Sporty's Sp200 Hand-held Nav/com on 2040-parts.com

July 23: Planning for the trip

Having an EV with a range of 50-70 miles sometimes requires innovation. It certainly requires some planning. Today I had to drive 83.7 miles for, of all things, a ride in the Oscar Meyer Wienermobile.

Italdesign Giugiaro debuts electric Clipper MPV

The Volkswagen T-ROC wasn't the only Geneva Motor Show concept unveiled this week that uses the Golf platform, Italdesign Giugiaro unveiled an MPV concept that managed to turn quite a few heads. Italdesign is owned by Volkswagen, so this design and engineering exercise seemed like a no-brainer, allowing the company to show off an extra concept car in an entirely different wrapper. The Clipper an all-wheel drive six-seat MPV sitting on the MQB platform, which Volkswagen is keen to expand beyond the Golf and the next-generation Scirocco, and it features two electric motors producing 149-hp each, one for each axle.

2013 Astra Cabrio caught on video

We have video of the 2013 Opel / Vauxhall Astra Cabriolet on video ahead of its debut at the Paris Motor Show. We’re guessing that even though the 2013 Astra Cabriolet (which will arrive as both the Vauxhall and Opel Cabrio) is due to debut at the Paris Motor Show next month, it won’t be in showrooms until the spring – just in time for another miserable summer. Ahead of that debut, GM Europe are out at the Nurburgring making sure their new soft-top doesn’t wibble wobble too much, resulting in the spy video below.