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"Ford Muscles Up F-150 Pickup   Ford is developing a larger, more powerful V-8 engine for its top-selling line, The Detroit News reported.   The new, 6.2-liter engine will dwarf Ford&amp;#039;s biggest current V-8 as well as engines from Chevrolet, and Chrysler, including Dodge&amp;#039;s popular 5.7-liter 340-hp Hemi, and the 300-hp 5.4-liter Nissan Triton V-8.   The engine project is known internally as Hurricane, and Ford declined to comment on it. But suppliers are already bidding to provide components for the engine, according to documents obtained by The Detroit News.   The Hurricane project comes as Ford is rolling out 11 new engines and transmissions to bolster its powertrain lineup, the story said.   Diesels \u2014 The Next Big Thing?   European automakers are gearing up to convince American consumers to consider buying modern diesel engines, the Wall Street Journal reported.   Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and DaimlerChrysler&amp;#039;s Chrysler unit are hoping that when American consumers experience modern European diesels they will forget the clunky diesels sold the last time gasoline prices reached inflation-adjusted levels of $2 a gallon or more in the early &amp;#039;80s.   Volkswagen last month began selling diesel versions of its midsize Passat sedan and wagon in the U.S. in addition to already offering diesel-powered Jetta, Golf and Beetle models.   Mercedes last month began selling a diesel version of its . And later this year, Chrysler plans to offer diesel-powered Jeep Liberty models.   But these European light diesel engines face tough new U.S. clean-air standards that take effect in 2007, the story said. What&amp;#039;s more, diesels currently can&amp;#039;t be sold in California and four Northeastern states because they don&amp;#039;t meet their clean-air standards. Another problem is that current exhaust-cleaning technology can&amp;#039;t handle diesel fuel in the U.S. because of its high sulfur content.   Nevertheless, total diesel light-vehicle sales in the U.S. have been climbing steadily since 1998 and now account for about 3.6 percent of total light-vehicle sales (through the end of April this year), double the share in 1998.   Japanese Automakers Increase Output   Most of Japan&amp;#039;s top automakers increased global output in April over the same month a year earlier, the Associated Press reported.   Nissan led the way with a 17% surge to 261,352, with overseas output increasing 20% to 138,534 vehicles due to a jump of 62% to 61,850 vehicles in the U.S.   Japan&amp;#039;s largest automaker, Toyota, boosted worldwide production in April by 13% to 550,254 vehicles on the year. Honda said its worldwide production in April was up 5.9% to 251,985 units.   But troubled Mitsubishi Motors said its global production fell 7.7% to 116,039 vehicles in April.   GM Upgrades Plant to Build 2005 Pontiac G6   General Motors is investing $300 million to modernize its 21-year-old plant in Orion, Michigan, where it will build the new 2005 , The Detroit News reported.   Production of the G6 sedan, which replaces the Grand Am, will start in August, followed by a coupe next year, then by a version with a long, retractable hardtop which will be launched in October 2005, the story said, citing vehicle line executive Gene Stefanyshyn.   Orion is now operating on one work shift with 2,200 employees as it phases out production of the Buick LeSabre and Park Avenue sedans. LeSabre production is moving to GM&amp;#039;s Detroit-Hamtramck plant and the Park Avenue is being discontinued.   But when a second shift is added during the first quarter of 2005, 300 jobs will be added and the plant will pump out more than 200,000 vehicles a year, plant manager Jamie Hresko told the News. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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