Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

Lotus's new 2010 Elise dips below 150g/km of CO2

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 09 April 2010 07:53 The new facelifted 2011 model year Lotus Elise has cut its CO2 output by nearly a fifth to a saintly 149g/km.It's a 16% improvement over the outgoing Lotus Elise S and Hethel claims 'the Elise has the lowest CO2 for its performance level for any gasoline sports car in the world.' Lotus is getting combative with the new Elise, pointing out that the Elise weighs just 876kg – while the Porsche Boxster sends the scales spinning to 1334kg.So how come the new Lotus Elise is so clean?The aerodynamics are 4% smoother, according to Lotus, while a smaller Toyota 1.6-litre VVT-i engine is downsized by 200cc compared with the outgoing 1.8, yet produces the same power.The new 2011 model year (but on sale now in 2010) shows the benefits of lightweight: it'll hit 60mph in 6.0sec.

Renault Zoe EV: Price from £18k plus £70 a month battery lease

Price and specifications revealed for the Renault Zoe EV which will start at £18k for the Zoe Expression plus an extra £70 a month for battery lease. The Nissan LEAF may be the best-selling electric car in the world, but it’s still an insignificant speck on the car sales landscape. But Nissan hope sales of electric cars will get a boost with the more ‘affordable’ Renault Zoe EV.

Audi A7 Concept leaks out

Audi has put out a car to fill just about every niche there is, and very successfully too, over the last few years. But it has rarely been an innovator, preferring to see how the water is before jumping in. The Audi Q7 and the Audi Q5 are good examples of this – late to the party but going to the top of the tree in no time.