Nissan’s EV onslaught continues with Townpod

Nissan’s Townpod will be the company’s third electric vehicle (a battery-powered version of the NV200 commercial vehicle will slot in after the Leaf) and is slated for a late 2012 arrival in the UK. Looking remarkably like a character from Pixar’s Cars film, the Townpod takes the lithium-ion battery-powered drivetrain of the Leaf and cloaks it in urban friendly sheetmetal. The long wheelbase and zero overhangs results in a huge cabin, accessed by some trick doors – rear-hinged rear doors and a vertically split rear door.

Volkswagen goes mad in Las Vegas

By Alex Fuller First Official Pictures 02 November 2006 03:33 R GTi: the lowdown VW has cooked up two hotter Golf GTis for the SEMA tuning show: the 225hp Thunder Bunny and 375hp R GTi. This mean hatch is the R GTi, which gets a big helping of carbonfibre to shave off weight and a huge power upgrade. The 197bhp 2.0-litre’s stock turbo makes way for a bigger blower, yielding 375hp.

NHTSA opens investigation into Ford Taurus throttle issue

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched a preliminary investigation into claims of the throttle sticking open on the Ford Taurus from the 2005-06 model years. NHSTA says there are 14 claims of a stuck throttle in the Taurus, possibly because of the cruise-control cable becoming detached. No injuries have been reported.