Mazda Celebrates Miata’s 20th Anniversary At Le Mans

Sweet Jesus, has it been 20 year already? Yeah, yeah I guess it has. I remember in 1989 I was working for an aircraft manufacturer. There were four car guys in the office, including me. At the time, an ongoing topic of conversation was something along the lines of: “Why doesn’t Honda/some other Japanese car company take one of their four cylinder engines and sit it in a two door convertible body?”

And one day I walked into the office with the latest AutoWeek in my hands, dropped it on the conference room table and said, “Bob, Ernie. Take a look at this!”

There on the cover was a red, two-seat convertible that looked a LOT like a Lotus Elan. It was called the Miata, and would soon be hitting the showrooms of Mazda dealers throughout North America. A quick read of the captions told you all you needed to know:

Rear wheel drive

Two seats (and NO back seat, not even a jump seat)

Independent suspension

Disc brakes all around

1.6 four cylinder with four valves per and fuel injected

Folding top with a zip out rear window

“What’s up with the name?” asked Ernie

“Dunno. Old German word meaning something or other.”

“How Much?” asked Bob.

“Twenty thousand.”

“Really,” they both said in unison.

“Yeah … really … “.

And that was it.

A little over two years later, I was in a red 1990 package B Miata on my way rapidly south, down the Pacific Coast Highway, with a group of five other Miatas from the local chapter of the Miata Club of America. We were invitees of Mazda of North America to attend the Monterey Historic Races at Laguna Seca, a track I hadn’t been to since I was 11 years old, when I saw a Can Am race with my dad & brother.

On Friday night we were on our way back to the track from an early dinner at the Hog’s Breath Inn in Carmel (great French onion soup BTW), and up and over the twistys from the coast inland, the group of us happened upon a long white limo. I was number three or four in line, and about a quarter mile after he came up on them, the limo pulled over and we passed, each of us waiving our hands in thanks.

We get to the track, and head to the infield tent that Mazda had set up. They were showing their up-coming third-gen RX-7 to the press and the car crowd over the weekend. We were there for about 20 minutes when I noticed Bill, the guy who was our point driver when we passed the limo, talking with 4 Japanese guys, so I wander over.

“Hey Tony, these were the guys that were in that white limo,” Bill said.

“Oh really? Thanks for letting us by.”

“It was no problem,” said the youngest of the bunch in Japanese-accented English. “It would be a shame to slow you down on a road such as that.”

“No kidding. So what are you guys doing here?” I motioned to include the tent.

“We are the design team for the new RX-7″ he said, gesturing to the white, pre-production model RX sitting next to one of the original Mazda Cosmos.

“You ARE? That’s great!”

“How do you like our Miata?” he asked very politely.

“Like it? I love it! I grew up in a British car family and-” he cut me off with a half- suppressed laugh.

“Ah, I to had MANY Austin-Healy Sprites when I was young man,” he said with a grin, half shaking his head.

Sweet Jesus, has it been 20 year already? Yeah, yeah I guess it has. I remember …

Hat tip to Carscoop

Flickr photo from user Boats-n-cars

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It is reported that Lotus Cars USA will immediately begin selling the Lotus Elise Purist Edition with pricing to start at $43,995. The Elise Purist Edition comes with Sport Pack along with options found on the Touring Pack (without the leather door inserts and iPod interface). Separately, the Touring Pack costs an extra $1,600 and bring the base price of the Elise up to $48,850.
The Lotus Elise Purist Edition will continue to employ Lotus lightweight theme with a fiberglass body structure and an aluminum chassis. It also features an independent suspension system and Brembo brake calipers.
Power comes from a mid-mounted 1.8L 4-cylinder with multipoint fuel-injection making 190-hp. It is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission.

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The first electromobile Chrysler becomes Dodge Circuit

It seems that Dodge Circuit has won competition among prototypes which could receive honour to become the first electromobile Chrysler. And though the official statement yet was not, in plans of the manufacturer there was already «an electric roadster», as a part of a ruler of cars of 2010.

Constructed on the basis of superficial Lotus Europa and using the parts of the engine taken at UQM, кconcept more impressing result rather than new Dodge Challenger has shown even. Additional charm to it will give speed: drivers will receive the car dispersed from 240 to 320 km/h in hands. And, though the circle of buyers for the car which is dispersed to hundred less, than for 5 seconds, will be rather limited, the company asserts that investments into manufacture it is required less, than for any other sports electromobile. Besides, thanks to conformity to strict standards Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE), Circuit while will be out of competition.

