Monthly Archives: April 2010

Volkswagen Milano, an electric taxi with an italian flavor

Posted on April 20, 2010 by Laurent J. Masson

Volkswagen’s group head of design, Walter da Silva, is italian. Volkswagen’s head of marketing, Luca di Meo, is italian too. And there’s more, with Volkswagen’s giving an italian name to one concept. Volkswagen is still very much a german company, … Continue reading →

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Driving the smallest electric car: the Estrima Biro

Posted on April 15, 2010 by Laurent J. Masson

Are you 6-feet tall? Then the Estrima Biro’s length is shorter than your height. This is not your father’s Oldsmobile. It’s not chinese, it’s italian, and it is the smallest four-wheel vehicle that we’ve ever seen. I drove it, and … Continue reading →

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Could Hummer be saved with plug-in hybrid technology?

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Laurent J. Masson

Pontiac’s dead, Saturn’s dead but Hummer could live? That sounds crazy, but it’s not. You may remember having seen a plug-in hybrid Hummer H3 last year. It’s been at several motorshows, and Arnold Schwarzenegger famously had a look at it. … Continue reading →

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Electric racing, the Mini E at the Nurburgring

Posted on April 12, 2010 by Laurent J. Masson

Someone had to do it. Be the first to drive an electric car at the Nürburgring, on the famous Nordschleife track. BMW engineers are taking the lead, but they have a long, long way to go if they ever plan … Continue reading →

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Veleance Tri’Ode, an electric city scooter for professionnals

Posted on April 12, 2010 by Laurent J. Masson

This is not a sexy vehicle. It’s not intended to be, it’s a work tool. It’s called the Tri’Ode, coming from Veleance, a french company. Veleance is a new manufacturer, and this Tri’Ode is its first model. It’s electric, zero … Continue reading →

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Forget horsepower, how about a fuel economy war?

Posted on April 11, 2010 by Laurent J. Masson

The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro has a 304-hp V6 engine. More than enough for the average driver, but Ford has announced a new V6 for its 2011 Mustang, with 305-hp. Gosh! Chevrolet’s biting the dust. It’s a matter of honor, the … Continue reading →

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The diesel gets a 85% marketshare

Posted on April 11, 2010 by Laurent J. Masson

This will come as the shock to many people. The Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen is a very unexceptionnal car. An affordable family car, that nobody buys for its performance. Jetta’s buyers expects dependability, and frugality. This is the kind of car … Continue reading →

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Will Heuliez be saved?

Posted on April 10, 2010 by Laurent J. Masson

Being optimist is a difficult challenge when you look at Heuliez. The french company used to be a successful contract manufacturer, but it hasn’t built any car since last summer. The company should have gone bust already, if it weren’t … Continue reading →

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The Lincoln MKZ hybrid, where volume counts

Posted on April 9, 2010 by Laurent J. Masson

You can already buy an hybrid from Ford. There’s the Fusion, and if you want more luxury, there’s also the Mercury Milan. And that was it. But now, if you want even more luxury, there’s a third choice with the … Continue reading →

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The strongest turbo is from Hyundai

Posted on April 8, 2010 by Laurent J. Masson

It was quite a shock to learn that the Sonata, Hyundai’s family sedan, would not be available with a 6-cylinder in this new generation. This is the CO2 effect. Manufacturers all over the world are working hard to make cars … Continue reading →

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