Buick Regal Turbo Gets Flex-Fuel Engine

In brief: The 2011 Buick Regal Turbo will feature the first flex-fuel-capable direct-injected turbocharged engine in a production car.

Vehicle in the news

Make/Model: Buick Regal Turbo

Manufacturer: General Motors

The word

Although General Motors has produced over five million flex-fuel vehicles in the past decade and a half, the company plans to have a full 50% of its production capable of running on flex-fuel by the end of 2012.

The Buick Regal Turbo will feature the latest in GM's turbo engines in the Ecotec line. On gasoline, the car gets 20mpg in the city and 32 on the highway. On E85 those numbers increase by about 20%, beating all earlier versions of the 2.0L Ecotec turbos.

One of the features of the new engine is its fuel sensors, which detect the type (mixture) of fuel being used. The higher the ethanol content, the more air it adds to the mix, increasing efficiency.

The 2.0L Ecotec turbo produces 285lb-ft (350Nm) of torque, making the 4-cylinder perform like a V6.

And so ...

Most of the engine is aluminum as well, reducing weight.

Photo credits: GM

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