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Electric car world record on single charge – but it’s pointless

The Japanese Electric Vehicle Club did 632 miles in this Electric Daihatsu Mira Van When car endurance records are set they feel relevant only if they are real-world records. Records set by a car you can buy doing something you could do. A bit like Tom Ford’s run to Munich and back in a BMW 320d ED last week when he managed over 1,000 miles on a single standard tank of fuel.

New details on Mercedes' Porsche 911 fighter

Mercedes-Benz's AMG performance-car division is forging ahead with development of its new twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 powered sports car, nine months before it is scheduled to be revealed at the 2014 German Grand Prix. Known to insiders by its code name, “C190” the two-seat coupe has been conceived to follow in the wheel tracks of the four-year-old SLS at the head of the German carmaker's lineup, aiming to challenge the heady performance and everyday driving appeal of the latest Porsche 911 Turbo at a price that insiders suggest will be in the region of $160,000 when North American sales begin in early 2015. Originally, AMG's new front-engined sports car was tipped to revive the iconic SLC name first used by the SL coupe back in 1971.

Meet the 214-mpg Volkswagen Twin-Up concept

Ahead of a Tokyo motor show debut, VW is showing off the Twin-Up concept. Essentially an advanced version of the company's entry-level Up supermini, the Twin-Up runs a modified version of the plug-in diesel-electric hybrid driveline used in the high-tech XL1 for spectacular claimed combined consumption of 214 mpg on the Euro combined cycle along with a zero-emissions electric range of 31 miles. The Twin-Up name alludes to the new car's twin drive sources.