Audi will put electric supercars into production. Shown as concepts at last year’s Frankfurt show, the Audi e-tron and the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG eDrive each slot an electric powertrain into an existing platform. Both promise green cred, but the big question is this: Will either be any good as a supercar?

Keep Reading: Electric Supercars: Audi E-Tron, Tesla Roadster, M-B SLS AMG eDrive Charge to Production – Feature

Related posts:

1. Mercedes Confirms All-Electric SLS eDrive Supercar
2. 2012 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Roadster – Spied
3. Mercedes to Produce All-Electric SLS AMG Supercar

Turning a nose tackle into a linebacker.

Porsche purists may have hated the Cayenne from the moment of its inception, but the success of the truck has allowed the continued production of cars that enthusiasts yearn for. In fact, in one of the supreme ironies of the auto industry recently, the profitability of the VW Touareg–based SUV was a reason that Porsche was able to attempt a hostile takeover of ?Volkswagen last year.

Keep Reading: 2011 Porsche Cayenne – Prototype Drive

Related posts:

1. 2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid and 2009 Cayenne Diesel – First Drive Review
2. 2011 Porsche Cayenne – Spied
3. 2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid – Second Drive