Auto News 5

What's better than an all-new, supercharged V-8 engine that makes 90 hp and 48 lb-ft of torque more than its predecessor while improving the Jaguar XKR's 0-to-60-mph time from a claimed 4.9 to 4.6 seconds? An all-new, supercharged V-8 that does all that without a concomitant increase in fuel consumption, that's what.

The new BMW 5-series Gran Turismo is (almost) here - displayed as a thinly veiled concept in Geneva. The nearly identical production version is scheduled to make its debut in Frankfurt this fall; it should be in showrooms before the end of the year. But that's not the entire BMW GT story. The company isn't talking about it yet, but we'll see the same theme again with a 3-series Gran Turismo coming three years from now.

Rising from the hallowed ground of the company's Stuttgart headquarters, the new $130 million Porsche Museum deploys an imposing 60,000 square feet of stark white display space, enough to exhibit about eighty cars. The structure, expected to attract more than 200,000 visitors annually, employs more oddly angled struts than a Le Mans racer.

In an effort to go green, many tire manufacturers are introducing new products to the market that provide less rolling resistance, which helps boost fuel economy. It's a fine line being walked between ride quality, performance, and handling. Trying to get all three in one tire is nearly impossible. The fine folks from Goodyear were nice enough to stop by our office this week and give us a presentation on the new Assurance Fuel Max tire that went on sale in February 2009.