The numbers are in, folks. This year’s Michigan State Police Vehicle Evaluation pitted Ford’s Jurassic Crown Victoria Police Interceptor (the new Taurus-based Police Interceptor was reportedly on hand, but its numbers won’t be included until next year), Chrysler’s 2011 Dodge Charger Police Pursuit model and General Motors’Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle against each other in a no-holds-barred fight to the finish. And let’s just say the results are closer than you might think.

For instance, as pointed out by the proud parents at Chevrolet, the Caprice did, in fact, manage to set the best acceleration times to 60 miles per hour and 100 mph. But… and there’s always a but… the 2011 Charger was pretty much neck-and-neck with the Caprice. In fact, the Charger was quicker to 20, 40, 50, 70 and 80 mph. So, which one is really quicker? Pretty much a photo finish, if you ask us.

Also, top speeds between the two competitors were within spitting distance: 148 mph for the Caprice and 146 for the Hemi-powered Charger. There’s plenty more intriguing data as well, such as the fact that the new Pentastar V6-powered Charger was, on average, almost exactly as fast around the race track as its more powerful V8-powered sibling, and both were about a second behind the Caprice in the lap time derby.

And what of the old stalwart? Ford’s age-old Crown Victoria did its best, but was still over two seconds behind at 60 mph and a woeful 10 seconds afield by 100. Top speed for the Vic was 129 (with a 3.27 rear end, which was even slower in acceleration tests than its 3.55-equipped brother), and its lap times were well behind that of the Caprice and Charger.

Braking tests also favored the new Caprice and Charger. Chevy’s entry posted a projected 60-0 stopping distance of 128.3 feet and the Charger managed to come to a halt in 133.9 feet (133.2 with the V6). For comparison, the Crown Vic needs 141.6 feet to haul itself down from speed.

One final note: If acceleration is really what an officer is into, perhaps he should consider a switch to two wheels. Kawasaki’s Concours 14 ABS Police bike hit 100 mph in under 10 seconds and the BMW R1200 RTP did the deed in under 12. See the complete preliminary testing results here at the link below.

When General Motors conceived the electric powertrain for the Chevrolet Volt, the 40-mile electric driving range was specified so that most drivers would rarely, if ever, have to use any liquid fuel. Components like the battery were then sized to match the performance and range specifications. However, the whole point of incorporating the range extending engine was so the Volt could keep going without the driver having to continuously monitor the battery level, even though GM once told us that the Volt would move without gas in the tank.

Regardless, leaving the same gasoline in a tank for months or even years creates a new set of problems. One reason is there’s no such thing as pure gasoline. What’s sold at the pump is a blend of numerous hydrocarbon compounds like octane, heptane and other additives that lubricate valves and fuel injectors, along with a range of assorted chemicals. Many of these compounds will eventually evaporate, reducing the performance of the fuel and could possibly lead to engine damage.

To address this, the Volt has a completely sealed and pressurized fuel tank. Pressurizing the tank helps minimize evaporation from the liquid fuel, forcing it to stay in liquid form. Before the fuel filler can be opened to gas up the Volt, the tank has to be depressurized, which takes a few seconds after pressing the release button. The engine management system also monitors the time between when the engine runs and will periodically prompt the driver to run past the 40-mile electric range before recharging. If the driver doesn’t force the Volt to run on gas, the system will eventually start the engine to consume some of the aging fuel and circulate the fluids within the engine. Once this maintenance mode is complete, the engine shuts down until it’s needed again or enough time has passed. GM hasn’t revealed what the time intervals are, but withVolt production right around the corner, we’ll find out soon enough.

Flash back to the 2007 Detroit Auto Show and sitting on the Chrysler stand was the Nassau concept. Nothing ever came of the angular five-door, but some of the elements that debuted on the show car eventually worked their way onto the Sebring. That connection stands to be revived with a report by the Detroit Free Press that the Sebring’s replacement will carry the Nassau name when the all-new midsize sedan goes on sale within the next two years.

The concept’s sleek lines aren’t likely to inspire the Nassau, but considering Chrysler purchased the name, it’s fair game and will help to put Chrysler’s lackluster sedan out of the public consciousness.

Chrysler hasn’t official confirmed the name yet, but when the Nassau goes on sale – likely in 2012 – it will be joined by the refreshed Dodge Avenger, with a thoroughly revised interior and a choice of either a 2.4-liter four-cylinder or Chrysler’s new Pentastar V6.

If ever there was a model in the Chrysler line up that needs updating, it’s the Sebring. While the car was a perfectly capable competitor when it debuted way back in 1995, subsequent generations have left it as nothing more than rental-fleet fodder. But if a report from Automotive News is to be believed, that may change significantly when the next iteration of the sedan debuts in 2013. According to AN, Fiat has its eyes on producing a new mid-sized four-door in Turin, Italy just for the Chrysler brand, with the new sedan being sold exclusively in the U.S.

While it may no longer carry the Sebring name once it hits our shores, the car will likely be a spiritual successor to the company’s Camry-fighter. Beyond that, details are scarce as to what will be under the hood, what gearboxes will be offered or how much it will cost.

Fiat also made mention of the fact that starting in 2012, the company will build a new small sedan here in the Land of the Free that will be sold under the Chrysler banner. That may mean the company is looking toward sending the near unlovable Dodge Avenger out to pasture or eying a replacement for the Dodge Caliber. Either way, Chrysler is getting a much needed infusion of new metal sooner rather than later.

From autoblog

The A5 BSG is a start-stop hybrid that uses a 12-volt Belt Starter-Generator (BSG) linked to 1.6 litre gasoline engine that’s matted to a 5-speed manual gearbox while the A5 ISG is a more comprehensive mild-hybrid equipped with a 1.3-liter gasoline engine and a 12 kW crankshaft-mounted 151-volt Integrated Starter-Generator (ISG). -Continued

According to Chery, in the ECE Urban drive cycle, the A5 BSG achieves a 7% improvement in fuel consumption over the baseline product while it is expected that the improvement will be greater than 10% in real-world urban driving. For the more complex A5 ISG with its 1.3-liter engine, Chery says that while performance is equivalent with that of a larger 1.6 litre engine, fuel consumption improvement over the NEDC cycle is expected to approach 15% compared to the 1.6-liter benchmark vehicle.