Carz Arena

German Porsche tuner Ruf is building an electric Porsche 911 with the intent of offering a small number of production versions starting in 2010. The multi-continent effort began with Ruf’s prototype, which was built by CalMotors, a U.S.-based design and engineering firm.






The Ruf’s lithium-ion battery pack is supplied by Axeon, a firm in Dundee, Scotland. The electric Ruf Porsche makes 210 hp and is expected to accelerate to 60 mph in under seven seconds, top out at 140 mph, and travel 150 miles on a single charge. No word on price, but starting with a 911 on the way to building an electric car should make it a plaything for the very wealthy.

Nissan is headed for the North American commercial-truck market.



Nissan isn’t coming to the North American International Auto Show this year, but that didn’t stop them from gathering a bunch of journalists in Detroit to show off a new concept. Although buyers of the Titan and Armada are growing scarcer by the day, there’s one sector of the truck market that isn’t disappearing quite as quickly: really big trucks.



The commercial trucking industry is one in which Nissan is a major player on pretty much every continent except North America—and Antarctica, where penguin unions make doing any sort of business nearly impossible. Starting in 2010, Nissan will enter the commercial market in the U.S. and Canada with a mix of existing products from outside North America and three all-new vehicles that will be introduced over a span of three years.

Why is That Post-Apocalyptic UPS Truck White?

The NV2500 seen here will not be one of them. A concept built on the Nissan Titan’s F-alpha platform, the NV2500 serves more as an announcement that Nissan is coming to the U.S. than any real indication of what those vehicles will look like when they get here. Even the platform will change. The next-generation Nissan Titan will be built by Dodge on the Ram assembly line—much like the Volkswagen Routan is really just a rebadged Chrysler Town & Country—and the probable scenario is that at least one of the new commercial-grade Nissans will share those bones. But Nissan officials stated clearly that nothing like the NV2500 would be built on the existing F-alpha structure.



The three new vehicles are said to cover classes 3–5 in the commercial market. The Dodge Sprinter, Ford E-series, and Chevrolet Express/GMC Savanna were mentioned, which means smart money is on one of the vehicles being a full-size van and accompanying chassis-cab. Class 3 is covered by heavy-duty pickups such as the Sierra/Silverado 3500 and Ford F-350, so it is likely that the Class 3 offering will be a rebadged version of the new heavy-duty Ram. Nissan says it has partnered with Cummins to provide diesel engines for its upcoming trucks and ZF for transmissions.

You Could Fit a Hockey Net in the Back



As for the third vehicle, this press conference was the first time in at least a few years during which we’ve heard the Chevrolet Astro mentioned. Nissan’s NV200 concept from the 2007 Tokyo show was also present, suggesting that the company is considering the mini-utility van market currently poised to explode to one whole entry with the Ford Transit Connect. Although such a small van falls well short of the load requirements for the commercial classes Nissan is talking about, the company does have nearly a full globe’s worth of products—including buses and flatbed cabovers—it could import to fill those gaps.

British motorways turned 50 in style today as Transport Minister Andrew Adonis looked to the future by opening the newest stretch of motorway - bridging the 'missing link' between London and Glasgow.

Half a century to the day after the nation's first motorway standard road - the Preston Bypass - was opened by then Prime Minister Harold Macmillan, the Highways Agency's £174 million M6 Extension from north of Carlisle to the Scottish Border was today being officially opened to motorists.

Andrew Adonis said: "I am delighted to mark the 50th birthday of motorways in the UK by opening this vital section of new motorway which completes the motorway link between London and Glasgow.

"In half a century motorways have become the backbone of the UK's road network. They are the lifelines of the country, making an invaluable contribution to our business and economic needs and they help keep friends and family connected. That is why we are investing in a safe, reliable and sustainable motorway network for the 21st Century - expanding the network where necessary and making smarter use of the motorways by opening the hard shoulder to traffic to cut congestion.

"It is a fitting tribute to the pioneers whose foresight began the motorway era exactly 50 years ago that the very same motorway is today being extended between Carlisle and Guards Mill. This will ease a notorious bottleneck and improve safety."

Graham Dalton, Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, which is responsible for England's major A roads and motorways, said: "On the 50th anniversary of the motorway, I'm delighted to be able to commend my team from the Highways Agency and our contractors who have delivered the M6 Extension scheme to budget and on time.

