Odds and ends

For the past couple of years Dutch oil-giant Shell has played host to the ‘Eco-Marathon’ challenge, a competition where teams have to build the most fuel efficient cars possible and then race them. The car that won the last two challenges recorded fuel economy levels as high as 7,148mpg...

Formula 1 cars are routinely sold after their competition lifespan is up, but they usually go to members of the race teams themselves, collectors or museums, not to the wider audience of enthusiasts. This open charity auction should provide a chance for anyone - with a stout pocketbook - to get a...

Avis has joined its main rival Hertz by offering to rent one of the world’s most loved sports cars, the Chevrolet Corvette. However, before you start searching for Avis’ phone number the rental company is only offering the car in Arizona, California, Florida and Las Vegas. Driving the...

Despite being caught out for providing false information about the levels of acceptance for London’s congestion charge of the city’s own residents, Mayor Ken Livingstone is reportedly planning to expand the program into other areas of the city. Livingstone is being coy about his future...

For many the daily commute is one of the last refuges of peace and solitude, one of the last places where we control our environment almost absolutely. We choose the music (or roar of the engine), we choose the temperature, we choose the view outside our windows by choosing our route. But Microsoft...

The car that put the world on wheels, the Ford Model T, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year and to mark the occasion Ford is planning a year-long series of events to honor the iconic vehicle. Celebrations will commence at this weekend’s Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance and...

Last week we were treated with Consumer Reports list of the worst 11 cars of the year plus its annual Top Picks list. Today the influential magazine has released its Top Picks of American autos and as expected GM has once again dominated the field although there were a few surprises as well as some...

Anyone who’s ever washed or waxed their car only to find bird droppings on it moments later will be pleased to know that exterior coating specialists Nanovere has unveiled a new paint technology that can not only clean itself but is also scratch resistant. The new paint is a clear surface...

Ken Okuyama Design has introduced two limited production cars at Geneva. The industrial design studio and coachbuilder unveiled the K.O 7, a lightweight two-seater roadster with a 2L, four-cylinder, 240hp engine. While there have been Caterhams and Lotus 7's around for years now, as a package, none...

Virgin Atlantic and GM have announced today a new partnership to launch a hydrogen fuel-cell limo service for international passengers in the Los Angeles area, with plans to launch similar services in other cities in the new future. The vehicles GM has provided are zero-emissions Chevrolet Equinox...

Yesterday Consumer Reports released its annual ‘Top Picks’ list of the best cars of 2008 and now we have a list of the worst contenders. Judges compared over 260 vehicles in this year’s evaluation and once again American SUVs dominated the field although there were a number of...

Swiss company Peraves first revealed its MonoTracer at last year’s Geneva Motor Show but back then the enclosed bike was still in the early stages of development and it hadn’t even undergone official testing. For this year’s Geneva Motor Show, Peraves is back and this time...

Another General Lee Charger, one of 23 surviving cars produced for the television series The Dukes of Hazzard, is about to go under the hammer on March 10 at the Melbourne Motor Show. The car is being sold through Shannons auctions and is expected to fetch between $220,000 and $260,000. Between...

A driver's license used to be one of the very first rites of passage for teenagers - coming even before the secondary school diploma or the right to purchase alcohol. But fewer teens are jumping at the first chance to get their licenses - at least in the U.S. The reasons why are varied, but the...

The long wait is over for Gumball 3000 fans around the world as the official route for this year’s has been announced. The 10th anniversary rally will begin in San Francisco on the 9th of August, working its way through the West Coast of North America and stopping in San Deigo and Las Vegas...

If you thought prices at the bowser were getting a little steep, GM wants you to get a car that runs on E85 ethanol - and they'll even sell you the fuel for just 85.9 cents a gallon. The offer can be taken up on February 26th from noon to 2:00 p.m., at a Conserv Fuel station at 11699 San Vicente...

Strict emissions regulations planned for Europe has got carmakers across the globe worried about reducing the amount of pollutants their cars produce. Some of the solutions carmakers are investigating include downsizing of vehicles and engines, as well as the development of cleaner fuels, but...

Tata rocked the automotive world when it fulfilled its promise of delivering a car that costs just $2,500 with the unveiling of the Nano minicar last month, but Indian carmakers are confident the bar can be set even lower. Tara International, an arm of the Bengal Enamel, claims it will deliver a...

This open top racer is a road-legal sports car developed in Australia and is set to be unveiled at the upcoming Melbourne Motor Show in full production trim. The new model is called the E-Vade and the first production cars have already undergone initial shakedown trials at Port Melbourne’s...

Anyone who’s restored a classic car knows how hard it is to find a stereo with all the modern features we’ve become accustomed to but retains the original look of audio devices from past generations. RetroSound helps solve the problem with its new ‘Model One’ media player...