Drew Dowdell

GM bringing 1.4L turbo four to market next year Link to AutoBlog General Motors has announced that it's bringing out a new 1.4L turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine next year, which will help the automaker increase cars' fuel economy while presumably not sacrificing power. A normally-aspirated version of this motor is currently offered across the pond in the Opel Astra 5-door. Dubbed the 1.4 Twinport Ecotec, the Euro-spec NA version makes 90 horsepower at 5600 RPM, 92 lb-ft of torque at 4000 RPM, and gets 38.5 US miles per gallon in the combined cycle. With a snail attached, the little 1.4L should easily corral over one hundred horses. According to GM's Jim Queen, both the Chevy Cobalt and Saturn Astra (no surprise there) are candidates for the US-bound turbo variant, with midsizers not out of the question, either. The 1.4L will supplant the Aveo's 1.6L four as the smallest engine offered by GM in the US. Hey General, while you're at it, why not throw it in the Aveo, too? Between this and Ford's EcoBoost push, we expect to be seeing "turbo" badges on a lot of cars in the years to come.

I'm talking about using it to defend against the government.

Around here Civics and Jetta <previous gen> are the gay man's pace car. Jetta lovers seem to be migrating to Rabbits though. Then there is the ubiquitous 3-series that every 20 year old anger-twink aspires to. And they'll tell you it has the best V-6 around....but they don't know why.

I'd like to see you stand up to the Army's 21st battle division with your twelve gauge. If you want to bare arms, go for the good stuff. Tzar Bomba - Largest nuclear device ever detonated.... and was tested at only 1/2 it's designed yield.

not in cold weather climates you don't

In sales to Avis?

What about a nice pair of Tatas.... wouldn't work on about 25% of this board, but I don't think you've ever officially declared a... uh... "party"

What is even more ironically awesome, that is the Civic I use every week. This was my first time logging into Zipcar after the Zip/Flexcar merger. Flexcar just uses numbers to identify their cars. Zipcar names them.

except... once your pants are on.... you ruin the largest automaker in the world.

Don't drink the water Chris.

Chris! Why do you insist on making the birthday threads for the gay members NSFW!!?

Camino, depending on the dates you want to go; I'd drive out to your place, drop the car off and we can take the Acela up together.

I know what you're saying here, but I share the same opinion as 68 on this issue with the exception of certain Oldsmobiles. I am someone who buys new cars. From the looks of it, an '08 or '09 CTS will be my last new GM.

Always helpful to post the date.... for those of us too lazy to look them up.

GME running the show in North America will make the Daimler Chrysler merger look like a sound long term investment. I think "trainwreck" is a best case scenario under that circumstance.

It would probably be more acurate to call the '08 CTS's platform Sigma 1.5

I don't think there ever was a recall on it... but if you let it go too long the diff will have to be replaced. There is a recall on a leaky seal on your rear differential if your car is a 2005-2007. Hope that it's under warranty and take it to Cadillac.

It's your differential. It's a known issue.

what speed? does it only happen at certain speeds?

come come now. I know you like RWD, but the W-body wasn't that bad. The Cutlass was fairly popular. The Grand Prix did have some performance cred. The Intrigue was one of the best of the large mid-sized cars of it's era. And you have Grandpa's Regal when you pry it from his cold dead hands. We're not talking J-body here....

Look what he's been sneaking out at night to drive!!!

Eh, I wouldn't go around cheering this. The same thing would happen in a Tahoe 2-mode.

only not all that acurate

I think the HF would throw the balance out of wack. It's a fairly heavy engine. Put the Saab BioPower 300hp 4cylinder in it instead.