Mazda Furai Concept:

Inspired by the fact that, on any given weekend, there are more Mazda and Mazda-powered cars road-raced in the United States than any other brand, the Mazda Furai is the sort of car that could only come from a company that incorporates the "Soul of a Sports Car" into everything it builds, but with an eye toward the future and the environment through the use of ethanol (E100) produced by British Petroleum (BP).

Furai takes Mazda's unique Nagare (Japanese for "flow") design language a step further as it is translated into a concept car based on an American Le Mans Series (ALMS) racing car. The car utilizes the Courage C65 chassis the company campaigned in the ALMS series only two seasons ago, and the 450-hp 3-rotor rotary engine that distinguishes it from anything else on the track.

"Furai purposely blurs boundaries that have traditionally distinguished street cars from track cars. Historically, there has been a gap between single-purpose racecars and street-legal models — commonly called supercars — that emulate the real racers on the road. Furai bridges that gap like no car has ever done before," remarked Franz von Holzhausen, Mazda's North American director of design.

Dodge M80 Concept truck was introduced as a stylish, low-cost, four-wheel-drive vehicle to accommodate the ever-changing lifestyles of America’s youth. The M80 takes many of its retro design cues from 1939 and 1941 work trucks and features simple, chiseled lines, short overhangs, fender vent vanes, a cross-hair grille and push-button door handles. Styling is also enhanced by 20-inch wheels and oversized dual exhaust pipes. Storage is not a problem, thanks to plastic side-storage lockers, a center console that converts to a removable cooler, wide storage bins behind the seats as well as a cab that features a full-width “flipper” glass to carry gear that's too long for the pickup bed. The no-frills interior is rugged and durable and purposely lacks audio, visual and navigation toys so owners can personalize it with their own electronic entertainment devices. The interior also features an abundance of Detonator Yellow body-color sheet-metal panels enhanced by satin-silver hard plastic covers, a simple instrument cluster and classic ball-and-socket-style air vents. Even the removable seats are covered in a water-repelling Neoprene trim. The M80 is equipped with Chrysler group’s 3.7-liter, V6 engine capable of unleashing 210 ponies, plus four-wheel drive for go-anywhere capabilities.

All New Chevy:

In the land of the Silicon Chip, IPOs and emerging technology, the 2008 Silicon Valley International Auto Show (produced by Motor Trend Auto Shows) plays host to more than 400 cars, trucks, crossovers and sport/utility vehicles. Just a short flight from Los Angeles brought me to San Jose and the McEnry Convention Center.

Technology meets the Automobile at this show. In addition to new (or redesigned) 2008 models such as the Nissan Rogue, Honda Accord, Subaru Impreza and Ford Shelby GT500, this show is about Hybrids, clean emission vehicles and technology to make Hybrids more efficient. This is Silicon Valley after all (known for the inception of the silicon chip which powers most all computers).

The Chevy stand showcases the Malibu Hybrid and full-size Tahoe Hybrid. Cadillac has the Escalade Hybrid on the turntable for all to see. The Ford Escape Hybrid drew attention as did the Edge with Microsoft's Sync Technology. The Ford Flex stood high on display as an alternative to family-oriented minivan and sport utility vehicles.

For those looking for the exotics, down the hall and on full display is a Bugatti Veyron (not to be confused with my rental car in self-parking...)

The show kicked off with the Charity preview, to benefit Community Against Substance Abuse (CASA) and the Valley Medical Center (VMC) foundation.

Rain and cold greeted me San Jose, but snow and sleet await journalists bound for the North American International Auto Show next week in Detroit. Motor Trend will be there in force with Angus and his team leading the charge.

Still at the Silicon Valley International Auto Show the activities are continuing to build. Off to the Aftermarket Alley and Toyota Trucks Off-Road On-Site Adventure next.

BMW twin-turbo inline-six crowned "International engine of the year" for the second year in a row

BMW's twin-turbo 3.0-liter inline-six has been named the 2008 International Engine of the Year by a panel of 65 automotive journalists from 32 countries (including MT's own Frank Markus) convened by Engine Technology International Magazine.

