Toyota Sienta 2004 Right Fender Panel [2810600] on 2040-parts.com

Mini E Racer (2010) takes on the Nurburgring

In these days of 7min laps, rounding the Nurburgring in 10min hardly classes as electric. Unless you’re in a Mini E. A battery-powered baby BMW driven by ex-DTM racer Thomas Jäger turned in a 9m52 lap, hitting a heady – but presumably near silent – 116mph on the way.

Spyker attempting to sell Saab real estate in money-raising move

The next chapter in the Saab cash crunch appears to involve Spyker selling Saab real estate to an unnamed financial institution, with the automaker leasing the property back for its operations. Saab has been forced to shut down production twice in the past few weeks in the wake of unpaid supplier bills, raising concerns that Dutch owner Spyker may be facing a liquidity crunch. The latest move is likely aimed at freeing capital for the automotive operations while the company negotiates for a loan with the help of the Swedish government.

Aftermarket Car Plug-In Hybrid system developed (video)

The Department of Engineering Technology at the Middle Tennessee State University has developed a plug-in hybrid retro-fit system for cars. As hybrid cars show the world that we can get more miles to the gallon from fuel by adding in an electric motor to the mix (depending on just how that electricity is generated, of course), it was inevitable that aftermarket solutions would eventually surface. Now, the Department of Engineering Technology at the Middle Tennessee State University has popped up with what they claim is an after market plug-in hybrid system that can be added to just about any car and would cost – assuming it gets to market – around £2,000.