"And we're giving everyone a safer and more reliable journey, whether they are long-distance or local road users."

The new 5.8 mile section M6 Extension has been upgraded from the old A74 dual carriageway between Carlisle and Guards Mill providing safer and less congested journeys for long-distance traffic between the North West of England and Scotland.

Engineers faced several major challenges including building a new bridge to take the motorway over the River Esk and building a new Mossband Viaduct over the West Coast railway line. Demolition of the old Mossband Viaduct will continue until Christmas, when the section directly over the West Coast main railway line is due to be demolished.

In line with the Highways Agency's commitment to protect the environment, great care has been taken to protect animals and the landscape. Lizards and snakes have been relocated while badger setts have been protected from disturbance by the work. Construction of the new Esk bridge was carried out to ensure there was no river pollution.

Andrew Adonis later visited Preston, Lancashire, where a plaque - commissioned by the Institution of Highways and Transportation, the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and Lancashire County Council - was being unveiled close to the site of the original Preston Bypass to commemorate the motorway's 50th birthday.

The people of Greater Manchester delivered their verdict on proposals to introduce a congestion charge in their city. The result was an overwhelming "NO" to the road pricing scheme in all ten council areas, with a clear majority of the population voting.

This result was delivered in the face of a multi million campaign in favour of the charge by AGMA (Association of Greater Manchester Authorities) and GMPTA (Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority) who stood to benefit from transport investment from central government - but only if they could get the scheme through.

"This is a great result," said the ABD's Nigel Humphries. "The world was watching the people of Manchester and they have seen through the great government transport bribe and voted to reject road pricing. Surely this means the government must now abandon its back door plans to tax, track and inconvenience drivers with road tolls."

The government must cease its determined campaign to charge us to drive on roads we have already paid for many times over.

Pending the decision on the production of the beautiful Lexus LF-A, we'll have to make do with the IS-F, which to my mind is not much of a hardship. Labelled, 'the first Lexus performance thoroughbred', the IS-F lives up to its promise, with outstanding performance and dynamics.

Although it was launched at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, the IS-F didn't go on sale in the UK until April 2008, and even then sales were limited to only 150 cars. You might be one of the lucky ones who have paid the £50,076 asking price, for this embodiment of luxurious performance; in which case I'm preaching to the converted and I offer my congratulations on a very good choice. But, if it wasn't for the persistence of two Lexus engineers, it would never have happened.

Lexus was happy to stay with the IS range but these two wanted to develop it into a high performance, hi-tech sports saloon. Project F, as it was known, gained momentum within the company and after its showing at Frankfurt, both the public and the media interest made sure that it would be built.

While BMW has the 'M', Lexus has the 'F', which stands for Fuji, as in Fuji Speedway, home to the Toyota and Lexus testing facility and host to the Japanese Grand Prix in 2007. The 'F' badge is even shaped to represent some of the circuit's bends. But enough of the background.



Taking the IS sports saloon as a basis, the IS-F has slightly different distinguishing features. Apart from the somewhat restrained but purposeful stance, the first thing I noticed when it arrived, were the wheels; exclusive, 19-inch forged alloys with ten chunky, sculpted spokes finished in smoked metal. These are made all the more impressive by the broad, low-profile tyres and the way that they fit the muscular wheelarches perfectly.

At the front, the wide, imposing bonnet is raised; almost to the point of becoming bulbous and ugly. Fortunately, it is balanced by the sleek wings that flow from the shoulder line to the headlight clusters, either side of the large upper grille. Below these are deep, trapezoidal, front bumpers that flare upwards and outwards at the sides and form a lip at the base. They also house the front fog-lights on the outer edges of the cooling ducts, which themselves, flank the lower grille.

The large engine needs a lot of cooling. It also takes up a fair bit of room, which is why the IS-F has a longer front overhang and bonnet than the IS 250, on which it based.

This car is all about poise and balance - visual and physical - and so the rear overhang has also been extended. The shoulders continue rearward to form a wedge shape, culminating in a discreet spoiler on the lid of the square-ish, 378-litre boot. The wraparound LED, taillights are quite distinguished but the most impressive features of the rear end are the four oval tailpipes, diagonally stacked, in pairs. Overall, the IS-F declares its intentions and capabilities without resorting to brashness.



