Pininfarina B0 at the Paris motor show 2008

By Guy bird Motor Shows 08 October 2008 11:18 The Pininfarina B0 (that's ‘B-zero’, not body odour) was one of the hidden gems of the 2008 Paris motor show. The full electric vehicle is arguably the first EV you’d actually want to buy for its design. By late 2009 you will be able to – almost unchanged from this show car – for circa £18,000, with plans for mass production to follow.

Hennessey-tuned Ford GT does a 235.1-mph Texas two-step

A few times a year, some of the fastest and most powerful cars meet in Texas for an adrenaline-filled weekend of top-speed runs called the Texas Mile. The high-performance machines have one mile of arrow-straight runway to get the highest top speed at the one-mile marker. It was the right mix of conditions for Mark Heidaker and Sean Kennedy, who drove their twin-turbocharged Ford GT to a top speed of 235.1 mph down the runway into a decent headwind of 20 mph.

Hyundai ix-Metro, first hybrid and electric car

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 04 September 2009 00:01 Hyundai is taking aim at Nissan's Qazana with its new ix-Metro concept car at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show. The compact utility vehicle is one of a burgeoning number of small 4x4s in the pipeline – and is set for production within two years. The Hyundai ix-Metro will drop its BL/Rover inspired name and instead adopt the ix-15 or ix-25 moniker when production starts, slotting in neatly under the new, Tucson-replacing ix-35.