In July last year Smart unveiled three new concept versions of its second-generation ForTwo minicar, all based around an ultra-efficient electric drivetrain. The trio included a regular petrol-electric hybrid, a diesel-electric hybrid and a zero-emissions electric vehicle. This third concept, the all-electric ForTwo, featured a 30kW motor powered by a sodium-nickel-chloride battery and could drive up to 115km on a single charge.
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U.S. auto sales have been on the decline for the past 12 months and there’s no sign of a major upturn anytime soon. The market, which for years has been the world’s biggest in terms of auto sales, could soon be overtaken by Europe and possibly China and according to Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn it “is not going to be great again.”
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Tesla has confirmed its all-electric Roadster will go on sale in Europe next year and a Norwegian dealer is already taking pre-orders for the car. While the first batch of ‘P1’ U.S. delivered models will feature an interim two-speed transmission that limits acceleration to a disappointing 5.7 seconds for the 0-60mph sprint, by the time of the car’s European launch Tesla will have already upgraded to a new one-speed unit that promises cancelation times of four seconds for the same benchmark.
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When the original Land Rover Series 1 made its public debut at a motor show in Amsterdam back in 1948, few would have suspect the brand would go on to become a major player in the international luxury SUV market. Today, Land Rover features a five-model lineup and is selling vehicles at a record level.
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The Mitsubishi Evo X and Subaru Impreza WRX STI haven’t been on sale for a full year yet but already we have news of hotter performance versions in the works. Mitsubishi will launch a more powerful version of the Evo X with new MR (Mitsubishi Racing) designation. Subaru, meanwhile, will add a lighter and more hardcore version of the WRX STI dubbed the Spec C.
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Despite losing more than $3.3 billion this quarter, GM plans to invest up to €9 billion ($14 billion) by 2012 to increase the market share of its Opel brand. Of the total investment, €6.5 will be spent alone on developing new models and powertrains as well as the expansion and modernization of Opel plants in Ruesselsheim, Bochum and Kaiserslautern, Germany.
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Volvo has a well-established reputation of building the safest passenger vehicles in the industry but the carmaker believes it can improve on its own standards by reaching the ultimate goal of avoiding car accidents all together and reducing the road death toll to zero. Volvo has now set itself the ambitious target of zero injuries or deaths in its vehicles by 2020.
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Mazda’s new Mazdaspeed (MPS) range offer performance levels comparable with much more expensive cars and has quickly become the bang for your buck standard in many segments. Now the range is set to expand with two new models in works – performance versions of the recently revealed Mazda6 sedan and award-winning Mazda2 hatch.
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Back in May 2007, we brought you news of the Weber Sportscars 400km/h supercar concept. The odd-looking beast was an intriguing mix of carbon fiber, aluminum and horsepower - with statistics so impressive you could almost forgive the bizarre appearance. Now Weber has updated their challenger for the world’s top-speed crown with even more power and speed, and new name - the Faster One, or F1.
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Brabus, well known for its exercises in automotive excess, is now dabbling in the ecologically-aware arena of automotive accessories. The company’s new ECO PowerXtra kit claims to offer better fuel economy and lower emissions for Mercedes diesel engine-powered vehicles through the addition of a simple tuning module.
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When it debuted at the New York Auto Shot in March, the S5S Raptor bowled over crowds and press alike with its stunning design. At the time, execs at Saleen hinted that the car was more than just a pipe dream, but the latest word from the company’s president makes it look like production is a serious possibility.
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Despite the massive losses of early 2008 at GM and Chrysler, other firms, like Maserati and Ferrari are doing quite well - as is Volkswagen. The Volkswagen group’s Volkswagen brand generated a $718 million profit in the first quarter, despite essentially unchanged revenues compared to last year.

The boost comes from reducing costs, yielding an increase in margin from 2.14% to 2.55%, reports Automotive News. Revenues still checked in at $28.1 billion, the same as last year’s Q1 takings. Still, the group’s earnings as a whole only met analysts expectations, rather than exceeding them.

The VW Group’s outlook for the year remains strong, however, despite a slumping global economy and turbulent times at some of its brands.
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Honda’s NSX replacement has had several false starts, with the company scrapping the car’s design after the public’s largely negative response to its Acura Advanced Sports Car Concept, shown at 2007’s Detroit Auto Show. Beyond the styling difficulties, ensuring the car will compete successfully with Lexus’s LF-A, Nissan’s GT-R, and Ferrari and Lamborghini’s sport-focused offerings is also taking time. But the company is sure it will do so, and the target date is 2010.
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Updated with new renderings.

BMW’s next-generation Z4 roadster is due to arrive next year as a 2010 model, and contrary to numerous reports the new model will grow in both size and price. As revealed in these latest renderings, the new car will sport a similar shape to the current Z4 but will feature a new folding hardtop in lieu of the current fabric roof.
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Soaring fuel prices and shifting demand towards smaller cars hasn’t deterred Hyundai from developing a new fullsize SUV as these latest images of a prototype testing in Germany reveal. Hyundai has been planning to launch a fullsize SUV ever since it revealed the Kia Mesa concept at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show. Back then SUVs were at the height of their popularity and nobody was predicting the price of oil would skyrocket within the next couple of years.
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