1980 Audi 5000s Diesel Road Test Reprint By Road&track on 2040-parts.com

Porsche opens order books for 918 Spyder (2011)

We already know that Porsche is going to build its stunning 918 Spyder, but today the German sports car company has opened the order book, confirmed some technical highlights, and announced when and where the hybrid supercar will be built. Where do we begin? Okay, let’s have the Porsche 918 Spyder’s technical spec first please… The hard stats first: the 918 Spyder will sprint to 62mph in 3.2 seconds or less, and will top 199mph.

Lotus Exige S (2011) at Frankfurt motor show

This is the new Lotus Exige S, just unveiled by CEO Dany Bahar at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show. And it might not be the sort of Lotus Exige you were expecting: this new S model now runs the supercharged 3.5-litre V6 from the Evora S, meaning it not only boasts 35% more power than before, but it is also 191kg heavier. Lotus Exige S: the spec Lotus’s long-held mantra has been ‘add lightness’, but Bahar’s future plans call for models to rival the 458, the California and the Rapide, essentially bigger cars with bigger engines.

Bentley Hybrid setup works across Bentley’s range of engines

You’ll be able to have a hybrid powertrain across Bentley’s range of engines With car makers increasingly hidebound by ever more stringent economy targets, even makers of the world’s most expensive, luxury cars are having to play ball. Which explains why Bentley has decided to go the hybrid route for their cars, with the debut of the Bentley Hybrid, a Mulsanne with the 6¾ litre V8 under the bonnet aided by an electric motor and a bank of batteries, at the Beijing Motor Show. It seems the Bentley hybrid solution – which is claimed to increase power by 25 per cent and improve emissions and economy by 70 per cent – is very similar to that used across the VW Group range, with an electric motor between the engine and transmission fed by a bank of batteries.