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good looking cars are sexy enough to buy

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2008 Lotus Elise Pictures

2008 Lotus Elise

2008 Lotus Elise pictures

2008 Lotus Elise dashboard

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Detroit Electric & PROTON to Produce Electric Cars

Here’s is interesting news, Detroit Electric, an American car maker from a century ago and as the name implies, they made electric cars, is teaming up with PROTON, Malaysia’s largest carmaker and former owner of Lotus are teaming up to mass produce electric, roadworthy cars.

Did Tesla know about this? Or Chevy, with their Volt? A very curious and interesting development.

The plan goes like this Detroit Electric and PROTON (all caps, all the time) will produce and market full line of what they call “Pure Electric” vehicles in America, England, the European Union and China starting in 2010. Detroit Electric will be producing and integrating its patented electric drive systems into two Proton vehicle platforms under license from the Malaysian manufacturer, then marketing them under the Detroit Electric brand.

The deal not only has the backing of the PROTON & Detroit Electric boards, but also the blessing of the Malaysian government with the contract signing ceremony officiated by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Albert Lam, Detroit Electric’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, put it this way: “Today’s agreement with Proton will put Detroit Electric on the fast track to bring a full line of innovative, practical and affordable pure electric vehicles to the global market. We chose Proton due to its state-of-the-art production facility, commitment to research and development, cost efficiency, and stable, high-quality workforce.”

Albert Lam and the Detroit Electric people are aiming high with this venture. They are planning by 2012 to sell more than 270,000 Pure Electric Vehicles in Europe, UK, China and the United States. The vehicles target price is between $23,000 and $26,000 for the city range model and between $28,000 and $33,000 for the extended range model. The styling will be changed enough to distinguish the Detroit Electric cars from Proton’s existing line-up.

The vehicles will use Detroit Electric’s unique, patented electric drive system, greatly reducing the electric motor’s size and weight. Called Magnetic Flux Motor Technology and combined with well-proven Lithium Polymer Battery Technology allow pure electric vehicles to achieve a single-charge range of 111 miles for the city range model and 200 miles for the extended range model.

The Detroit Electric & Proton press release:

AFFORDABLE AND PRACTICAL PURE ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Detroit Electric to produce and market full line of innovative Pure Electric vehicles in US, UK, EU and China beginning 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, March 30, 2009: Detroit Electric Holdings Ltd and PROTON Holdings Berhad today announced a strategic partnership to mass produce Pure Electric Vehicles. Detroit Electric will integrate its patented electric drive systems into the vehicles.

Under the agreement, Detroit Electric will license two Proton vehicle platforms and contract the company to assemble the electric vehicles that will be marketed under Detroit Electric’s brand.

This agreement will provide Detroit Electric with its first manufacturing base. The announcement came at a signing ceremony officiated by Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

“Today’s agreement with Proton will put Detroit Electric on the fast track to bring a full line of innovative, practical and affordable pure electric vehicles to the global market,” said Albert Lam, Detroit Electric’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We chose Proton due to its state-of-the-art production facility, commitment to research and development, cost efficiency, and stable, high-quality workforce.”

By 2012, Detroit Electric plans to sell more than 270,000 Pure Electric Vehicles in Europe, UK, China and the United States. The vehicles will be priced between USD 23,000 and USD 26,000 for the city range model and between USD 28,000 and USD 33,000 for the extended range model. Styling changes will distinguish Detroit Electric’s vehicles from Proton’s existing line-up.

The vehicles will be based on Detroit Electric’s unique, patented electric drive system that greatly reduces the electric motor’s size and weight. The underlying Magnetic Flux Motor Technology and well-proven Lithium Polymer Battery Technology allow pure electric vehicles to achieve a single-charge range of 180km (111 miles) for the city range model and 325km (200 miles) for the extended range model.

Detroit Electric is in the final stage of setting up two subsidiaries: Detroit Electric Energy, which will produce the battery technology, and Detroit Electric Advanced Propulsion Lab, which will manufacture the motor and controller.

