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

Tesla ‘drops’ entry-level Model S. But was it ever going to be available?

The 40kWh version of the Tesla Model S is being dropped by Tesla in the US, but we do wonder if Tesla ever had any intention of delivering it in the first place. Tesla’s big claim ahead of the arrival of the, very impressive, Model S – and a seemingly vital part of the US taxpayer funding Tesla to develop the Model S – was that they would deliver a car that cost under $50k, something the car industry thought impossible. But when the Model S was launched, Tesla did indeed have an entry-level model available with a 4okWh battery that was listed at $58,750 (taking it almost down to the $50k mark after the US taxpayer chipped in the EV bribe) so Elon Musk could, quite reasonably, claim Tesla had delivered.

Nissan confirms IDx for production

Nissan will produce at least one of the IDx concepts shown at the Detroit auto show. Vice president Andy Palmer said at the show, “Don’t say that we won’t do both, but we will definitely do one of them.” That statement confused us a bit, especially with the positioning of Nismo as upgraded versions of the company’s normal cars. Surely, the Freeflow could be repainted and improved into a Nismo version.

Rolls-Royce Wraith (2013) first official pictures

This is the Rolls-Royce Wraith, an imperious super-coupe that will debut today at the 2013 Geneva motor show. It’s the most powerful model Rolls-Royce has ever built, and the price befits that status: the Wraith costs £250,000. Just how much power does the Rolls-Royce Wraith need to be the most powerful model in this posh British marque’s history?