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.

Watch: Ford Fiesta Rallycross car showcased in Detroit

The Ford Fiesta ST and the streets of Detroit and Belle Isle are the stars of this promotional video released on June 26 by Ford Racing to help promote the ongoing bid of organizers who are hoping to lure the X Games to the Motor City in 2014. Detroit is one of four finalists for the 2014 X Games, along with Austin, Texas; Charlotte, N.C., and Chicago. An announcement is expected late this summer as to which of the three cities will be awarded the three-year run of Summer X Games.

Porsche GT3 RSR updated for 2009

The venerable 911 continues to succeed in great part because Porsche lavishes so much love and care on it. Constantly developed, and used to race in the real world, the Porsche 911 is the most perfect example of ‘Motoring Evolution’. One big area Porsche utilises to develop the constant progression of the 911 is its racing teams and cars.