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Volkswagen XL Sport Concept gets Ducati power: Paris 2014

The Volkswagen XL Sport Concept (pictured) gets Ducati power The Volkswagen XL 1 may well be an impressive ‘Supercar’ (that’s super-economical, rather than plain ‘super’), but it’s a daft amount of money and, unless you’re trying to make a ‘Green’ statement, not for everyone. But this Volkswagen XL Sport Concept is a more appealing car – both visually and mechanically – as VW take the XL 1 and rework it in to a sports car with a little help from Ducati. Because under the skin of the XL Sport lies a 197bhp V2 that’s come from Ducati (just as we reported a year ago) and delivers 197bhp through a seven-speed dual-clutch ‘box, with a reduction gear between engine and gearbox to boost torque, revs to 1,000 rpm and can get to 62mph in 5.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 157mph.

Better Place Electric Car visitor centre opens

Better Place have opened a visitor centre in Israel to demonstrate their battery swap technology for electric cars Last October we wrote about a start-up company in Israel – Better Place – that had a new way forward for electric cars by taking the purchase of battery packs out of the equation, and was developing a system for ‘Battery Swap’ stations where electric car owners could drive in and swap their battery pack for a fully-charged one in a few minutes. That story first brought to our attention our favourite quote of last year – by Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn – who said “A hybrid is like a mermaid: if you want a fish, you get a woman; if you want a woman, you get a fish.” Which probably explained why Nissan – and its partner Renault – got involved with Better Place. Better Place aims to address the main concerns of electric car drivers by making the battery packs in electric cars ‘swappable’.

Lamborghini Veneno Roadster gets its public debut on an Aircraft Carrier in Abu Dhabi

The Lamborghini Veneno Roadster (pictured) debuts in Abu Dhabi Depending on your point of view, the Lamborghini Veneno Roadster is either the summit of Lamborghini’s extreme cars or a cynical exercise to milk cash from those with more money than sense. An open-topped version of the equally cynical Lamborghini Veneno Coupe, Lamborghini say the Roadster has the aerodynamic efficiency of a racing prototype thanks to its perfect airflow and downforce and its stiff and light CFRP monocoque and body panels. But at £3.35 million, the Veneno Roadster costs ten times the equivalent – and just as quick – Aventador Roadster, so you’re paying a huge premium for one of the nine Veneno Roadsters Lamborghini are planning to build in 2014.