Twelve awards are handed out in total. The judges heavily favored forced-induction engines, with just four of the winning engines being naturally aspirated, one of those being a hybrid

BMW took home five other awards, including a second award for the 3.0-liter TT I-6 for best engine displacing 2.5 to 3.0-liters. The Bavarians' other awards were for best engine displacing over 4.0-liters for the M5's 5.0-liter V-10, best engine displacing 3.0 to 4.0-liters for the M3's 4.0-liter V-8, best engine displacing 1.4 to 1.6-liters for the Mini Cooper S' 1.6-liter turbo (jointly developed with Peugeot), and best new engine for the European-market 2.0-liter twin-turbo diesel inline-four found in the 123d.

Toyota finished second with two awards, one for green engine of the year for the Prius' Hybrid Synergy Drive and one for best engine under 1.0-liters in displacement for its European market 1.0-liter four. Volkswagen also picked up a pair of awards. The first was for best engine displacing 1.0 to 1.4-liters for its European-market 1.4-liter twincharger four, the second for best engine displacing 1.8 to 2.0-liters for its widely-used 2.0-liter turbo four.

The remaining two awards were split between Porsche (best performance engine for its 3.6-liter turbo six) and Subaru (best engine displacing 2.0 to 2.5-liters for its 2.5-liter turbo four).

A list of winners is below:

2008 International Engine of the Year Awards Winners

Best New Engine of 2008
BMW 2-liter Diesel Twin-Turbo (123d)

Green Engine of the Year
Toyota 1.5-liter Hybrid Synergy Drive (Prius)

Best Performance Engine
Porsche 3.6-liter Turbo (911 Turbo, 911 GT2)

Sub 1-liter
Toyota 1-liter (Aygo, Yaris, Peugeot 107, Citron C1, Subaru Justy)

1-liter to 1.4-liter
Volkswagen 1.4-liter TSI Twincharger (Golf, Touran, Tiguan, Jetta)

1.4-liter to 1.8-liter
BMW-PSA 1.6-liter Turbo (MINI Cooper S, Clubman, Peugeot 207, 308)

1.8-liter to 2-liter
Volkswagen/Audi 2-liter Turbo (A3, A4 Cabrio, A6, TT, Eos, Jetta, Golf GTi, Seat Altea, Leon, Skoda Octavia)

2-liter to 2.5-liter
Subaru 2.5-liter Turbo (Forester, Impreza, Outback, Legacy)

2.5-liter to 3-liter
BMW 3-liter Twin-Turbo (135, 335, X6)

3-liter to 4-liter
BMW 4-liter V8 (M3)

Above 4-liter
BMW 5-liter V10 (M5, M6)

Spycam: Porsche small SUV

The Porsche Cayenne's yet-unnamed baby brother was caught for the first time running laps around the Nurburgring and, to use Porsche's slogan for the Cayenne GTS, the bloodlines are unmistakable.

The styling clearly draws on the Cayenne, showing similar cues at the front and rear end. But the new Porsche is actually based on the upcoming Audi Q5, with which it shares its architecture.

Base engine will likely be the Cayenne's 3.6-liter V-6, with a V-8 likely for higher-end models as the Q5 architecture has enough room for one under the hood. As with the Cayenne, Porsche is likely to offer an off-road pack, with extra under-body protection. Air suspension may be also an option.

When placed side by side with the Q5, the similarity between the two SUVs becomes quite apparent. The middle sections of both cars are nearly identical despite vastly different in the front and rear-end styling.

The most noticeable difference comes from the Porsche's flatter roof, which creates its sharply-raked D-pillar and sloped rear window. Other, more subtle differences include the increased arc of the rear-door cutline and the placement of the rear-view mirrors. These are mounted onto the doors just below the greenhouse rather than between the front side window and A-pillar.

The small Porsche 'ute will likely arrive after the Panamera sedan, likely sometime during the 2011 model year.

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