Vauxhall and Opel to Show Tandem-Two-Seat Electric Vehicle at Frankfurt Auto Show

Vauxhall and Opel to Show Tandem-Two-Seat Electric Vehicle at Frankfurt Auto Show:

The 2011 Frankfurt auto show is shaping up to be all about small, strange-looking electric vehicle studies. In addition to Audi’s Urban Concept and Urban Concept Spyder, Volkswagen’s NILS concept, and Smart’s Forvision concept, Opel (and Vauxhall, its GM sibling in the United Kingdom) will present a tandem two-seat EV. According to Vauxhall and Opel, the concept has “production potential” and is intended to be both affordable and eye-catching.

The concept certainly isn’t boring—the tandem passenger seats are enclosed in a wedgy body that tapers to a point above the open, narrow-track rear wheels. The front of the wild-looking EV is low, wide, and angular. Opel and Vauxhall claim the car is good for 75 mph and a 60-mile range, and will be very lightweight. We expect more details at the auto show on September 13th.

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Vauxhall and Opel to Show Tandem-Two-Seat Electric Vehicle at Frankfurt Auto Show

Vauxhall and Opel to Show Tandem-Two-Seat Electric Vehicle at Frankfurt Auto Show:

The 2011 Frankfurt auto show is shaping up to be all about small, strange-looking electric vehicle studies. In addition to Audi’s Urban Concept and Urban Concept Spyder, Volkswagen’s NILS concept, and Smart’s Forvision concept, Opel (and Vauxhall, its GM sibling in the United Kingdom) will present a tandem two-seat EV. According to Vauxhall and Opel, the concept has “production potential” and is intended to be both affordable and eye-catching.

The concept certainly isn’t boring—the tandem passenger seats are enclosed in a wedgy body that tapers to a point above the open, narrow-track rear wheels. The front of the wild-looking EV is low, wide, and angular. Opel and Vauxhall claim the car is good for 75 mph and a 60-mile range, and will be very lightweight. We expect more details at the auto show on September 13th.

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Eterniti Motors Releases First Images of New Hemera Super-SUV Debuting at Frankfurt—And it’s an Old Cayenne

Eterniti Motors Releases First Images of New Hemera Super-SUV Debuting at Frankfurt—And it’s an Old Cayenne:

Last month a new, unknown British automaker calling itself Eterniti Motors made a mild ker-plunk in news circles after posting a cryptic commercial on its website and releasing a sketch of a new “super-SUV” it would bring to the Frankfurt auto show. Eterniti had dubbed its yet-unseen creation “Hemera,” and now the fledgling automaker has unveiled a prototype of the car in photographs.

We poked a fair bit of fun at Eterniti’s Hemera-less anticipation-building commercial—which featured a brewing storm overlaid with text flashing across the screen describing how the weather system would hit us—a few weeks back. Now we are going to poke a bit harder. The photos of the Hemera in the flesh give off a feel that is more “wet fart” than “storm-of-limitless-force,” and reveal that the Hemera isn’t exactly an all-new hyper-SUV. Instead, it is clearly based upon the first-generation Porsche Cayenne, but Eterniti at least partially rebodied it. It is currently unclear whether the underlying Cayenne is Eterniti’s idea of rapid prototyping, or if the production Hemera will also be based on an old Porsche.

Prototype or not, the rear of the Hemera is quite a bit different from the donor Cayenne’s, and features massive vents that wrap down the rear quarter panels from the tips of the taillights, along with a big diffuser and giant exhaust outlets. Eterniti hasn’t fully exposed the Hemera’s front end, but we don’t expect it to be as different from the Cayenne’s—the side view of the SUV shows very Porsche-like headlights and intakes. The Hemera rides on big wheels wrapped tightly with low-profile rubber.

In addition to releasing the photos, Eterniti detailed a few technical specifications for the Hemera. For starters, Eterniti claims the SUV will boast 620 hp and a top speed of 180 mph. The new company isn’t just chasing hardcore performance— Eterniti Motors also played up the Hemera’s luxury side. The SUV will apparently feature a “limousine-like rear cabin” with two reclining rear seats, a drink chiller, and iPads. Eterniti will reveal more specifics when the Hemera debuts at Frankfurt, and plans to begin production of its creation in 2012.

