On display at this year's LA Auto Show is a Nissan Altima Hybrid racecar aimed at pleasing the eco-radicals of California, and the folks over at Autoblog Green. The car was first released at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, but the LA crowd is really more up its alley. This Altima is a direct result of the team at Braille Battery pairing up with Nissan North America and Universal Technical Institute. The "Hot Rod Hybrid," as it's called, is a construction aimed at competing in the new hybrid/electric class of the Redline Time Attack series. There are also plans to give it a run in the 2009 Cannonball Run/One Lap of America event. We know the car will be in good hands, too. Driver Blake Fuller is experienced with both front- and rear-wheel-drive vehicles, as exemplified by his finishes in the Pike's Peak hill climb and Formula D drifting events.
LA Auto Show 2008: Braille Battery Nissan Altima Hybrid time attack hot rod
BMW insider reveals details about ‘green’ supercar based on M1 Homage
Despite BMW not having built a true supercar for 30 years since its original M1 model, a "high ranking insider" at the firm insists management is trying to reinvent its performance image with a new 'green' supercar based on the wild M1 Homage concept revealed earlier this year.
BMW is reportedly studying the viability of the project, with the ultimate goal to create a two-seater sports car that showcases all of firm’s most sophisticated environmental technology, with a view to releasing it for a limited production run at the end of 2012.
Porsche Cayenne GTS Accessories From JE Design
JE Design is known mostly as a VW and SEAT tuner. But here they give the Porsche Cayenne a go and this is the lux-tuner level achieved with this makeover.
The tuning package is wheels, optics and suspension with no engine work in the mix. But the package does lend to superior performance with the front and rear skirts providing a better aerodynamic flow and the lowered suspension a more nimble handling.
Karl Abarth tribute: Fiat 500 Abarth "DA O A 100"
Another day, another Fiat 500 variant that we Americans can drool over knowing we can't get it here in the States. This one is special, though, as it was designed to commemorate Karl Abarth's 100th (born on November 15, 1908) birthday. Not just a styling exercise, the Fiat 500 Abarth "DA O A 100" tribute comes with an upgraded 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Acceleration to sixty takes just 7.3 seconds, helped along by shortened gear ratios while its top speed is now 131 miles per hour. Suspension bits are revised as well, with lowered springs and new 17-inch alloys fitted with low-profile Pirelli PZero Neros.
First Drive: 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid
It's probably best to call the new Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid a mild, rather than full, hybrid, because it can't propel itself on electrical power alone. In other words, the BlueHybrid is not powered by the two-mode system co-developed with GM for big SUVs, which will be an option for the M-Class next year. This is a smaller, cheaper system designed to be scaleable across all Mercedes car lines.
Despite its comparative simplicity, the S400 BlueHybrid's gasoline and CO2 savings are significant: some 21% in the European test cycle, compared with the regular V-6 S350. It's also quieter at rest and more muscular in real-world acceleration. There's very little penalty over the standard V-6 in terms of weight -- just 170 lb -- and none at all in passenger or luggage accommodation or payload.
