Lightweight Lotus designs seem to be a favorite to turn into electric vehicles. The Elise was the basis for the Tesla Roadster. Chrysler just basically strapped a bunch of batteries to the Europa to make the Dodge EV, and now Ecotricity has been modifying an Exige to make its own plug-in sports car.
Ecotricity is actually a company that sells electricity captured by wind, so the concept car could almost be considered wind-powered. The British company has only spent about £200,000 ($290,000) so far, but it says the car should be able to make the 0 to 60 mph sprint in four seconds and hit a top speed of 140 mph.
This is more then just a pipe dream. The engineers have even put in some interesting features like a finger print recognition ignition (start the car with a finger print). If all goes right, this electric car could be in production by the end of this year. The largest hurdle that seems to be left to cross is giving the little guy a name.
Check out some of the videos after the jump to watch the progress of this electric sports car.
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We knew Acura has been working on a vehicle to compete with the BMW X6 and and Infinity FX, for some time now. But in the automotive melee that has resulted in the death of many good cars, we’ve forgotten about this sedan/coupe/SUV.
Acura, on the other hand, seems to have been running full steam ahead with the CUV project. This should not be too hard of a car to assemble for Acura. It just needs to rummage through the Honda spare parts bin, and it should find everything but the bodywork. By the time the production car hits the streets in 2010 we would guess that it would be using the 300 hp 3.6-liter V6 from the TL/MDX, or the 200 hp 3.5-liter V6 unit from the TSX V6/Accord V6. The suspension may not even be changed much from the MDX, considering it is one of the most car-like SUVs on the market.
While a vehicle that doesn’t fully excel at being a sedan, coupe or SUV doesn’t have huge appeal to us, Acura knows its customers. This will be the company’s big new thing to show off, and may even have a concept version ready for the New York Auto Show next month.
Ford seems to be auctioning off a few historical pieces for cash But this isn’t part of some fire sale; the proceeds are going to charity. The first retail 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 and a pair of Mustang GT concept cars during the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Collector Car Auction on April 9-11.
It’s not hard to understand the significance of the first GT500, and its supercharged DOHC 5.4-liter V8 engine that puts out 540 horsepower and 510 foot-pounds of torque. But the concept cars may be more interesting. These are two of the cars that started touring in 2003 as a preview to the retro look (fifth generation).
All proceeds above MSRP from the sale of the Shelby GT500 will be donated to The Carroll Shelby Children’s Foundation. The two Mustang concepts will be auctioned to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.This sale is all part of the Mustang’s 45th anniversary.
Press release after the jump.
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Regardless of the varied opinions on the new look of the Lagonda line, the Aston Martin spinoff may just be the brand to watch this year. In a time when car companies are scaling back on concepts and cutting budgets, Lagonda will be unveiling a second concept car before the summer.
In an interview with Le Blog Auto, Aston Martin board member and partial owner, David Richards said the concept shown in Geneva was just to test public reaction. There will be another car revealed in May that will be "completely opposite to the one you saw in Geneva."
There is no indication yet if Aston Martin is planning a two-vehicle line of is just sending out concept car until one really resonates with the public. What we do know is that at least one car will stick to the points announced by Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez. That menas Lagonda will cover territory not covered by traditional Aston Martins (i.e. crossover or SUV), and it shoulc be based on the Mercedes GL platform.
Ford unveiled their iosisMAX at the Geneva Motor Show, the concept is a preview of a future multi passenger vehicle that might be coming to the U.S. shortly. The concept also serves as a glimpse into the company’s next generation global C-car family.
The iosisMAX styling, notably the coupe-like profile and distinctive lower trapezoidal grille are design cues that will most likely will turn up on future Fords. Patrick Verhee, the man responsible for the iosisMax, confirms that the U.S. will see a production model following the lines of the concept.
The iosisMAX concept features striking exterior and interior innovations based on a fresh interpretation of Ford’s new kinetic design form language, which include new door opening concepts, the application of lightweight materials and advanced aerodynamics. The vehicle also serves as a preview for the European development of Ford’s global EcoBoost gasoline engine technology that is scheduled to arrive in 2010.