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Chrysler Confirms that the Fiat Doblo Will Come to the U.S., Will Launch as a Ram in 2013

Chrysler Confirms that the Fiat Doblo Will Come to the U.S., Will Launch as a Ram in 2013:

While Ford’s Transit Connect sales have been merely decent since the van’s arrival on our shores, Chrysler’s Ram brand is ready to provide competition in the compact European transplant commercial van segment. (Perhaps it hopes just as much as Ford does that Americans will soon take notice.) Today, Ram’s future model took a step toward reality as Fiat signed a letter of intent with TOFAS, the Italian company’s Turkish joint-venture partner responsible for assembly of the Fiat Doblo, for a supply of 190,000 units for export.

We started to expect that the Doblo would arrive in the States as a Ram back in March when we outlined the Chrysler Group’s options for plucking commercial vans from Fiat’s lineup. While larger options like the front-drive Fiat Ducato or the rear-drive Iveco Daily would fill the void left when Mercedes-Benz took back its Sprinter, the company picked the Doblo because of its lower cost and relatively good fuel economy; it’s also a good way to test American reception of Fiat’s commercial vehicles.

Chrysler says that exports of the Doblo will start in early 2013, and in the time in between, TOFAS will invest more than $160 million for the necessary changes for U.S. homologation and customer expectations. We presume that will include some work to redraw the Doblo’s bulbous nose into something more in line with Ram’s other machines, which right now includes just the Ram pickups and a cargo version of the Dodge Caravan. We don’t expect to hear much more about details like engines, variants, and price until that work is done. February’s Chicago auto show is generally regarded as the place to launch commercial products, so perhaps we’ll get a more thorough preview from McCormick Place this winter.

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2012 BMW 650i Convertible: If We Complain Enough, They’ll Fix That Steering

2012 BMW 650i Convertible: If We Complain Enough, They’ll Fix That Steering:

BMW’s maximum-exposure machine raises a familiar complaint but can’t escape our praises.

If we may, a hypothetical situation for the reader: Say a family of ducks lives in your yard. And when the neighbor kid mows your lawn, he runs over a duckling. You’d complain, right? And, if he kept doing it, you’d continue to complain until he finally stopped? (For the purposes of this illustration, you must retain his services.)

Keep Reading: 2012 BMW 650i Convertible – Short Take Road Test

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2012 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback First Drive: A Taste of Forbidden Euro Fruit

2012 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback First Drive: A Taste of Forbidden Euro Fruit:

Chevy puts a hatchback on its most successful nameplate.

The Chevrolet Cruze was the bow-tie brand’s bestselling model worldwide in 2010. Standing on the latest Opel-developed compact-vehicle platform, which it shares with the Opel Astra and Buick Verano, the Cruze is comfortable, solid, and capable—a far cry from its U.S.-market predecessors. Now, in an effort to add even more sales to the charts—and more cash to its coffers—Chevy is adding a hatchback to the Cruze’s European lineup.

Keep Reading: 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback – First Drive Review

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Peeling Back the Jaguar C-X16 Concept’s Lid: Next Jag Roadster Rendered

Peeling Back the Jaguar C-X16 Concept’s Lid: Next Jag Roadster Rendered:

Like much of the American Northeast, Car and Driver‘s HQ in Ann Arbor has been absolutely drenched by unrelenting skies this week—so to pass the time a bit, we decided to see what Jaguar’s C-X16 concept would look like without a roof. You can read all about the Jaguar’s Frankfurt auto show-bound concept here, but we know that when the C-X16 coupe goes into production—possibly with the XE name—eventually it will be followed by a convertible variant. When that car bows, we imagine it won’t look terribly different from the above rendering. The resulting roadster’s look may be predictable, but that certainly doesn’t take anything away from its sleek good looks.

Illustration by Schulte Design.

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A British School for Automotive Journalists

A British School for Automotive Journalists:

School of Engine Knocks: A university in England churns out the next generation of automotive journalists.

