Lester is offering engine tuning for the GTA’s 1.75L turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, which boosts output by 31hp (23kW). Additionally, a new height-adjustable coil-over suspension with adjustable dampers is also available, along with sport springs that can lower the car significantly. This results in improved handling and greater acceleration for the performance hatch.

Accompanying the handling upgrades is a new look for the MiTo GTA brought about by an aerodynamic enhancement kit. The front of the car gets a facelift thanks to the spoiler corners on the left and right, as well as a bonnet mounted scoop. At the rear is a subtle wing spoiler and a pair of oversized exhaust tailpipes. The final touch is a set of 18in multi-spoke alloy wheels.

Interestingly, Lester has installed a custom subwoofer housing measuring up to 320mm in the rear of the car.

Here in the U.S., both of those models are already eligible for an IRS tax credit, thanks to the efficiency of their current diesel engines. With a 4% boost over the engine in the 335d and X5 xDrive 35d right now, the new engine should also qualify for the tax credit.

It’s not yet clear, however, if or when BMW plans to roll the new engine out, and if the U.S. is on the distribution list. Diesels still aren’t a high priority here, so it may take some time if it happens at all.

With the recent events which we have witnessed on HT and HomeMadeTurbo.com, leaves me wondering where mankind is headed. Certain personas have made clear and lethal threats against several individuals thinking they were the same person.

One must wonder how so many id*ots found each other on the internet, but wonder no more. What seemed to be a casual software upgrade turned into the epic destruction of the lives of some of members. People’s memories of 20k+ posts have been erased along with a mountain of E-cred. The loss of E-cred alone might drive some people crazy, let alone the knowledge that they have contributed to such a great site, which is now in the hands of a true enthusiast and collector.

The problem is that most people are driven by greed and power. Case in point power is felt through a community in the form of post counts. Greed is felt through the community when someone posts a picture of a big block motor with twin turbos all chromed out. Greed forces the subject to automatically compare themselves with the owner of the twin turbos. Take our friend Xenocron for example. He used to be a vendor on HMT and got shillacked by the people, for the people. He started out as the nice guy, but got tarnished as people turned on him. He is often referred to now as Xenofag or Bernie Madoff, the scammer. Justice is blind, mad VTEC makes you blind and boost is the antidote. Join HomeMadeTurbo.com today to get a free sticker, so you can show off and tell your yo-yo friends that you’re not just a tw*t with a working Visa, you pretend to wrench too!

In conclusion I’d like to say, I am shocked that so many people saw the change to VBulletin as such a negative effect on the site. Lesson learnt. Next time the opinion of the lowest common denominator will be taken into consideration and their voice will be heard. Until that time i think over 200 people are banned. I can honestly say, F THEM.

Peace

While Ford is yet to confirm the car’s existence, if built it would almost certainly benefit from the company’s first EcoBoost engine – a 3.5L direct-injected and turbocharged V6 with an estimated 350hp (261kW) and 350lb-ft (474Nm) of torque.

Ford’s first-generation Taurus SHO was initially centered around a stock of Yamaha-designed 3.0L V6 engines intended for a sporty two-seater that was killed off before it reached production. Since Ford still had the engines, it decided to use them for the SHO, its hottest version of what was, at the time, the world’s best-selling car. Starting in 1989, production ran for three generations over a decade, ending in 1999. By the end the car was almost unrecognizable, however.

The first two generations excelled with manual transmissions and high-output (for the time) V6s. For the third model, built from 1996-1999, a V8 making about the same power as the V6 it replaced was specified, but the manual transmission was removed as an option. Declining popularity and sales that never passed 9,000 units per year meant this was the last generation of the SHO.

However, these plans could just be the start of a bigger move, affecting the ‘M’ division, which could result in smaller engines and turbochargers in future M cars to bring it in line with the increased environmentalism of consumers. The focus of the new changes, to also include automatic stop/start and brake regeneration technologies, whic will cause a reduction of fuel consumption and emissions.

It is still an unfinished project, so we can’t knock it while it’s still in constructions, but daayyym it sure is different.

Take a 3.6L 6 cyl out of an early M5 with 315 ponies. Add a Garrett GT45… the rest is history..

Does it hook? Not yet… Does it spool? Not quite… Is it one off? Definitely…

While not underpowered, the 1990’s Nissan 200SX S13 with its 205Hp turbocharged 2.0-liter engine could have done with a few more extra horses under its hood. But these Swedish guys took the phrase ‘a few more ponies’ to the extreme by swapping the 200SX’s 4-cylinder unit with a 315Hp 3.6-liter straight-six from a 1990’s BMW M5 E34.

And if that wasn’t enough, they also added a Garret GT45 turbocharger on the bimmer engine. We don’t have any output figures but that Bavarian-powered 200SX S13 sure sounds sweet!

Mimicking similar statements made by Mercedes Benz last July, BMW’s EfficientDynamics chief engineer has revealed plans for the carmaker’s future powertrains and expressed his desire to see waste-exhaust power generation systems fitted across the lineup. As carmaker’s battle with tough environmental regulations being introduced across the United States and Europe, new and innovative methods of improving efficiency are being investigated in the quest to maintain power while reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

One of the simplest and most effective methods of boosting power while reducing displacement is the introduction of a turbocharger system, something BMW has done to great effect with its award-winning N54 3.0L straight-six engine. However, there are more advanced systems currently in development that could be making their way to production very soon.

Speaking with WhatCar?, BMW’s Dr Stephan Neugebauer said further efficiency improvements could be brought about via the introduction of heat-energy recovery systems – the heat being the wasted hot exhaust gases.

BMW is currently working on two designs: a ‘turbo steamer’ that uses the exhaust heat to create electricity and a similar set-up to store mechanical energy. In May the carmaker showed off a 5-series sedan with a thermoelectric generation system installed, and before that Honda showed off its own version of the technology.

Some of the technologies available include installing a special thermoelectric material that can generate electric simply by being heated, adding a turbine-generation system, or even something as simple as installing solar panels on the roof.

Neugebauer also revealed that he hoped BMW would be able to make it fall within a cost range that would allow it to fit it into all its cars.

Would you suffice with a replica? Is the real McCoy worth $50k? or is it the fact that it’s a fake that turns people off?

Here is a link to an eBay auction, which has a 911 Turbo replica. It’s nice, but it’s got a salvage history, but not salvage title. Not sure how that works, or if that is considered title washing or not.

Link: 911 Turbo

What would you do?

The forums at www.TurboDodge.com serve as meeting grounds for Dodge SRT-4, Omni, LeBaron, Daytona and the upcoming Hornet owners. The community has a following of over 16,000 users and provides technical troubleshooting information on the vehicles, as well as feedback on popular performance modifications.

TurboDodge.com also hosts a free knowledge base to users, which appear on it’s front page. It details technical information pertaining to a variety of topics, including: Electrical systems, Drive-train, Turbo related and Suspension tutorials for both gasoline and Diesel powered vehicles.

Lauren Van den Acker reported that the last version of the vehicle strayed from the original and the next upcoming design will have “balls”.

Sources tell us that the essential outline of the vehicle will remain the same. Meaning it will still be a fun little rear wheel drive sportscar. But the execution of the design will fall more in line with Mazda’s current product development such as the recently introduced Nagare and Kazamai.

Later this year, Mazda will introduce a facelifted design of the current Miata at the Paris Motor Show in October.

For more information, please visit www.MiataTurbo.net