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Car thieves shun 4x4s

By Nigel Wonnacott Motor Industry 01 July 2008 11:36 Greens hate their CO2 emissions, campaigners may question their safety record and owners might be feeling the pinch at the pump. But 4x4s can claim at least one advantage over smaller cars; they are among the least likely types of car to be stolen. According to the latest Home Office Car Theft Index, just four in every thousand 4x4s and people carriers in Britain were stolen in 2006, compared to seven for Fiesta and Astra-sized cars.

Peugeot Unveils Hybrid Le Mans Racer

By Ben Whitworth Motor Industry 07 October 2008 13:03 Peugeot used the final round of this season’s Le Mans Series at Silverstone this weekend to show off its new hybrid-powered 908 HDi FAP racer, which features a similar kinetic energy recovery setup to next year’s Formula 1 system.The 908’s ‘HY’ undertook a number of demonstration laps in front of the packed grandstands and showed how Peugeot’s passenger car technology is filtering through to its motorsport activities.Over the weekend, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest – the company that runs the Le Mans series – announced a raft of aerodynamic and air-intake changes to next year’s regulations to even out the advantages of diesel over petrol. But rather frustratingly for Peugeot, there were no moves to incorporate hybrid powertrains in the 2009 season.But Peugeot claims that it will enter the 908 HY into next year’s Le Mans Series as a ‘Double Oh’ non-competitor to further evaluate the car’s hybrid technology.The HY’s layout comprises three key components - an 80bhp gear-driven electric motor-generator which replaces the conventional starter motor, 10 lithium-ion battery stacks to store the recovered power (six in the cockpit instead of the conventional battery and four on the left-hand side of the floor pan) and an electronic power converter, located in the rear part of the front left wing, which controls the flow of energy between batteries and motor.The result is a 3-5% mechanical energy recovery – and the associated economy and performance benefits. Over a single lap of Le Mans, for example, the system will recoup lost energy for up to 30seconds.This is then converted into a 20second 80bhp kick can either be meted out automatically by the car’s electronics to bolster acceleration throughout the lap or be selectively used by the driver using a ‘push to pass’ boost button.The additional and modified components add a further 65kg to the car’s weight, but Peugeot’s engineers claim the racecar will still easily meet the minimum regulated weight. “As a car manufacturer we can use motor sport as a research and development tool for the Peugeot brand as a whole,” said Michel Barge, Peugeot Sport’s director.

White Van Man 'worst for tailgating'

MOTORISTS should beware of White Van Man on their tail, according to a survey of thousands of accidents. Van drivers were 47% more likely to be involved in a crash when they were following other drivers too closely, the survey by AXA Business Insurance found. The survey also found van drivers were much more likely than other drivers to crash while reversing, doing a U-turn and changing lanes, while they were more liable than other road users to get tired or distracted.