For those who love cars, a career in automotive journalism promises access to the latest and greatest vehicles on the market, the opportunity to meet the people who design and engineer them, and heaping mounds of chilled shrimp. Who wouldn’t want to be a car journalist? Not surprisingly, we’re often asked, “How do I get your job?”

Keep Reading: A British School for Automotive Journalists – Feature

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VW’s Huge Display at Frankfurt

VW’s Huge Display at Frankfurt:

If you’ve ever been to the bi-annual Frankfurt Auto Show you have to be impressed by some of the enormous and often extravagant displays created by the major German manufacturers as they show off their latest models to the home crowd.

Volkswagen has released a sketch of its display that will open to this year’s visitors next week.

The company says 1,000 people are putting the finishing touches to the display which completely fills Hall 3 and is shaped like a cloud. The 6,000 sq ft stand will accommodate over 50 vehicles and showcase the new VW Up! city car, which is making its public debut along with the recently unveiled new generation Beetle, new Tiguan and Golf Cabriolet. The NILS single-seat electric commuting vehicle concept will also be making its world premiere.

Apart from the cars themselves, Volkswagen is using a 100-foot long interactive wall to give visitors a taste of mobility in the future, as well as presenting details on innovations and alternative technologies.

Volkswagen says there will also be a selection of commercial vehicles and motorsports displays. Apparently 2,100 lamps and roughly 50 miles of cables will be required to power everything.

If you think the 2011 VW display sounds extravagant, I remember one year when Mercedes-Benz actually dug up the foundation of one hall and built a below ground tavern to host visitors.

Related posts:

1. Frankfurt Auto Show Preview: Ford Plans Largest Ever Display
2. VW to Unveil Single-Seat EV in Frankfurt
3. Renault New Twingo at Frankfurt

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Dodge Unveils Mopar 2012 Charger Pursuit

Dodge Unveils Mopar 2012 Charger Pursuit:

Fans of Mopar performance cars might not be too pleased with the news that Mopar has introduced a new pursuit police car based on the 2012 Charger — you’ll not want one of these following you too closely.

Dodge and Mopar have teamed up with Crown North America to develop six different police packages that are “ready-for-duty right from the manufacturer” as Dodge puts it.

The Dodge Charger Pursuit offers a choice of two engines: the aluminum 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6, which delivers 292 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, and gets up to 27 mpg (highway); or the 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 with Fuel Saver Technology that delivers 370 horsepower, 390 lb.-ft. of torque and up to 25 highway mpg.

It has performance-tuned suspension, load-leveling Nivomat shocks, heavy-duty anti-lock vented-disc brakes (ABS), front- and rear-stabilizer bars, 18-inch performance tires on steel wheels and two-mode police-specific Electronic Stability Control (ESC).

The Dodge Charger Pursuit was developed with the guidance of the brand’s Police Advisory Board. It features a mobile-command interior, including a Vehicle Systems Interface Module for easy equipment integration, heavy-duty police-duty front seats and column-mounted shifter with Auto Stick.

In case you’re interested in ordering one here is a brief overview of the six package options for the 2012 Dodge Charger Pursuit:

• Base Prep Police Package (AYE): includes front and rear wire harness, power distribution center, siren speaker with bracket, trunk tray and trunk cooling fan

• Patrol Package 1 (AYF): includes police floor console, front-corner LED lamps, rear-corner LED lamps, front and rear wire harness, power-distribution center, siren speaker with bracket, trunk tray and trunk cooling fan

• Patrol Package 2 (AYH): includes police floor console, push bumper, front and rear wire harness, power-distribution center, siren speaker and bracket, trunk tray and trunk cooling fan

• Patrol Package 3 (AYM): includes push bumper, police floor console, front corner LED lamps, rear corner LED lamps, front and rear wire harness, power distribution center, siren speaker with bracket, trunk tray and trunk accessory cooling fan

• Slick Top Police Package 1 (AYN): includes police floor console, front and rear wire harness, power-distribution center, siren speaker with bracket, trunk tray and trunk cooling fan

• Slick Top Police Package 2 (AYP): includes front-corner LED lamps, rear-corner LED lamps, front and rear wire harness, power distribution center, siren speaker with bracket, trunk tray and trunk cooling fan

A few months ago Ford announced details on its Police Interceptor, based on the Ford Taurus. Now, with Chrysler in the game, which do you think will be the better car for law enforcement?

