Factory Effex Evo Series Graphic Kits 20-01270 on 2040-parts.com

Aston gets ultra-quick paddleshift

By Phil McNamara Motor Industry 28 September 2006 06:35 Aston Martin today unveils a new, Ferrari-style paddleshift transmission for the V8 Vantage. Dubbed Sportshift, the automated manual promises gearchanges in less than 200millisec, faster than you can swap cogs with the six-speed manual. Developed over the past 18 months with Magneti Marelli, the electro hydraulic six-speed box has numerous modes.

Peugeot 208 Hybrid FE (2013) at Frankfurt motor show

Here’s Peugeot’s salvo in the fight to make cars more economical: the 208 Hybrid FE. The supermini concept can achieve a claimed average of 112mpg (and a maximum of 141mpg), and emits only 49g/km of CO2. Peugeot is especially keen to point out it’s a conventionally shaped supermini with five seats, unlike VW’s own super-frugal XL1, which looks decidedly sci-fi in comparison, but has a smaller boot than a Ferrari 458… The 208 FE is 25% slipperier and 20% lighter than a regular 208, but that’s only part of the reason it allegedly achieves such eye-opening numbers at the pumps.

Classic Lamborghini video surfaces

The Lamborghini of today is a far cry from the Lamborghini of old. Starting life as a tractor maker, Lamborghini cars came in to being when Ferruccio Lamborghini complained to Enzo Ferrari about the clutch on his new Ferarri. The dismissive response was that “the fault is with the driver, not the car”, and so was born Ferruccio Lamborghini’s resolve to build a car to take on the might of Marenello from his factory in Sant’Agata (incidentally, when Lamborghini took apart the transmission in question, he discovered is was the same unit he was currently building in to his tractors!).