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Electric Smart (EV) to go in to production

The Smart electric car is to go in to limited production after recent trials You won’t be surprised to learn that after Mercedes 10% stake in Tesla that it is Tesla who are to provide the batteries for the second generation Smart Electric Car. With this technology in place, the Smart EV gets a greater range, shorter charging times and better performance. The press release is big on quotes about the wonders of the Smart Electric, as you would expect.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster arrives with 565bhp – the quickest Aston Roadster ever

The new Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster arrives The Aston Martin V12 Vantage S – revealed in 2013 – has lost its roof and turned in to the quickest open-top car Aston Martin has ever produced. The Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster gets the same 5.9 litre V12 as the tin-top model, which means a 0-60mph of 3.9 seconds (0-62mph 4.1s) and a top speed of 201mph, both figures just below the coupe but enough to make this the fastest production Aston Roadster ever. The V12 engine also offers delicious lumps of torque, with 457lb/ft – and most of that available almost from tickover – all delivered to the back wheels through the Graziano 7-speed automated manual ‘box.

Honda back in F1 as engine supplier to McLaren from 2015

We reported that Honda were looking likely to be heading back in to F1 as engine supplier to McLaren nearly two years ago, and this morning Honda has confirmed they have formed a joint project with McLaren to supply engines and energy recovery systems to McLaren from 2015 in a joint project with the McLaren team becoming McLaren Honda. The new F1 partnership revives a very successful period for McLaren when it last used Honda engines and Prost and Senna dominated F1 with Honda powered McLarens, and fits in nicely with Honda’s return to making supercars with the new Honda NSX. Formula One engines will drop to a 1.6 litre V6 in 2015 – with a turbo – and it will be very easy for parallels to be drawn with the V6 hybrid plant Honda are using on the new NSX, which is going to do its credibility no harm whatsoever.