The Alfa Romeo 4C is fast, sexy, and so light that it’s green too
There were some really mighty supercars unveiled in Geneva. The new Ferrari, the new McLaren, cars that can do more than 200 mph and cost more than a million. Close to them, it was refreshing to...
View ArticlePeugeot 208 Hybrid FE, the mission 49-8 for Frankfurt
We go to motor shows like in Geneva to see cars but obviously, this isn’t one. This is a work in progress. It’s only a shape at this stage, but it will evolve into a fully functioning automobile within...
View ArticleFirst video of the Volkswagen XL1, the ultimate efficiency car
Some cars are better than the others, and this one is simply better than all the others. Nothing can beat it on fuel economy, this is the most fuel efficient car on the planet. I’ve already written...
View ArticleLightweight plastic engine mounts are coming, from ZF
Once upon a time, cars were made with metal, but those days are gone forever. There are more and more plastic parts in today’s cars. Everybody sees them in the interior, but they’re also under the...
View ArticleMazda 6 is most fuel-efficient gasoline family sedan in Germany
This generation of the Mazda 6 has been on the market for less than a year, and it has been collecting prizes and awards right from its first introduction. Only a few weeks ago, it got the Red Dot...
View ArticleNew Honda Fit Hybrid should be the most fuel-efficient car on the market
This is the new Honda Fit hybrid, which will launch in its home market this September. Exports should not begin before 2014, to give us some time to get used to the new design. First two generations of...
View ArticleIn Europe, the Opel Insignia (Buick Regal) is the most fuel-efficient in its...
The Buick Regal started life as the Opel Insignia, a successful European sedan. It won the European Car of the year title in 2009. The Insignia’s getting a facelift this coming month, and it also...
View ArticleBy default, the Volkswagen e-up! is the most energy-efficient car on the market
All the world knows that the most fuel-efficient car is the Volkswagen XL1. But the German plug-in hybrid wonder is a very expensive car (€111,000), it’s not available anywhere but in Germany, and only...
View ArticleVolkswagen’s thinking about a cheaper XL1
Few doubt that the Volkswagen XL1 is a technological wonder, with its only flaw being its huge pricetag. Well, Volkswagen is very much aware of the problem. There are customers for a super efficient...
View ArticleFord Focus EcoBoost record drive, 1000 miles on one tank
Drivers looking to set a range record usually do it with a diesel, or an electric, but Knut Wilthil (left) and Henrik Borchgrevink (right) chose a very straightforward gas car: a Ford Focus. With a gas...
View ArticleGasoline Peugeot 208 gets close to diesel fuel economy
Diesel is known and much appreciated by European motorists for great fuel economy, but gasoline engines are getting better and better, narrowing the gap between the two fuels. The latest Peugeot 208 is...
View Article2982 miles in 24 hours: what a good diesel can do, the Opel Astra CDTI
Quite regularly, there are electric car drivers trying to make records. They lay out a very precise road map, where all recharges will be planned and timed, with a sharp schedule and a set speed to...
View ArticleBMW M3 gets faster and greener with a downsized turbocharged engine
Every car has to get greener. The big cars like the small ones, and sports cars too. Enter the new BMW M3. This is a car that matters because it’s an icon to so many of us. It’s the benchmark …...
View ArticleNew Stop & Start system from Bosch is a great leap forward
Hybrids are really incredible. They have to be experienced: their gas engine is switched off so often! Stop & Start systems are much less impressive. They only manage to turn off their engine when...
View ArticleChrysler 200 comes standard with nine speeds transmission
This Chrysler was one of the most important new offering at the Detroit show. It’s a nice looking midsize sedan, with the front grille smoothly integrated between the headlights, and it’s been a while...
View ArticleThe Volkswagen Polo gets new engines to regain its fuel economy leadership
Volkswagen will unveil a slightly restyled Polo at the upcoming motor show in Geneva. There are new LED front lights, but the changes below the hood are much more important, with totally new engines....
View ArticleTo lower fuel consumption, Ferrari downsizes like every other manufacturer
If we look at the evolution of the Ferrari V8, in the last thirty years, we’ve seen this engine growing from 3.0 liter, to 3.2 then 3.5 and 4.3 and up to 4.5 liter on the latest 458. The revised …...
View ArticlePeugeot 308 1.2L e-THP 130 gets 82.5 mpg on the track
Cars used for fuel economy records are most often diesels, or hybrids, but here’s one with a conventional gas car. Well, maybe not so conventional after all. Peugeot’s doing this to show how efficient...
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