Related posts:

1. First Look: 2011 Dodge Charger
2. 2010 Mopar ’10 Challenger
3. Long Live Dodge!

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Fisker Surf – Frankfurt Auto Show Preview

Fisker Surf – Frankfurt Auto Show Preview:

Fisker Automotive has released a sketch of the Surf, what would be a third Karma-based vehicle for the fledging maker of extended-range electrics. While the rollout of the Karma sedan slowly continues, the line sketch of the Fisker Surf shows either a shooting brake or a wagon-like Karma with a surfboard on top.

Perhaps influenced by the launch of the Ferrari FF, the Surf adds another dimension to Fisker’s luxury hybrid lineup, which starts with the $80,000 sedan. It’s assumed that the Surf would be powered by the same Q-Drive powertrain featuring a lithium-ion battery pack, electric motors and a range-extending 260-bhp turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine. While only the Karma sedan is currently being offered, Fisker showed the Sunset S concept in 2009, and at the time the company said it was taking orders. However, no firm timetable for production of that retractable-hardtop model has been announced.

More Frankfurt Auto Show Coverage >>

Related posts:

1. Subaru XV – 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show Preview
2. 2013 Hyundai i30 – Frankfurt Auto Show Preview
3. Frankfurt Auto Show Preview: Ford Plans Largest Ever Display

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Driven: 2012 Audi S8

Driven: 2012 Audi S8:

Audi and Bentley have developed a new V-8, a compact twin-turbo 4.0-liter that can automatically switch over into fuel-saving 4-cylinder mode. The only discernible visual difference between the 2012 Audi S8s fitted with the new engine and the old models are four tiny microphones for the car’s Active Noise Control system, plus a horizontal bar graph between the tach and speedo to indicating to the driver when the large sedan is running in V-4 or V-8 mode.

I drove Bentley’s Mulsanne with its cylinder deactivation system last year, so I was intrigued to see how Audi’s faired. Bentley doesn’t bother with a graph telling the driver he’s in eco mode, and I frankly found Audi’s slightly distracting.

After a while, I suppose you either get used to it or just ignore the green bar flashing left and right as the engine dips in and out of V-4/V-8 mode. But, on a brief 12- mile drive through Ingolstadt’s outskirts, I was consciously hunting for that switchover spot between V-8 and V-4 and found it frustratingly hard to maintain a green V-4 setting. Going by my Bentley experience I think high-speed freeway cruising would find you slipping easily into V-4 mode as the miles cruised by.

In the Bentley, I could not tell if its 6.75-liter V-8 was running on all eight or just four cylinders. The same isn’t quite true for the S8’s 4.-liter; there’s a subtle change in exhaust beat as the engine dips from eight to four cylinders; maybe I was more aware of it because I kept searching for that switchover point. To ensure smooth running as a V-4, switchable electronic active engine mounts are used on an Audi for the first time, while Active Noise Control in the cabin disguises any intrusive engine noise. (more)

Keep Reading: 2012 Audi S8 – First Drive >>

Photos: 2012 Audi S8 >>

Related posts:

1. New Audi-Bentley V-8 Engine
2. Frankfurt Preview: 2012 Audi A8 Hybrid
3. New Audi A6 – Driven

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VW to Unveil Single-Seat EV in Frankfurt

VW to Unveil Single-Seat EV in Frankfurt:

The future of driving could be a pretty lonely place, at least if you’re behind the wheel of the one-passenger VW Nils Concept, set to be shown at this year’s Frankfurt Auto Show. This electric-powered concept has room for only its driver, along with a modest amount of luggage. Volkswagen says the Nils represents “micromobility,” a bare-essentials (and zero-emission) form of vehicle, aimed specifically at commuters who travel 15 miles or less to and from work.

The Nils features a cockpit-like body, with narrow 17-inch wheels standing separately from the car. The doors swing upward, gullwing-style. At 120 in. long, the Nils is a whopping 20 in. shorter than the Volkswagen Up!, the German automaker’s newest small car that is also making an appearance at Frankfurt. And at 47 in. tall, the Nils is nearly 5 in. shorter than a Porsche 911.

