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The Porsche 917 is a racecar that gave Porsche its first overall wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970 and 1971. Powered by the Type 912 flat-12 engine of 4.5, 4.9, or 5 litres, the long-tailed version was capable of a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of 2.5 seconds and a top speed of over 254 mph (407 km/h).

In the 1973 Can-Am series, the turbocharged version Porsche 917/30 developed over 1,100 bhp (820 kW), and as much as 1,580 bhp (1,180 kW) in qualifying tune.

The 917 is one of the most iconic sports racing cars of all time, largely for its high speeds and high power outputs, and was...

The 2008 Altima Hybrid is a 4-door, 5-passenger family sedan, available in one trim only, the HEV. Upon introduction, the Altima Hybrid is equipped with a standard 2.5-liter, I4, 158-horsepower, hybrid engine that achieves 35-mpg in the city and 33-mpg on the highway. A variable speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard. The 2008 Altima Hybrid is a carryover from 2007.

As soon as the second-generation Prius arrived on the scene in 2003, the Civic Hybrid was cast in its role as runner-up in the hybrid world. It’s true that the Civic Hybrid is not quite as fuel-efficient, not quite as comfortable and roomy, and not quite as powerful as the Prius. But the gas-electric Civic, like Rodney Dangerfield, deserves more respect than it receives.

Rudolf Diesel was born in Paris in 1858. His parents were Bavarian immigrants. Rudolf Diesel was educated at Munich Polytechnic. After graduation he was employed as a refrigerator engineer. However, he true love lay in engine design. Rudolf Diesel designed many heat engines, including a solar-powered air engine. In 1893, he published a paper describing an engine with combustion within a cylinder, the internal combustion engine. In 1894, he filed for a patent for his new invention, dubbed the diesel engine. Rudolf Diesel was almost killed by his engine when it exploded. However, his engine was...

Short Video of Henry Ford

Electric car races Ferrari, Porsche and wins

A porsche commercial spot

Experience what it's like driving a Carrera GT through several point-of-views. Listen to the sexy rumble of this beast as it jumps off the line.

Most of us wouldn't even think of travelling in a car without fastening our seatbelt, and for good reason. In a crash, at just 30 miles per hour (48.3 kilometers per hour), an unrestrained passenger is thrown forward with a force thirty to sixty times their body weight. What if that unrestrained passenger were a small child? The child would almost certainly be hurled about inside the vehicle, injuring themselves and other passengers. Worse still, they're likely to be thrown from the vehicle through one of the windows. It's not even safe to hold a child on your lap while driving....

Hopefully, by the time winter's first storm hits, most people are prepared with a closet full of heavy coats and boots. This winter, make sure your car is as prepared as you are. Going the extra mile by getting your vehicle ready for winter and learning what it takes to drive safely through ice and snow could save your life. In this article, we'll tell you what your car needs to make it through winter, what to pack before you take a winter road trip, how to manage snowy and icy conditions, and what to do in the event of an accident. Here's a preview of our winter driving safety...

Most people know that cars come with two basic transmission types: manuals, which require that the driver change gears by depressing a clutch pedal and using a stick shift, and automatics, which do all of the shifting work for drivers using clutches, a torque converter and sets of planetary gears. But there's also something in between that offers the best of both worlds -- the dual-clutch transmission, also called the semi-automatic transmission, the "clutchless" manual transmission and the automated manual transmission. In the world of racecars, semi-automatic transmissions, such as the...

Built in France, the Bugatti Veyron super sports car achieved a top speed of just over 400 km/h (248.6 miles/h) on the high speed section of the Volksvagen proving grounds at Ehra - Lessien. Thus, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 becomes the fastest production car in the world. It has a very powerful engine pushing 1002 horse power!

To the surprise of no one, Porsche has confirmed that it will build a four-door sedan, called the Panamera. It will be the fourth full model line from Zuffenhausen-joining the 911, the Boxster/Cayman, and the Cayenne. Porsche is referring to it as a four-door coupe, as Mercedes-Benz does with its CLS.

Owners of the next, aesthetically relaxed 7-series might not have to spend half their time defending their cars' looks, but they'll still be kept busy deciphering the big car's electronic doodads. The future BMW supersedan will include a head-up display, four-wheel adjustable air springs, an eye-movement monitor, a lane-departure warning system, and possibly a fission reactor. A hybrid version will follow after the standard model, which arrives in 2008.

For a manufacturer of some of the world's fastest, most legendary sports cars, Porsche is a surprisingly conservative company. The small German automaker refuses to take anything except the longest possible view of the business. Porsche will not go public in this country because it believes reporting financial results each quarter, as required by American regulations, prompts incautious action; the company only reports results annually.

The BMW 3/15 was BMW's second car, first produced in July 1929. After the end of World War One the situation for BMW - which was founded as an aero engine manufacturer became difficult. The Versailles treaty strongly restricted airplane manufacture in Germany and companies had to look for other fields of business. So BMW turned to truck and boat engine, motorcycle and later car manufacture. When the BMW Dixi line collapsed, BMW took the opportunity and bought the license for the Austin seven as well as the Eisenach factory. For the first months the production of the car continued as BMW...

"You can easily become addicted to this vehicle," said BMW board member, Burkhard Goeschel. He's not kidding. After a morning that passed all too quickly, scampering around the Race Resort Ascari track outside Seville, Spain, we're believers. The 2007 BMW M6 betters the performance of most hyperexpensive exotics in a relatively unassuming-looking package, with comfortable accommodations for four (well, two adults and two kids), and enough high-tech whizbang included to satisfy a nuclear physicist.

"The world hates change, but it is the only thing that has brought progress." - Charles Kettering The first electrical ignition system or electric starter motor for cars was invented by GM engineers Clyde Coleman and Charles Kettering. The self starting ignition was first installed in a Cadillac on February 17, 1911. The invention of the electric starter motor by Charles Kettering eliminated the need for hand cranking. United States Patent #1,150,523, was issued to Charles Kettering of Dayton, Ohio in 1915. Charles Kettering became the founder of Delco (Dayton Engineering Laboratories...

Rudolf Diesel was born in Paris in 1858. His parents were Bavarian immigrants. Rudolf Diesel was educated at Munich Polytechnic. After graduation he was employed as a refrigerator engineer. However, he true love lay in engine design. Rudolf Diesel designed many heat engines, including a solar-powered air engine. In 1893, he published a paper describing an engine with combustion within a cylinder, the internal combustion engine. In 1894, he filed for a patent for his new invention, dubbed the diesel engine. Rudolf Diesel was almost killed by his engine when it exploded. However, his engine was...