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One Lap of the Web: Automotive feats of strength, stylish eBay finds and Australian speed limits

-- Like you, we've often wondered which vehicle would win in a tug of war: a Land Rover Defender, or a diesel Ram truck. And while we were wondering, some enterprising gents in the U.K. have actually gone out and done it.

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics gets green light +video

The BMW EfficientDynamics is set for production in 2013 Probably the biggest show stopper at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show was the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept, which offered a diesel hybrid setup withn two electric motors, M3 levels of performance and low emissions with 75mpg. In essence, a BMW M1 for the Eco generation. Since BMW revealed their Vision ED other premium car makers have joined the eco-supercar game and announced production of what amount to high-performance hybrids and/or electric cars. Mercedes has confirmed they are working on an SLS AMG E-Cell, with a working prototype already running around.

Jaguar hybrid cars due in 2013-14

Jaguar will launch its own hybrid vehicles soon after Land Rover, CAR can confirm. Parent company Jaguar Land Rover is developing battery-assisted hybrid versions for both brands but its strategy puts part-electric Land Rovers first on the launchpad in 2013.Hybrid Jaguars – set to include the XJ and XF, but eventually every model – are therefore likely to be on the market by 2013-2014, using a similar eight-speed ZF hybrid transmission to petrol-electric BMWs.The staggered roll-out of battery Jags and Land Rovers makes sense: heavy 4x4s have come in the firing line from green protestors who label them Chelsea Tractors. Hybrid Land Rovers will trim emissions and – in plug-in hybrid mode – enable even big bulky Range Rovers to drive in zero-emissions mode into central urban areas emitting nothing more unsaintly than an electric whir.So which Jaguars will go hybrid first?It's likely that the largest models such as the XJ will receive the hybrid power packs first; large cars reap the greater benefit and can more easily swallow the additional cost, put at around £10,000 in today's money.JLR's Midlands engineering bases in Whitley and Gaydon now employ 100 engineers in the expanding hybrid powertrain business unit launched 18 months ago.