Honda Rumors: 2012 Civic Si to get a 2.4-liter Engine

Earlier this month, Honda unveiled the Civic Si Concept coupe and Civic Concept sedan at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, signaling that the ninth generation 2012 Civic will follow soon, to be precise, this spring. However, the official press bits weren’t exactly what you’d call detailed, leaving lots of aspects, including the engine lineup, to our imagination.

Today, the Honda-obsessed team at the Temple of VTEC forums claim to have solved part of this mystery thanks some inside sources that told them a 2.4-liter gasoline engine, very similar to the Acura TSX’s powerplant, will make its way into the new Civic Si.

The new four-cylinder engine will replace the current K20Z3 197HP 2.0-liter unit and is expected to deliver a little over 200 horsepower and, thanks to its larger displacement, significantly more torque. The other conventional powerplant for the Civic's North American lineup is said to be the current 1.8-liter gasoline unit, possibly revised to return better fuel efficiency.

In other news, there are also rumors about Honda planning an HF trim level just for the sedan with gray or white exterior color. Fans of the manual transmissions can expect to find them on the DX- and LX-trimmed sedans as well as part of the EX trim level for coupe models.

Last but not least, the list of colors for 2012 has also been revealed and it’s available below.

Crystal Black Pearl

Dyno Blue Pearl

Urban Titanium Metallic

Cool Mist Metallic

Polished Metal Metallic

Crimson Pearl

Alabaster Silver Metallic

Taffeta White

The 2012 Honda Civic will go on sale in the U.S. this spring.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: Temple of VTEC

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GM, Mercedes, BMW and other Automakers Close Down Factories in Egypt

The continuing crisis in Egypt has prompted several automakers including General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan and BMW to shut down their factories in the country, while other companies like Volkswagen, have been forced to completely stop vehicle deliveries as it was uncertain if the cars would reach their destinations, according to a company spokesman.

“We decided to close our assembly plant in Egypt due to the unstable political situation,” Nissan spokesman Mitsuru Yonekawa told Bloomberg News on Monday.

GM international operations spokesman, Johan Willems, told Autonews Europe: "All of our employees in Egypt as well as our plant property is safe and secure. Our local team in Cairo is assessing the situation and will decide to commence normal operations once the conditions permit."

As well as bringing production to a stop to ensure the safety of their workers, certain carmakers such as BMW and Mercedes are also evacuating expatriate employees and their families.

At the time being, it remains unclear when automakers will resume production in Egypt.

Source: Autonews Europe [Subscription required]

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Video Spoof of Hitler Criticizing BMW 1 M Coupe's N54 Turbo Engine

We've lost track of how many times we've seen crazy edits to the English subtitles of a scene from the 2004 German-language movie titled “Downfall" in the United States, in which Adolf Hitler explodes with anger. This four-minute-long video spoofs BMW and the company's decision to make use of the N54 twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six engine on the 1-Series M Coupe. Enjoy some laughs in the video after the jump.

Source: Youtube via Autoblog.nl

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Brabus Presents the World’s First Euro 6 Compliant Performance Kit for Diesel Models

Mercedes-Benz tuning specialist Brabus has presented a new ECO PowerXtra D6S performance kit for the S350 BlueTec, and by doing so, the company claims to have created the world’s first tuned diesel-powered car that meets the Euro 6 emissions standard, scheduled to go into effect in 2014. Available for both rear-while drive and 4MATIC four-wheel drive variants, the kit delivers an additional 55HP and 70 Nm (52 lb-ft) of torque, for a total of 313HP and 690 Nm (509 lb-ft).

Designed to work like a plug-and-play device, the module increases the 3.0-liter V6 diesel’s output depending on the selected shift mode of the 7G-Tronic Plus automatic transmission. In “Eco” mode, peak torque increases, but the engine output remains unchanged (258HP), while in “Manual” or “Sport” mode maximum power is also boosted.

The modified S350 sprints from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in a very respectable 6.5 seconds and can reach an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).

The Brabus ECO PowerXtra D6S unit can be also fitted to all Mercedes E350 CDI BlueEfficiency variants as well as the CLS 350 CDI BlueEfficiency model, delivering identical output.

All models come with a three-year or 100,000 km (62,000 miles) warranty and can be specified with a custom Brabus stainless-steel exhaust with 4 tailpipes, delivering a more distinctive exhaust note and further optimizing power yield.

By Csaba Daradics

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