The Detroit Electric Advanced Propulsion Lab and Manufacturing Plant is targeted to be in Malaysia close to the vehicle assembly facilities of Proton. By 2012, the two production plants will produce more than 400,000 electric drive systems, creating thousands of jobs and supporting Detroit Electric’s internal demands as well as third-party OEM’s needs.

Proton, which currently produces a total of 270,000 vehicles of various models in Malaysia, edged out a host of international brands when its popular Persona was named Malaysia’s Best Model of the Year in the 2008 Frost & Sullivan ASEAN Automotive Awards. The company is also Malaysia’s largest investor in research and development, spending USD 1.2 billion (RM4.6 billion) between 1993 and 2003.

“We are proud to be able to integrate our electric drive systems upon one of the best cars out of Asia. Our customers around the world will enjoy the level of quality and comfort offered by Proton, an award-winning manufacturer,” said Lam.

Detroit Electric will be responsible for the homologation of the vehicles and for vehicle certification in the U.S. and European markets, where models are targeted to be sold in the first quarter of 2010 EU, UK, China and closely followed the US. Detroit Electric will assume all warranty and liabilities for the Electric Vehicles, while Proton will warranty the vehicle’s build and standard components.

“Our vehicles will be reliable, meet all quality and safety requirements, and quite simply outperform internal combustion engine vehicles of the same class. They will be affordable as we look at the competitive market and come without the polluting carbon emissions,” said Lam.

Today’s agreement also initiates the test and validation program in which Proton will evaluate Detroit Electric’s electric drive system with the intent to license the rights to distribute, market and sell vehicles under the Proton brand in Asia.

Detroit Electric is looking to repeat similar contract production partnerships with manufacturers in Europe and the United States. This will allow the company to extend its range of models very quickly to meet demand in the different automotive segments in these markets.

“When you are trying to redefine the automotive industry, you need to bring many partners along,” said Lam. “Our contract manufacturing business model will breathe new life into current manufacturers, leveraging existing unutilized global resources and accelerating the technological advancement of pure electric vehicles.”

On the current global downturn in automotive markets, Lam expressed confidence that Pure Electric Vehicles will attract a diverse base of consumers despite the tightening credit market, lowered consumer confidence, unstable oil prices and stricter fuel economy regulations.

“Our target audience are those who purchase practical and affordable vehicles. This makes our products fit the pockets of a very wide audience – from professionals and executives, to mothers, students and small business owners.”

-End-

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2009 Lotus Evora

2009 Lotus Evora

2009 Lotus Evora

2009 Lotus Evora

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ELECTRIC DODGE CIRCUIT

Auto Express Car Reviews

DODGE might be fighting for survival at the moment but if it does pull through it’s got an electrifying return to form planned. It hopes to shock rivals with a plug-in battery-powered sportscar, the Dodge Circuit, and we’re first to drive it.

You don’t need more than a casual knowledge of cars to spot the resemblance between the Circuit and an existing model. That’s because it’s based on the Lotus Europa. In fact, badges, grille and remodelled rear end aside, it’s an unchanged Europa. But where the British motor employs a turbo-charged two-litre petrol unit, the Circuit has a 200kW electric engine giving it a range between plug-ins of 150-200 miles. Situated over the rear axle, this engine is powered by lithium-ion batteries which lie along the floor in the space behind the seats.

As for the interior, apart from changing the badges and replacing the regular gear lever with three buttons marked ‘drive’, ‘neutral’ and ‘reverse’, it’s identical to the Europa. That means you have to be as nimble as a gymnast to slide over the wide sill and into the tight cockpit with any grace. Once inside, it’s hardly the most lavish environment. But as with other Lotuses the driving experience goes some way to helping you ignore that.

Twist the key and rather than an engine turning over you’re greeted with an unobtrusive whirr. Push the accelerator and it’s as if an invisible hand is propelling you along. As electric engines deliver all their torque in one lump wherever you are in the power band, you get a sizeable shove from behind at any legal speed. What little engine noise there is can’t compete as the velocity and therefore wind and road noise increase. But then as the motor reaches 3500rpm it moves into the second of its two phases to be accompanied by a whistle akin to a turbocharger.

