Ford’s Smallest Production Engine Ever: The New 1.0-liter EcoBoost Three-Cylinder Gasoline Unit

It took the Ford Motor Company a very long time to jump aboard the turbocharged engine bandwagon for mainstream, non-sport models, but now the Detroit automaker is going full speed ahead with the presentation of a full range of force-fed gasoline powerplants. Ford latest offering is a new 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine, the company’s first three-cylinder unit and its smallest production engine ever.

Designed by the engineering team at Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre in the U.K., the 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine promises to deliver performance of a larger four-cylinder unit with even higher fuel economy. It employs all EcoBoost technologies, such as turbocharging, direct injection and twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT).

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British Study Reveals the Most Popular Hairdresser’s Car in Real Life

And no, despite what you may have heard or read, the Audi TT ain’t the most popular car among hairdressers – or at least not in Britain. According to a new study made available today by UK women's car insurance specialist Diamond, that title goes to…*drums please*…the one and only, MINI One hatchback. In fact, the BMW Group’s MINI brand had two vehicles in the top five positions.

The UK insurance firm came to this conclusion after looking at data from over 18,000 hairdressers in Britain. The company said the MINI One is three and a half times more likely to be driven by someone working as a hairdresser than everyone else.

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Ford’s "Motorsport-Inspired" Ka Grand Prix Packs a...Whopping 69 Ponies

This flashy-looking Ford Ka is a new limited edition version of the company’s city car called Grand Prix, of which only 120 units will be produced for the Netherlands with sales set to start at the end of the month. Ford says the car is inspired by racing, but that may apply only to the design, since power comes from a modest -to say the least- 1.2-liter 69HP engine, fitted with Ford's Auto Start-Stop system.

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Opel / Vauxhall Announce New Small Car below the Corsa, Confirm Sporty Coupe and Small SUV

Speaking at a press conference in Eisenach on Thursday, Opel/Vauxhall CEO Nick Reilly revealed plans to build an all-new small car below the Corsa, with production set to start in 2013 at the firm's Eisenach plant in the east German state of Thuringia. "This new product will be an important element in our growth strategy" said Reilly.

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