1 1/2" X 6" Brass Pipe Nipple. 11/2" on 2040-parts.com

BYD E6 – Next Gen Electric Car battery technology

Chinese car maker BYD are using revolutionary battery technology in the BYD E6 The biggest problem with electric cars (or one of them, at least) is that the battery technology is not really up to the ambitions of car makers. Chevrolet’s Volt (aka Opel Ampera) is a good case in point. Tellingly, a Toyota tecchy referred to the science behind the Chevvy Volt as ‘Vaporware’, and the whole project is founded on the expectation that the technolgy will develop quickly enough to make the car a reality.

Mazda MX-5 Kuro Special Editions

Mazda has released yet another special edition MX-5 for the UK market in the guise of the Mazda MX-5 Kuro.  Yes, it’s yet another special edition MX-5, this time the Mazda MX-5 Kuro which comes as either a 1.8 litre soft top or a 2.0 litre Roadster Coupe. It seems the Japanese like the idea of ‘Black’ Special Edition cars as much as we do in the West (Kuro means black in Japanese), with the last ‘Kuro’ special being the Nissan Juke Kuro. But oddly Mazda are offering the MX-5 Kuro not just in black but also in Velocity Red Mica and Crystal White Pearlescent, with the ‘Kuro’ bits referring to the Brilliant Black roof, door mirrors and dark gunmetal 17″ alloys.

McLaren MP4-12C (2011): the full spec announced

CAR is at McLaren HQ in Woking, Berkshire, today to hear the full specification of the new company's new MP4-12C supercar.Scroll to our video player below for live footage broadcast straight from the event at McLaren Automotive. The video will begin at 10.30am GMT on Thursday 18 March 2010 and we'll upload the full video for playback as soon as it's ready. McLaren F1 drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button were on hand to talk about their experiences with the 12C – they drove it hard at Goodwood earlier this month – and you can read their thoughts at the foot of the page.