It lends a slightly surreal edge to the whole experience, because the near silence of the power source is accompanied by serious speed. The electric engine and its batteries weigh 45kg more than the petrol unit they replace. But where that pumps out 222bhp, the electric version has the equivalent output to 268bhp. It makes the Dodge slightly quicker than a Europa and according to the US firm, a match in acceleration for any of its products other than the mighty SRT-10 Viper.

Dodge has left the Lotus’s suspension and steering alone. Dynamically the only change is to the weight distribution which is now 67 rather than 62 per cent towards the rear. But as this weight is mainly in batteries that are at floor level, the Europa’s handling remains finely honed.

Rival: Tesla Roadster

THE Tesla uses the Lotus Elise for its base and offers a choice of 185 and 212kW electric engines which give it Dodge Circuit-breaking performance. The downside is it’s very pricey.

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pictures and wallpapers of hot cars

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wallpapers of cars

These all are also wallpapers of sports cars, fast cars, super cars and so on. All this car wallpapers make excellent desktop wallpapers.

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Lotus Seven Martin

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Tesla Model S Update

Official word from Tesla concerning their upcoming, and highly anticipated (if not over-hyped) Model S sedan is out. For all of the eco love sent Tesla’s way over their sportscar, a lot of greens have expressed more interest and hopes on the Model S, due to a couple of very well founded concerns.

Basically, eco types and green oriented car people are really jazzed about Tesla’s first effort, the Roadster, but they did have some reservations. There were basically two: cost and practicality. It’s easy to get psyched about the Roadster when you read its specs, both those relating to performance, and also it’s range and the like, but that final spec, the one with the dollar sign attached, left a lot of people cold. Sure, it’d be nice to own a Tesla Roadster, but for $100K, you might as well put it in the “when I win the lottery” category.

The same can be said for The Roadster’s practicality, or lack there of. Since it’s essentially a Lotus Elise, it’s something you take out for a quick blast on a Sunday morning, and not the kind of car you take down the hardware store or Costco or to the airport to pick up the relatives when they come to visit.

Enter the Model S, what some would call Tesla’s first “serious” car. I have a tendency to agree with them. For me, it’s all about sportscars, and the Roadster is right up my alley, but for Tesla to become viable, and by extension, for fully electric cars to become viable, they are going to have to be much more prosaic and utilitarian. Bread and butter transportation needs must be met for cars like this to become the bread and butter income earners of any given manufacturer. And let’s face it, we are going to have to move towards that model (at least) to overcome some serious ecological problems that we face.

Tesla will unveil its Model S prototype sedan March 26 in Hawthorne, California at Tesla’s design studio inside the SpaceX rocket factory. No, seriously, inside not just a rocket factory, but the SpaceX rocket factory. Are they for real, or is this a shoot for the next Austin Power’s movie? Anyway, Tesla is calling this an ” … historic event for car enthusiasts” since the Model S will likely be the world’s first mass-produced, highway-capable EV when it rolls off the assembly line in late 2011.

OK, we’ll see about that. We’ll see if the Model S is that revolutionary, and as practical at the Tesla hype would have us believe.

One thing we do know for sure is that the Model S will be cheaper than the Roadster.

With an anticipated base price of $57,400, and after factoring in a federal tax credit of $7,500 the Model S will have an effective price of $49,900. No, not cheap, but at least cheaper. So that price is moving in the right direction, and hopefully in the future, etc etc etc.

Tesla goes further, stating “Because of tax incentives and relatively inexpensive maintenance and refueling, the lifetime ownership cost will be closer to cars with far lower sticker prices.”

Yes, that might be so, and that same line of reasoning has been used in the past with other higher end marques, but biting off and swallowing that initial $50K payment is going to be hard to swallow for a lot of people.

Tesla promises a lot more product details at the launch party, and they predict that “The Model S will become the car of choice for environmentally conscious and discriminating drivers throughout North America and Europe.” Time will tell, naturally, but it’s not hard to see a lot of Hollywood types buying Model Ss in droves. Outside of SoCal? Who’s to say?

As far as Tesla’s immediate plans for the Model S, they’re expecting to more or less split initial sales between America and Europe, and later expand into Asia.

