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Simple Answer: Yes it CAN. The Duramax 6.6 Turbodiesel in the current generation and previous generations are a Pushrod 32-valve V8. Complex Answer: The push-rods go from a cam in the valley of the vee to the inner side of the cylinder heads. These obstruct where the intake passages in an OHC engine would normally be. The intake passages hence goes around the pushrods offset to the right or left of the cylinders in the space not obstructed by the rods (and their channels). There is barely enough space to serve ONE intake valve per cylinder. If you put four pushrods in an engine you'll obstruct all the approaches to the cylinder from the intake side! Doesn't do you any good to have increased valve areas if you squeeze out the intake ports and runners does it? So how does the diesel 6.6 do it? Well, it still has two rods per cylinder. Each operate two tandem valves using a bridge between the valves. The inner and out valves on the left are both intake and the inner and outer valves on the right are both exhaust. This is possible because the roof of the head is flat and all the valve stems are parallel, allow one rocker to open both valves via the bridge. It is meaningful because it is a DIESEL engine and it doesn't rev past the mid-3000 rpms anyway so one single intake and one sn=ingle exhaust passage is enough to not be the airflow bottleneck. Had it been a pentroof combustion chamber like that found on gasoline engines, the bridge design would be impossible and having a single passage serve two valves would have defeated the intent of using more valves to increase the airflow potential at high rpms.

(1) Valve and spark arrangement in modern Hemi pushrod cylinder head. (2) Flat Deck 6.6 Duramax turbo-diesel pushrod cylinder head. (3) Rocker and bridge arrangement on 6.6 Duramax turbo-diesel engine (4) Junkers-Jumo 213A engine showing off -- Direct Injection, Twin Spark, 2-intake / 1-exhaust valves per cylinder and a variable drive ratio supercharger (hydraulically coupled)

The Arteon doesn't impress me like it seems to impress everyone else. I've seen zero in the wild other than the test car I had. Better make it look like a Tiguan... then it would really sell.

It's already common knowledge the Bronco will be based on the Ranger, so it will be RWD/BOF. Now the baby Bronco (rumored to be Bronco Scout) will be FWD CUV since it's based on the Escape.

? My one big question for these hybrids is with an electric motor in the transmission, if it fails does it take out the whole transmission so the auto cannot move at all or goes into a Limp Home mode or what? Would be interesting to know what happens if the electric motor in the transmission fails.

EV-curious. That’s what I would call myself. Someone that is interested in EVs but just hasn’t found the right one. There are many aspects of an EV that is appealing to me. Instant torque, quick acceleration, the ability to charge at your house or apartment, and the continuation of creating semi-autonomous driving. It’s all so exciting! I’m ready to go out and trade in my 2016 Volkswagen GTI for one now! Or am I? Let’s take a quick look at a small field of electric vehicles, starting with the brand new 2020 Porsche Taycan. The release of the 2020 Porsche Taycan is a feat in and of itself. The car itself is downright sexy, is has a handsome interior, and performance that is pure Porsche. Over 700 HP for the Turbo S model is impressive. It also costs what you would expect an electric super-Porsche would be since the range topping Taycans are coming out first. These are the Turbo and Turbo S which cost over $150,000. After these come onto the market, less expensive and less powerful versions will come. Would this be the car that I will buy? Sure, once I get that CMO position at a major company. This is a dream electric car, but not one that I would consider just yet. What about an attainable electric car? There are a few on the market that cover the bases. Vehicles like the Hyundai Kona Electric, Chevy Bolt, Nissan Leaf, and others have good to respectable range, decent features, and are not the most expensive vehicles. Average prices of $40,000-$45,000 is a bit steep, but electric cars usually command a premium over gasoline vehicles. They also have good driving aids such as blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control, something that my current car has and is top priority for me. They’re all very good cars but with flaws such as build quality and designs that keep me from considering one. My problem is simple: performance. Electric cars have instant torque at 0 RPM and can be extremely fast. These EVs just don’t cut the mustard for me since they are more about range than blistering speed. For around $45,000, I can get a gas-powered car such as a Genesis G70 3.3T that is faster, has better range, and the safety features I want. Let’s continue from good electric vehicles to “the best”. Right now, you are probably thinking: “Anthony, you are forgetting the king of electric vehicles. They are synonymous with electric cars and have a huge cult following.” Guess who that is? Yes, that is of course Tesla. You can’t write about electric cars without talking about Tesla. They are a very S 3 X Y R brand indeed. The Model S introduced expensive but seriously quick electric vehicles. The X brought us an odd but much-needed crossover. The 3 is the bread-and-butter maker with a starting price around $40,000, and acceleration that beats almost all vehicles in its class. The Y hasn’t come out yet but is a crossover version of the 3, and the Roadster is a $250,000 supercar. Even though there are three models currently available, I will focus on the Model 3 Performance since that is the one I am most interested in. There is a lot to like about the Model 3 Performance. It has “performance” in its name and with 450 HP, it is one of the quickest sedans I’ve ever driven. The instant torque from the motors is intoxicating and it handles well for a heavy vehicle. Does it tick all the boxes to convert to a Tesla-fanatic? No. Why? The interior. I am not a fan of controlling absolutely everything with a touchscreen and not having my speedometer in front of me. The Model 3 Performance can have semi-autonomous driving, but it is a $7,000 option. Tesla’s Autopilot driver-assist system is standard and is regarded to be one of the best, if not the best driver-assist system. Tesla has sold over 250,000 Model 3 vehicles and it is a genuinely amazing feat for a young company. The range is good at over 310 miles. Pricing starts at $55,000 and is fully-loaded around $64,000. If you are okay with the minimal interior and styling, get yourself a Model 3. I personally am not a fan of either of those, so onward we go. This brings me to a car I am waiting for: The Polestar 2 fastback. Polestar used to be a sub-division of Volvo, like AMG is to Mercedes-Benz. You can still get Polestar-tune Volvos, but Polestar has branched out into their own brand. The Polestar 2 is their first all-electric car. It has over 250 miles of range, 400 HP, and most import to me, gauges that are straight in front of the driver. The design is bold yet looks like an even more modern version of a Volvo. Since Polestar is a sporty company, the performance upgrades include upgraded shocks, brakes, and bigger wheels with Swedish gold seat belts. You get this package mainly for the gold seat belts. Is it pricey at over $60,000? Yes, but it feels justified for the 408 hp and range of 275 miles. 0-60 is said to be around 4.7 seconds but I suspect it will be lower. Will they sell Tesla Model 3 numbers of them? I highly doubt it since they area new brand, but it should be a great competitor to the Tesla Model 3. I like the concept of electric vehicles. I know that one day, there will be one charging at my house. Am I ready for an electric car? Yes. Is there any on the market that jumps out at me and gives me the satisfaction I have for my current car at a reasonable price of around $40,000 new? No. Do not get me wrong; there are electric cars that make sense for a multitude of situations. Range and charging are getting better, more features are getting added, and manufacturers are creating electric-only ranges of vehicles that will bring down the costs of more performance-oriented vehicles. I can go in-depth about certain electric cars in a future article. For now, I think I will keep my car and wait until something really catches my eye. That, or wait a few years and hope the Porsche Taycan depreciates enough that I can buy one. View full article

