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BMW i3 EV revealed. It’s clever, but it’s not exactly pretty

The BMW i3 electric city car (pictured) has been officially revealed The BMW i3 – the first of BMW’s production ‘i’ electric cars – has finally been revealed at events in London, New York and Beijing as BMW plots its course to bring a premium electric city car to the world. Looking much like the original Mega City Concept, the i3 debuts a number of innovations from BMW – which are very clever – but it also debuts perhaps the worst looking BMW we’ve ever seen, with its incongruous lines, bulging bonnet, odd shapes on the flanks and slab-backed rear view. But what underpins the i3 is clever indeed, with a lightweight inner body made from carbon fibre and carbon fibre reinforced body panels providing the skin, all conspiring to make the i3 light – 1195kg, despite 25 per cent or so of that being batteries – and very rigid.

New Peugeot 208 engine options confirmed

2012 Peugeot 208 Engines Confirmed The engine line-up for the new 2012 Peugeot 208 has been confirmed for the UK with a choice of five diesel and five petrol engines. It’s been a couple of months since the 2012 Peugeot 208 was revealed, but Peugeot has finally confirmed the extensive engine line-up for the 2012 208, and unsurprisingly the focus is on economy and emissions, with four of the diesel engines available hitting the increasingly uncredible 99g/km, and the smallest petrol engine managing the same feat. The 68bhp 1.4 litre diesel manages to be very frugal when it comes to emissions – especially with stop-start fitted – with emissions of just 87g/km and an average of 83.1mpg.

Honda introduces dual-clutch hybrid transmissions

Honda explained its three new hybrid transmission options on Monday. There's one for small cars, one for plug-ins and one high-performance unit, which we assume will be in the next Acura NSX. Amazingly, none are continuously variable.