Heng's Solid St.converter Cab.mnt. 20 on 2040-parts.com

Toyota talks powertrain plans

After trailing many of its competitors in the recent engine- and transmission-technology wars, Toyota Motor Corp. will launch a swath of powertrains in the next several years, a top powertrain r&d executive said. Koei Saga, senior managing officer in charge of drivetrain r&d, said that Toyota is investing heavily in turbocharged engines, larger displacement Atkinson cycle engines, continuously variable and fixed-gear automatic transmissions, and new hybrid and fuel cell technologies.

Alfa Romeo 4C: Interior revealed & 236bhp on offer

Alfa Romeo has revealed the interior of the Alfa 4C ahead of its debut at Geneva 2013 and confirmed 236bhp from its 1750cc engine. We get the first view of the interior of the 4C, which is pretty impressive. Lots of exposed carbon fibre is on offer with the dashboard and door panels getting an ‘Asphalt’ treatment to make you thing ‘Road’ and ‘Alfa 4C’ as synonymous.

Toyota Avensis updated

Toyota has upgraded the Avensis with new engines and spec changes First up is a new, entry-level 1.6 litre petrol Valvematic, which offers 0-60 mph in a bit over 10 seconds, and returns 43.5 mpg. Available in T2 and TR grade saloon and tourer models, the petrol engine gets mated to a six-speed manual ‘box Also new is the 2.2 litre diesel with 148bhp and a 0-60 of 9.5 seconds. This gets Toyota’s 6-speed auto ‘box.