Audi R8 China Edition: 80 cars – numbered 1-99

Audi has produced a limited run R8 China Edition with a total of 80 cars being produced in Blue and Grey numbered 1-99. Not only has Audi produced the China Edition R8, they’ve gone to some trouble to make it as appealing as possible to Chinese buyers by numbering the cars 1-99, but excluding any number ’4′. The number 4 is thought unlucky in China as it sounds like ‘si’, which means death.

Tesla Model S EV UK launch – Tesla considering patent giveaway

Elon Musk (pictured) launches RHD Model S in UK The electric Tesla Model S – probably the only electric car that makes sense – has finally been launched in the UK in right hand drive, with the first five Model S customers taking delivery of their cars. With a starting price of £50,280 (after the £5k taxpayer bribe) the Model S represents a real first for EVs; the first EV that can do pretty much anything an ICE car can, and more beside. With a range of up to 312 miles, seating for up to seven (well, 5+2), low running costs, great performance (0-60mph in 4.2 seconds) low service costs, no VED, no congestion charge and, at least until 2015, no BIK for business users, it’s not only almost as practical as a comparable ICE car it’s massively cheaper to run.

Lotus lusts after Lutz?

Lotus seem to be pursuing Bob Lutz The Lotus five year plan calls for the track day cars to make way for much more substantial and upmarket cars to become the force at Lotus; a move to become the Aston Martin East Anglia. Probably the first obvious move in this plan was to grab Dany Bahar from Ferrari last year (and Ferrari designer Donato Coco) and now Lotus are casting their net again to snare some big names to drive them forward. Top of the list is almost-octogenarian Bob Lutz who retired from GM – but certainly not from business – last year.