Happy Birthday @dwightlooi!!

But they're not giving up on sedans entirely. Cruze is still in production south of the border. Almost all of Ford's car lineup is still available in Europe and China... heck they still make a next generation Taurus for China. If GM needs to, the Cruze can be imported from south America tomorrow.

Throw your hat in the ring @dfelt , maybe you could be CEO.

Looks like a next generation Golf. Which it is. VW has been milking the same 2-box compact shape for 45 years now.

Mercedes; just HANDING the EV luxury segment to Tesla on a gilded platter.

So other than some strong torque numbers, nothing special from Benz that doesn’t even go as far on EV only power as a Volt. This is what we were waiting for? And I’m with dfelt on the combo transmission/electric motor combo. Holy maintenance hell Batman!

I still think 30 miles EV only range is kinda sad in this day and age.... but the performance of this should be swift.

Quoted for truth.... The Buicks, Corvette, Camaro, Cadillac all nice....but SUV's From Chevrolet are unattractive IMHO and the latest iteration of trucks was literally conceived in a Meth on the west side of Detroit. Mindless transportation pod extraordinaire....

No reason to buy a Spark when an Encore will do better and be better too for your dollar.

You don't get dinged for the mileage if you buy it out.

toyoter/nissan hasn't cut their tundra/titan when they failed to compete with the Americans. And cut models don't automatically mean they 'don't compete'. Did Mercedes cut the 300SL because it 'didn't compete' with the Corvette? But by your specific claim; if Ford & GM focus on CUVs / SUVs, they're not going to cut a number of CUV / SUV segments out. I mean, that's counter-intuitive on your part (despite your obvious desire to see all American brands completely discontinued).

Or that too......

Homely but palatable. For a toyoter.

The 4Runner is quite capable off-road, but is a decade old now and the styling is rather homely, IMO.

Google maps via CarPlay...is the BEST nav system I've used in ages. Love it. Driving in the middle of a forest or nowhere, turn on satellite view, great. Tap the voice and just say a business name and always find it while driving? Great. Add a stop along the way? Great. I let Waze run in the background for cops, etc. but Google primarily. More integration...great. Car makers need to stop wasting so much money developing computer systems, and focus on the vehicle. I.E., Acura, etc...millions on "true touch" only for it to be a mess. Just use a screen, get better software, and stop.

I would never own a toyoter, but at least the 4Runner I find palatable in looks. RAV4 is horribly formed tho.

Modded DeSoto variant ~

You haven't seen the infamous Chrysler Airflow before? Controversial design but extremely well engineered.

1934ish Chrysler Airflow, I believe. The Airflows were a bold move stylistically, helped usher in streamlined designs amidst the early 30s bricks.

Styling is very subjective, what brand is this hideous design?

One thing that confuses me about the Bolt. It would have cost precisely $0 more to make it look sexy. It could have been a sedan like the Model 3, for slightly lower price, and actually looked good. Or it could have been a proper sized crossover... either way, it would not have cost more for them to build it that way.

... pricing.

I think you're basically right. We're one more cycle away from having a really good selection of EVs. 2022 is when GM is going to BEV all the things. VW is starting next year. Ford should be out with some BEV SUVs and Trucks soon. The list goes on.

Like the look of the two tone Trail/Adventure trim version

Arg... I'm going to be in meetings until 1pm.