Photo from Flickr user Irish Typepad

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REPORT: Lotus delays new Esprit to go hybrid

By: Noah Joseph

Nimble as they are, Lotus fans have been looking forward to something with a bit more oomph than the Elise/Exige/Europa series, and the Evora just didn't cut it. With the start of the new year, we thought we had come that much closer to the launch of the highly anticipated new Esprit. But the British sportscar-maker has moved the goalposts back, with new reports indicating that the re-Esprit may debut in 2011 instead of next year as originally planned.

The reason for the delay, according to emerging reports, is that Lotus is working to integrate some sort of mild hybrid system into its reborn GT. The system could be borrowed, along with its core powerplant, from BMW. A Lotus chassis with German power and regenerative braking may just be worth the wait.

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Aptera 2e Three Wheel Electric Car

Electric car, new Aptera 2e.It does look weird in some ways, but somehow it does have the dream design and technology pack inside it.Just take a look at that, a three wheel car?

Aptera 2e

I'm accelerating and cornering — hard — on three wheels, little wisps of tire smoke curling out of the slender front wheel pants as steering is cranked in and "throttle" applied. And no, I'm not in an early Volkswagen GTI that hikes up its inside rear tire. Rather, I've been given a drive in the Aptera 2e, a soon-to-be-produced electric vehicle whose shape is slipperier than a Teflon-coated salmon on glare ice, and whose composite construction offers both light weight and impressive structural integrity. Better yet, the 2e is scheduled to begin rolling off the Vista, California, assembly line this October for an as-yet-to-be-determined price between $25,000 and $40,000. Charge it overnight from your 110-volt home outlet, and it's claimed to have a range of 100 miles...in the carpool lane, if you wish.

Pie in the sky? Nope. The business model looks sound; nearly 4000 deposits have been placed (Robin Williams among the clientele), enthusiastic investors are locked in, and co-founders Steve Fambro and Chris Anthony have assembled a team that balances Detroit low-volume niche-production experience with California "anything is possible" attitude. Chief engineer Tom Reichenbach was formerly vehicle engineering manager for both Ford GT and Shelby GT500 programs; and CEO Paul Wilbur has a storied history at Ford, Chrysler and ASC. And Fambro, a biotech engineer and private pilot intrigued by his aircraft's composite construction, and Anthony, a composites specialist with a background in boat design and fluid dynamics, seemed predestined for this partnership.

But back to the Aptera itself. I'm in the pre-production prototype called Punch, so named for upholstery whose color matches that oft-spiked party drink. But the fabric's long gone, as Punch gets lots of track-testing duty and is tuned now with suspension settings and an a/c motor/controller that are nearing final production specs. With the rotary "shifter" clicked to D3, the most aggressive setting, it's responsive, easily modulated and reasonably quick: Reichenbach says 0–60 mph in under 10 seconds with a 90-mph top speed with its pack of lithium-phosphate-ion-"pixie dust" cells — that last part suggesting that their exact composition is a secret.

But flinging it around the streets near Aptera's headquarters, it seems quicker still, partly due to a go-kart-like agility that's carried off with a surprisingly civil ride. Adding to the feel is a view of the road rushing up at you (the base of the aircraft-evocative windshield plunges toward the pavement) and those wheel pants articulating with the inboard rocker-type front suspension, visible out of the dramatically forward-raked side windows. Steering and brakes are unassisted, but efforts are reasonable as the curb weight is only 1700 lb., about half the weight of a base Honda Accord.

Aptera 2e

Earlier, I rode with Reichenbach in another near-production prototype whose interior and exterior detailing is nearing final spec. Entering gracefully through the quasi-gullwing doors takes a few tries, but the door openings are large and once seated, the cabin width seems to split the difference between a Lotus Elise and a Toyota Corolla. There's a large hooded digital speedometer and bar-graph battery state-of-charge indicator, along with a central infotainment screen that offers mind- boggling possibilities. Leg- and head room were surprisingly generous for even my 6- foot-3 frame. And safety is preeminent in the Aptera's design — the final version will have both frontal and side airbags. And if there was any doubt about the strength of the composite construction, it was quelled as eight Aptera employees stood on the roof of a development shell. And that was after the shell had gone through government roof -crush testing!

It seems as if the future is here today...or at least come this October.

Source: Supercars

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Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce

Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce

It’s Geneva Motor Show time, and that means all of the Euro-goodies come out to play, and in this particular case, we have the Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce. It’s more powerful, lighter and faster, and as with all things Lamborghini, it’s styled as subtle as a flying mallet.

