05 Kawasaki Ninja Ex 500 Seat A6 on 2040-parts.com

McLaren 12C Concept showcases McLaren Special Operations (MSO) goodies

The McLaren 12C MSO Concept (pictured) highlights McLaren’s MSO upgrades Unless you’ve ever been and bought a supercar (or a high-end luxury car) new, you may not realise that the regular options list is just the starting point for individual customisation. In fact everyone, from Ferrari to Rolls Royce, will do pretty much whatever you want to your new car if your pockets are deep enough, and it’s a game – and a cash cow – McLaren are keen to make the most of. That’s why we had the extreme McLaren X-1 project a couple of years ago, but that went a lot further than most Mclaren buyers want to go with their new car.

Better Place Electric Car visitor centre opens

Better Place have opened a visitor centre in Israel to demonstrate their battery swap technology for electric cars Last October we wrote about a start-up company in Israel – Better Place – that had a new way forward for electric cars by taking the purchase of battery packs out of the equation, and was developing a system for ‘Battery Swap’ stations where electric car owners could drive in and swap their battery pack for a fully-charged one in a few minutes. That story first brought to our attention our favourite quote of last year – by Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn – who said “A hybrid is like a mermaid: if you want a fish, you get a woman; if you want a woman, you get a fish.” Which probably explained why Nissan – and its partner Renault – got involved with Better Place. Better Place aims to address the main concerns of electric car drivers by making the battery packs in electric cars ‘swappable’.

Hummer H3T (2008): first official pictures

By George Chapman First Official Pictures 07 February 2008 14:31 The new Hummer H3T will boast a five foot long flatbed rear. Shown at the recent Chicago Auto Show, this revised version is heavily based on the existing H3 and will be sold in North America, Europe and the Middle East. Unmistakably Hummer, the flagship H3T Alpha is powered by the same GM-sourced 300bhp 5.3-litre V8 that has proved so popular, albeit with an aluminium block to improve weight distribution.