Performance also doesn’t stack up to what’s offered in any Porsche. Nestled in the aluminum spaceframe of the Nils, directly behind the driver, are a compact 42 lb. 20-hp electric motor, single-speed transmission, and a lithium-ion battery pack. Thanks to its lightweight construction—the curb weight is 1014 lb.—the Nils, says VW, is agile and very fun to drive. Top speed is a modest 81 mph, however, and the sprint to 62 mph takes a leisurely 11 seconds. Driving range is estimated to be around 40 miles. (more)

Keep Reading: Volkswagen Nils Concept >>

Photos: Volkswagen Nils Concept >>

Related posts:

1. Small 2-Seat EV to be Unveiled at Frankfurt
2. VW’s Huge Display at Frankfurt
3. Renault New Twingo at Frankfurt

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2013 Hyundai i30 – Frankfurt Auto Show Preview

2013 Hyundai i30 – Frankfurt Auto Show Preview:

It’s not only European companies premiering all-new cars at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show next week, but also Koreans. Hyundai will be unveiling the newest version of the designed-for-Europe i30 hatchback. The i30 was originally launched in 2007 as the first Hyundai to be designed and built in Europe. The i30 is assembled at Hyundai’s factory in the Czech Republic and is Hyundai’s best selling car in Europe.

Hyundai says the C-segment hatchback is the next evolution of the company’s “fluidic sculpture” design language. No technical details have been revealed at this time but we expect it will have the same variety of gasoline and diesel engines as found on the current model.

In case you think the car looks familiar that’s because it is closely related to the Elantra. Indeed the i30 could well land on these shores as the 2013 Elantra Touring, either based on this hatchback or as a station wagon derivative, which will be launched in Europe after the hatchback goes on sale.

Related posts:

1. Subaru XV – 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show Preview
2. Fisker Surf – Frankfurt Auto Show Preview
3. Frankfurt Auto Show Preview: Ford Plans Largest Ever Display

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Saab Files for Bankruptcy Protection

Saab Files for Bankruptcy Protection:

Are those Chinese vultures I see circling over Trollhättan?

After months of speculation the Swedish car manufacturer has bowed to the inevitable and is filing for bankruptcy protection.

Although in a statement it said this did not affect its U.S. operation.

The manufacturer’s owners, the Amsterdam listed Swedish Automobile (Swan), revealed on Wednesday that Saab Automobile would file for voluntary reorganization in an attempt to prevent the unions applying for the stricken manufacturers bankruptcy.

Saab is still holding out for the long promised funding from Pang Da and Youngman both, it has been said, “support” the voluntary reorganization. The trouble is, the Chinese Government needs to approve any deal and that is still forthcoming.

This is the second time in 36 months that Saab has been in the Swedish bankruptcy courts. In 2009 it filed for reorganization as GM was preparing to do likewise in the U.S., following its decision to rid itself of the Swedish marque to third party investors.

Related posts:

1. Spyker Still Wants Saab
2. Saab re-Bjorn
3. Saab’s Condition – Critical

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Phil Hill, America’s First Formula 1 Champion

Phil Hill, America’s First Formula 1 Champion:

…a title he won 50 years ago in the Italian Grand Prix.

September 10, 1961, Monza, Italy: Phil Hill became the first American to win the Formula 1 World Driver’s Championship. Piloting a 1.5-liter V-6 Ferrari, Phil captured the Italian Grand Prix, a race in which his teammate and rival, German Count Wolfgang von Trips, was killed.

Those are the basic facts from a half-century ago. Native Californian Phil Hill earned his way onto the Ferrari Formula 1 team during one of the deadliest periods in Grand Prix racing history. At Monza in 1960, he became the last driver to win a GP using a front-engine car and continued to win the next year in the all-new mid-engine “shark nose” F1 Ferrari. In one of the following links, you can read, in Phil’s own words, what it took to earn the title, a feat matched by only one other American – the great Mario Andretti. In the other link, Phil’s widow, Alma, tells what it was like to be married to such a remarkable man.

