Ford are to roll out Stop-Start on cars in North America from the 2010MY. They hope to offer Stop-Start across the whole Ford range by 2015. Stop-Start is a relatively simple way for car makers to grab more miles out of every gallon of fuel a car uses by simply turning off the engine when […]
Lamborghini – lighter and quicker
Lamborghini has decided that it has reached the upper limit of horsepower with its cars and will in future concentrate on aerodynamics and weight saving. The horsepower wars are just about over. The Germans lead the way with ever bigger displacements and outputs, but the seriously misguided attempts by Governments around the world to penalise […]
Ferrari electric 4×4 confirmed
Ferrari has confirmed they will be producing an electric 4×4 system in the next generation 612 Scaglietti which is due in 2012. Six months ago we reported that Ferrari were working on a four wheel drive system utilising electric motors to drive the front wheels. But Ferrari’s raison d’etre isn’t really about economy – although […]
Audi introduces stop-start for auto ‘boxes
Audi has announced they are to introduce stop-start on the A3 equipped with an auto box from November. With every car maker looking for ways to reduce emissions and improve economy, stop-start has become an increasingly useful tool in their arsenal, particularly where cars are use in city traffic. When we reviewed the Fiesta ECOnetic […]
Audi A3 1.6TDI announced
Not quite ‘Yet another new Audi’ – but a new engine for the A3. Audi has announced that they are introducing a new 1.6 litre common rail diesel engine across the A3 range, which will oust the old A3 1.9TDIe and the A3 and Cabriolet 1.9 TDI. The new engine offers the same 104bhp as […]
Kia cee’d Facelifted – launches at Frankfurt
It’s been Hyundai that has taken the glory lately at the budget end of cars. But Kia are playing a good game, and the cee’d is very much up there as a budget option to a mainstream European model like the Golf or Focus. True, it’s very derivative and not terribly exciting, but if your […]
New Mazda3 i-stop announced
The new Mazda 3 only started to show up in UK showrooms last month, but already Mazda is adding to the range with the new Mazda3 i-stop, which first showed at Geneva this year. We won’t go on about our review of the new Mazda 3 as you’ve heard it all before, but it is […]
Mazda3 i-stop Press Release
See our story on the new Mazda 3 i-stop. The new Mazda3 2.0 DISI i-stop Press Release Mazda i-stop • World’s only start-stop system that uses combustion energy for restart. This results in fast response to pedal input and comparatively high potential for saving fuel • Restart of the engine in ca. 0.35 seconds, twice […]
Volvo S40 DRIVe – Green Car of the Year
You have to admire Volvo. The abused and unloved adopted child of Ford, they are still managing to produce cars the buying public wants (and working on ground-breaking projects – like the Volvo plug-in hybrid for 2012), and receiving accolades and plaudits in to the bargain. The latest trinket to come Volvo’s way is ‘Green […]
Lamborghini CO2 reduction Press Release
LAMBORGHINI ANNOUNCES NEW, AMBITIOUS PROGRAMS FOR REDUCING CO2 • 35 million Euros investments • The construction of a large photovoltaic plant, combined with an energy-saving project, will achieve a 30% reduction in the factory’s CO2 emissions by 2010 • Modifications to vehicles will result in a 35% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2015 Automobili Lamborghini […]