Inside, you get the same impression - although the large, silver, carbon-fibre-effect surround to the gearshift and most of the high, central tunnel, is a little overstated. But, if that is your only complaint - and it will be - then it's not much to be bothered about. Besides, its effect is subdued by the metallic-effect, centre console and the whole forms the cabin's focal point. The rest is a mix of perforated and smooth black leather in typical Lexus style.

As befits a performance car, the front seats of the Lexus IS-F have larger bolsters compared to the rest of the range. Both have 8-way, powered adjustment, including lumbar support and memory settings. To compliment this, the steering column also has powered rake and reach-adjustment. It seems as if everything is made as easy as possible so you can just enjoy the drive, beginning with the keyless-entry and start.

Luxurious comfort is assured and even the rear passengers are afforded plenty of support and more than enough legroom, while the drop-down, centre armrest can be pushed up for extra shoulder room.

The general feel and ambiance of the IS-F alone warrants the price tag. But when you factor in all the technology that works away, unseen, the car is nothing less than a bargain and more worthy of a £60-70,000 asking price.



And then there's the engine; a performance-tuned, 5.0-litre, V8 - hence all the cooling ducts and domed bonnet. The engine and component specifics are too technical and intense to go into here, but I will skim some highlights off the top. For instance, although it is a large engine, it is all aluminium and therefore lighter; the camshafts are hollow and carry oil to the cylinder heads and, we are told, that the crankshaft journals are polished to a 'mirror-finish'. All we need to know is that the end result is a reduction in friction between the moving parts and a quiet engine, unless your foot on the drive-by-wire accelerator deems otherwise. Justifiably proud, Lexus claims that it is one of the most sophisticated V8 engines in the world.

A proposition one is bound to agree with, when you realise that the 0-62mph time of just 4.8 seconds is not hypothetical and the top speed, which is limited to 168mph, is easily achievable, given the right circumstances.

And the right circumstances for us lesser mortals, who don't have unfettered access to a test track, is any road heading out of town. For sure you have to play by the rules but even within these constraints, the Lexus IS-F shows its colours.

It invites you to come and play with 423PS, which peaks at 6,600rpm, just before the red line at 6,800rpm, and share in the fun of 505Nm of torque at 5,200rpm. Ninety percent of that is available at 3,500rpm, and that's without the aid of a super- or turbocharger, although it does have a fancy, dual-air intake system to help with the breathing.

Imagine you had around £33,000 to spend and a penchant for sports coupes. Would you go for the Mercedes Benz CLK200, perhaps an Audi A5 2.0TFSI S-Line, or even a BMW 325i M-Sport?

All are fast, comfortable and loaded with technology, which is no bad thing but here's one for the purists - the Lotus Europa SE. Priced at £32,995 plus all the bits and pieces, what it lacks in perceived social graces, it more than makes up for in fun, seat of the pants driving.

I say that it's one for the purists but unlike the Lotus Elise, Exige and totally manic 2-Eleven, the Lotus Europa is quite a softy and is placed at the end of the scale marked 'armchair' sports car, in the Lotus scheme of things. It is an unfair label as the Lotus Europa is a far cry from an armchair on wheels. But then, all things are relative, although the traditionalists might not appreciate the electric windows, carpets, air conditioning and, shock-horror, an audio system with a form of Satellite Navigation.

What Lotus mean is that the Europa is more suited to everyday use. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, and take a look at the shapely exterior. Although the styling is not quite as extreme as some of the others from the same stable, it bears all the right hallmarks to verify its ancestry.

The broad, concave bonnet flares out to form the wheelarches that house the new, Fondmetal, high-performance, 17 inch alloys at the front (18 inch at the rear). The valley between frames the road ahead in an almost sensuous way as you sit in the low seat and it bears a non-aggressive face.

By contrast, the rear end is somewhat truncated with the centrally-placed, twin tailpipes forming a focal point and grille strips contained within curved design-lines. These are below the chunky tail-light clusters positioned at the outermost edges of the broad shoulders. In between is a spoiler, which forms part of the boot lid.

Yes, the Lotus Europa has luggage space worthy of the term 'boot'. But only just, as the 113-litre capacity will hold little more than a small suitcase or a holdall. For smaller items, there are three pockets each bearing evocative buckle fasteners one of which carries the handbook because there is no room inside for it.



