Performance

Ford's 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged, direct-injected EcoBoost V-6 engine, set to debut this spring under the hood of the Lincoln MKS and Ford Taurus SHO, makes so much torque (350 pound-feet, to be exact) that apparently the automaker's standard 6F-50 six-speed automatic transmission couldn't reliably handle it. So Ford went back to the drawing board and created a new transmission specifically for the higher torque demands of the new powerplant: the 6f-55 automatic transmission.

While most of the details are highly technical in nature, the key changes for this new transmission include stronger parts and materials to deal … Read more

Recently, Ford has been a dominant force in cabin tech, introducing new features such as weather reports and gas price information in the navigation system, along with Sync, which offers the best phone and MP3 player support available. But its models have been missing something most car enthusiasts crave: sport performance. That changed at the Chicago Auto Show with the announcement of the Ford Taurus SHO. … Read more

Chevrolet has partnered with Goodyear to provide maximum energy efficiency on the road, company representatives say. The extended-range electric vehicle has been designed to make every amp count, this also means lowering rolling resistance by using the best tire possible.

The partnership with Goodyear was announced at the Chicago Auto Show, where Chevy fans got a peek at the electric car.

In addition to a host of debatably better chassis modifications, 2009 Formula 1 cars now have regenerative brakes.

But don't think these cars will be using the stored energy to improve gas mileage. Although officials have been paying lip service about improving the environmentally-friendliness of the sport, this expensive (and potentially dangerous) advancement will most likely improve audience appeal.… Read more

For a superhigh-end automaker with a long history, Bentley keeps itself busy. The company launched the Brooklands coupe in 2007, and last year tweaked its Continental GT, appending the word Speed to the model name. Now Bentley teases us with tidbits about an extreme Bentley due to be launched at the 2009 Geneva auto show.

Bentley bills this mystery car as its fastest ever, then adds an environmental spin by noting it can run on biofuels. OK, a flex-fuel vehicle isn't exactly the most innovative technology, but Bentley has to do something to show it's responding to upcoming … Read more

A great car can be fast, comfortable, or cheap, but never all three. As a lover of speed and cheap thrills, I often find myself behind the wheel of vehicles lacking in the comfort department.

But what qualifies a car as uncomfortable? Sometimes it's a bone-rattling sport suspension or oddly bolstered seats. Other times, it's a jerky, quick-shifting transmission.

We've rounded up the five most uncomfortable cars to pass through the CNET Garage.

See our five picks for most uncomfortable rides.

So you think minivans are only for mommies? Try this one...

It's the Renault Espace F1, a concept vehicle cum hot lap publicity machine created in 1994 by Renault, Matra, and the Williams Formula One team, which put the 3.5-liter Renault F1 engine featured in the Espace F1 to good use by winning the F1 World Championship in 1993, with Alain Prost driving. Prost drives the Espace F1 in the video, too.

Where the standard Espace had a small engine positioned transversely in front, driving the front wheels, the F1 was a little different. Out that went, replaced … Read more

There may be a lot of new green cars on the floor at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, but powerful cars still have a strong presence. We take a look at the new Ford Shelby, Jaguar R series, Audi R8 5.2 FSI Quattro, the last SLR, and a new supercar from Revenge. These cars show there is still a place for highly tuned engines with performance-oriented suspensions.

See photos of the fastest new cars from the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

More 2009 Detroit Auto Show coverage.

I had the opportunity to spend a few hours driving a 2010 Honda Insight on city streets and backroads of Carefree, Ariz., a suburb of Phoenix, when it was introduced to the automotive media last month.

Driving the 2010 Honda Insight is a bit different from driving any other CVT-equipped car. Regenerative braking is noticeable on deceleration, allowing less use of the antilock disc/drum hydraulic brakes. There are also two new features on the Insight not found in other cars--EcoAssist and Econ mode.

With 98 horsepower, developed fairly high in the rev range at 5,800rpm, and 123 pound-feet … Read more