turbocharged engine

Ford's already said its twin-turbocharged Ecoboost V6, offered in the company's Taurus SHO, offers the power of a V8 with the fuel economy of a six. Now, take that down two cylinders. The company confirmed at a Dearborn press conference this morning it will build a four-cylinder version of its Ecoboost engine. Following on the company's engine calculus, that means the power of a six-cylinder engine with the fuel economy of a four.

Hybrid cars may be a favorite among commuters looking to save fuel, but they're yet to appear on a single driving enthusiast's bucket list. It's no secret why: A 2009 Prius gets from zero to 60 mph barely faster than a plumber's van.

How do you make hybrid cars a little rougher on the adrenal glands without sacrificing the good fuel economy and low emissions? Engineers at Austrian tech firm AVL took a page from the motorsports playbook, using a turbocharger to boost the performance of a standard gas-electric hybrid.