Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid (2013) will cost £50k

Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid will cost £50k The Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid will start production in 2012 with 1,000 cars, each likely to cost around £50,000. We really like the Volvo V60, and despite our general antipathy towards hybrid platforms – particularly in smaller cars – we also really like the idea of the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid. With its 4WD – thanks to something Volvo call ERAD (Electric Rear Axle Drive) – and 2.4 litre diesel working with an electric motor producing 70 horses, the V60 plug-in can offer the best of both worlds – economy and performance – albeit at a price.

Want to be a Racing Driver? Fiat’s Abarth could have the answer

Win the chance to be a racing driver with Abarth It’s every boy’s dream to be a racing driver and get behind the wheel of a race car for real, and Abarth - the go-faster bit of Fiat – may just be able to give you a leg-up in the right direction. Abarth are running a competition to find new racing drivers, with the winners of the competition being taken off to a 10-day camp to be assessed by motorsport coaches and helped by race car instructors. If you want to take part you’ll need to be over 18, not a professional driver already and willing to jump through a few hoops to get the chance to win a place at camp, and ultimately take part in a proper race at Monza.

Automakers try to stop increase in ethanol limit to 15 percent of gasoline

Automakers are seeking to head off an EPA ruling that would allow gasoline to contain 15 percent ethanol, up from 10 percent now, and they've won some bipartisan congressional support. The two main automaker industry lobbies have argued that the U.S. Department of Energy has done insufficient testing to assure that gasoline containing up to 15 percent ethanol won't harm vehicles.