Lifting the boot hatch also extends to cover the engine bay, which can also be seen through the closed rear windscreen. It is separated from the boot and cabin by strong bulkheads and a Perspex screen serves to reduce the noise into the cabin while allowing for some rear-view visibility, but not at night when the double reflections cause a distraction.

Because of the positioning of the engine, it needs a lot of cooling, as it doesn't have the immediate benefit of air being forced through the front grille. There is a front grille, but it needs augmenting by strip grilles within the air dams located rearward of the doors, on the bonnet and in the roof although the latter has a tendency to collect leaves.

Because of the low roofline, the Lotus Europa looks wider than it is. You come to realise this during parking manoeuvres, which are surprisingly easy to accomplish and, at the same time, town driving suddenly becomes a little less fraught. That said, during the test week, I did try to find an end bay in the multi-storey car park because the wide doors need quite a bit of space.
Getting in and out of the car requires a certain amount of athleticism and cannot be achieved with any decorum. It is a little easier for the passenger as they don't have a steering wheel to contend with. While getting in is relatively easy, getting out is at least a two-stage manoeuvre; one leg out, heave yourself onto the very broad sill, which is a good six inches higher than the seat squab, and try and look nonchalant as you stand up.



he inside of the cabin is sparse but not Spartan. As I said, there are carpets, a leather-covered fascia and snazzy, black and white striped leather bucket seats with matching panels on the doors. And they are bucket seats. Apart from fore and aft, there is no adjustment whatsoever - even the backrest doesn't move. The steering column is fixed; so one size fits all.

Once ensconced in the hard but hugging seat, you are suddenly aware that the sills take up more room than anticipated and your passenger has become your closest friend. Luckily there isn't much of a centre tunnel between the seats and, save for a bulge where the 6-speed manual gearbox is sited, it is no wider than the handbrake lever.

Interior storage is at a premium and amounts to no more than an open parcel shelf and another satchel-ette beside the gear shift. There is a little room behind the seats but not enough to warrant too much of a mention.

Once in, you realise just how close to the road your behind is, a feeling that will be familiar to those who have driven a kart. It is a little unnerving at first but also reassuring, as the cabin forms a cocoon around the driver. In front are two white-faced dials set into a small nacelle and a sporty steering wheel, that you feel should be made of wood like the gear-knob and not leather covered.

As mentioned, there are few frills and even the door mirrors are manually adjusted…from outside. Furthermore, there is no power steering as you find out when you pull away and slow speed manoeuvring is as effective as a Bull Worker. Safety measures run to ABS with servo-assisted Brembo brakes and that's it. As far as I can tell, there are no airbags and traction control isn't even an option.



So, why would you want to put yourself through all of this when there are a good few, more luxurious sports coupes on the market? Well, for a start none of them carry the Lotus badge that conjures up racing images, renowned engineering resulting in excellent ride and performance along with a sense of no-nonsense, serious fun.

And all of this is yours as soon as you press the start button and hear the engine fire up behind your head. It is not a large unit but the 4-cylinder, 2.0-litre, turbo-charged power plant does pack a punch. The power and torque outputs of 225PS at 5,700rpm and 300Nm at 4,000rpm, together with the 995kg bodyweight allows a top speed of 146mph and a 0-62mph sprint time of 5.4 seconds. It feels very much faster when you are that close to the ground.

The Lotus Europa's sporty suspension has been revised for even better handling and ride quality and, although it is firm, it isn't as brutal as some of this ilk and it takes speed bumps surprisingly well. Both the Lotus Europa and the Europa SE have race-car derived double wishbone suspension Bilstein dampers and Eibach springs - two more evocative names, that promise excellent control and behaviour.

The performance is delivered smoothly but is impressive nonetheless and the agility cannot be doubted as the car moves through fast corners and remains flat and composed. You just want to drive it.

The fuel consumption is pretty reasonable, too. The official figures are posted as: 21.1-, 36.7- and 28.8mpg for the urban, extra-urban and combined, respectively while 229g/km of CO2 is emitted from the tailpipes.

And that is what the Lotus Europa SE is all about. Impractical as it is, the Lotus Europa is a car that you could drive every day without getting tired of the snuggness of the cabin or the effort of getting in and out. A good entry into the world of Lotus, it is easy to drive in a relaxed manner and still take it to a track day at the weekend.