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Alfa Romeo Mito GTA (2009): first official picture

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 23 February 2009 09:19 Alfa Romeo has managed to squeeze a remarkable 240bhp from 1742cc in its new Mito GTA concept car. It's the hot hatch version of the Mito supermini and will form the centrepiece of the Alfa stand at next week's 2009 Geneva motor show.This is the first GTA since the musclebound 147. GTA stands for gran turismo alleggerito  – and this pocket rocket version of the Mito has indeed been lightened and toughened up to give it some serious performance.

Tesla asks NHTSA to investigate fires

In response to concerns following a recent accident which appeared to result from road debris damaging the underside of a battery compartment of a Tesla Model S, causing a fire in the engine compartment, the company has announced that it has requested that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conduct a full investigation into the fire incidents. In a blog post, Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote the following about the investigation: "While we think it is highly unlikely, if something is discovered that would result in a material improvement in occupant fire safety, we will immediately apply that change to new cars and offer it as a free retrofit to all existing cars. Given that the incidence of fires in the Model S is far lower than combustion cars and that there have been no resulting injuries, this did not at first seem like a good use of NHTSA's time compared to the hundreds of gasoline fire deaths per year that warrant their attention." Tesla has also released a software update to the cars which will maintain their standard ride height at highway speeds, preventing the air suspension from lowering the car an extra inch at highway speeds for greater aerodynamic efficiency.

Audi TT Clubsport Quattro concept car (2007): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 16 May 2007 04:20 Audi TT Clubsport Quattro: the full lowdown Inspired by the Porsche 356, Audi has lopped the top off its TT Roadster to make this speedster version of its two-seater. The TT Clubsport Quattro, unveiled today in Austria, is a concept car to show how far the TT brand can be stretched, but officials freely admit that they are considering a limited production run. It's a TT like no other, squashed and squat, flattened to create a low-slung sports car for those living in dry climates where the occasional rain storm isn't a worry.