The new Murciélago, it’s full name is the Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce, is essentially a really powerful engine with some wheels and a body tacked onto it. Ever thus has it been this way at Automobili Lamborghini. In the SuperVeloce case, it brakes down like this: The output of the 6.5 liter V12 increased to 670 hp and a weight reduction of 220 lbs. gives the SuperVeloce a power-to-weight ratio of 5.1 lbs per pony. As you would imagine, the beast really scoots from zero to sixty. Actually, it makes it from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph, all figures are in metric at the moment) in 3.2 seconds, which is highly impressive for a car of the size and weight of your average Lambo. Top speed is around 342 km/h (212 mph). The Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce is going to be a limited run of 350-units

The SuperVeloce gets a redesigned front and rear, along with an innovative engine bonnet and a choice of two aerodynamic set-ups, featuring either a small or large rear spoiler. The interior is all Alcantara and carbon fiber, and goes for a real minimalist approach.

Lambo says, “With its outstanding performance, razor-sharp precision and exceptional high-speed stability, the Lamborghini Murciélago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce is the ultimate performance car for advanced sports car drivers.” But that sounds like something they say every year, and it’s pretty damn clear that there are some sportscar builders in Maranello and Germany and England that would take issue with that assertion.

Weight has always been a real bete noir for Lambo, and they’ve gone to great lengths to get the SuperVeloce to tip the scales a little less, although it’s still heavy. To lose the weight the SuperVeloce was extensively reworked and redeveloped in virtually every aspect.

The structure is a composite construction of carbon components and a tubular steel frame. The transmission tunnel and the floor are made of carbon fiber, attached to the steel frame using rivets and high-strength adhesives. The roof and the exterior door panels are formed in sheet steel, while the remainder of the outer skin is made from carbon composite material.

All this chassis refinement means that the torsional stiffness is better by 12 percent and the weight is reduce by 20 kg (44 lbs). The front fenders, the rear side panels/fenders and the casing for the third brake light are made of a modified carbon-fiber material. Along with some other weight trimmings there is a further reduction of 13 kg (28.6 lbs). Added to the 33 kg (72.6 lbs) of weight reduction from the chassis and exterior, are 34 kg (74.8 lbs) from the interior, as well as over 33 kg (72.6 lbs) removed from the engine and drive train.

So, it’s no Lotus, but it IS lighter than before, and besides, with 670 horses pushing you down the road, you’ll be just fine.

Here’s Lambo’s pretty cool unveiling video:

Here are more pictures:

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Volkswagen Bluesport roadster concept debuts

Volkswagen has made no secret of its desire to revive the compact roadster market with numerous concept cars over the last decade, however the latest design, called the Bluesport, takes it to a new level with almost production-ready specs and a real possibility of getting the green light for global sales.

VW’s goal was to build a convertible sports car that was affordable, economical and quick, and the numbers for the Bluesport seem to indicate they’ve achieved their goal. Powered by a 2.0L four-cylinder turbodiesel, the Bluesport develops 180hp and 260lb-ft of torque. This is enough to push the roadster to a top speed of 140mph and send it from 0-60mph in just 6.2 seconds while retaining fuel efficiency of 35mpg in the combined European cycle.

The basic mechanics behind the Bluesport are also sound as the engine is mid-mounted and drives the rear wheels – a departure from VW’s “signature” of relying on FWD and AWD powertrains. The transmission is a six-speed dual-clutch unit and is mounted near the front of the car to give it an almost ideal weight distribution of 45:55 front to rear.

The concept has a wheelbase of just 2.43m, sits 1.26m tall and has an overall length of about 4m. In front, the sports car exhibits a track of 1.49m and in the rear it is 1.52m.

Overall, the roadster weighs around 1200kg – light by modern standards but relatively heavy compared to a Lotus Elise and around a hundred kilos more than the latest generation Mazda MX-5. One benefit of the slightly larger size will be more practicality, with the Bluesport capable of holding 182 litres of cargo in two storage areas – one under the front hood and one in the rear.

The new concept will make its debut at this week’s Detroit Auto Show, and show the world the latest iteration of VW’s new hard-edge design language, which was first showcased on the Scirocco coupe and then on the Mark VI Golf.

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