1962 Road & Track magazine

But before you begin, as a U.S. fan of F1 you must know that the greatest disappointment of Phil’s GP career was that he was never allowed to race his title car in front of his countrymen at the U.S. Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. Ever-irascible Enzo Ferrari wouldn’t send the title-winning cars to the U.S. and later had them all destroyed, ruining what would have been an important moment in racing history. Shame on him.

In Celebration of Phil Hill:

• Petersen Automotive Museum Exhibit: Phil Hill: The Life of a Legend >>


• Road & Track gallery of Phil Hill prints >>


• Special Edition Commemorative Phil Hill F1 Champion print >>


• A Road & Track Tribute to Phil: A Man Like No Other >>


• From the R&T Vault: Phil Hill in his own words >>


• From the R&T Vault: Life with a Champion >>

Related posts:

1. Phil Hill’s Formula 1 Title – 50 Years Later​
2. Phil Hill Remembered at Monza
3. Rick Mears Receives the 2011 Phil Hill Award

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Audi’s Virtual Tour of Frankfurt

Audi’s Virtual Tour of Frankfurt:

Audi is offering open access to its show-stand during this year’s Frankfurt Auto Show. Flight canceled or media credentials gone missing? No problem! Starting today, you can visit Audi.com/IAA2011 for a sneak peek at brand’s exhibition space – days before even the press is allowed in for a preview.

According to Audi, the virtual tour offers a 360-degree view of the action and is accurate “down to the last detail in almost photorealistic quality.” That’s no small feat when you consider the sheer volume of vehicles Audi is introducing in Frankfurt. Notable debuts include the brand’s latest sports sedans, including the S6, S7 Sportback, range-topping S8. The electric-powered, open-wheeled Audi Urban Concept is also guaranteed to create plenty of buzz during the show.

For those able to visit, Audi has developed an auto show app for the iPhone, the iPod touch and all Android devices. Available at the Apple App Store and Android Market once the show opens next week, the app offers the visitor an audio guide of the exhibition, along with the opportunity to download information about specific vehicles and technologies.

Related posts:

1. Audi S Models at Frankfurt
2. New Audi-Bentley V-8 Engine
3. Frankfurt Preview: 2012 Audi A8 Hybrid

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Frankfurt Preview: GM’s Electric 2-Seater

Frankfurt Preview: GM’s Electric 2-Seater:

This radical looking two-seater has ‘production potential’ according to GM.

It will be revealed at Frankfurt next week and, says Opel/Vauxhall, “could revolutionize urban transport, especially for younger drivers and those on a very tight budget.”

A battery-powered electric vehicle, the concept will be “highly affordable”, have a 60-mile range and be capable of 75 mph, making even the odd freeway trip feasible.

Yet despite its aesthetic appeal, the concept will be practical, affording two seats in a tandem layout, and its light weight – around a third of a small modern car’s – would allow it to be agile and fun to drive.

Now, I remember back in 1985 trying the Sinclair Research C5 electric single-seater in the outer suburbs of London. I felt ridiculous riding this thing and very vulnerable to other traffic and dogs, as one relieved itself against a back wheel as I stopped at traffic lights.

Frankly, it was rubbish but I suspect that its inventor, computer and electronics entrepreneur, Sir Clive Sinclair is smiling to himself and saying “Told you so.” He was just 26 years ahead of his time…

Related posts:

1. Frankfurt Preview: Jaguar C-X16
2. Frankfurt Preview: Eterniti Hemera
3. Frankfurt Preview: 2012 Audi A8 Hybrid

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Audi TT RS Racer Revealed

Audi TT RS Racer Revealed:

Pushing 380 bhp through the front wheels of this racing version of the Audi TT should make life interesting for its driver.

Costing $246,000, excluding taxes it comes ready for the race track with a six-speed sequential gearbox, tuned suspension and full safety equipment.

It has already proved its worth with a class victory in the 24-hour Nürburgring-Nordschleife race in June with the fastest front-wheel drive qualifying time to date.

Related posts:

1. New Audi Le Mans Racer Unleashed
2. Official Images Revealed: Audi Urban Concept
3. New Aston Racer for 2011

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