Bad news for people who were looking to find comfort on the 2010 Lotus Evora. Though many expected it to be a car built for 4, it looks like it will only be built for two.

Lotus plans to keep the Evora hype going by adding new features to the car each year – including a paddle-shift gearbox and a high-performance supercharged variant – culminating in a roadster model in 2012. However, to make room for the convertible top, Lotus engineers had to do away with the Evora’s rear seat.

“It’s not going to be easy to fit the roof in,” Steve Crijns, the Evora’s exterior designer, told Autocar. “It will have to go in front of the engine, where the rear seats are now. The rest of the car has been designed with the cabrio in mind; the doors, for instance, are styled so that they can accommodate the system without any changes.”

Crijns also revealed the Evora will do with a soft top rather than a retractable hardtop. The decision to use a more conventional soft top will not only save on engineering time but will also keep the car’s weight down.

(Source) Left Lane News

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The options for owning and buying an electric car just got a new player as Sigma Motorworks has announced the final stages of their electric sports car prototype, the Sigma GTE. The GTE brings up innovative features in its electric drive system. The car is powered by two Advance Motors DC motors connected directly (no gearbox) to the front and rear Ford differentials and providing peak 100 hp each, running at 144 volts.

The prototype was built around a Ford Mustang cockpit for enhanced safety and improved interior quality, providing comfortable seating for 4 people. The body was designed by Sigma and is made of reinforced fiberglass.

“This project is a test bed for a commercial high performance sports model we will bring to the market by early 2010, when we expect to sell 500 cars,” said Matias Gorfinkiel, head of operations.

Maximum speed is expected at 145 mph and the lithium-ion cell packs should provide up to 100 miles range. “This will be one of the fastest electric cars in the world,” said Steve Kase, head of development. “And it’s one of the few all-wheel electric cars around,” he adds.

(Source) Press

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Volvo has unveiled its latest alluring four-seater C70 Coupé-Convertible in the United Kingdom, packing extra appeal this spring with the introduction of the ‘Ice White’. Priced at an attractive £24,495 OTR and available to order now, the C70 Ice White features £2,350 worth of extra equipment over the standard 2.0D S model on which it is based which retails at £24,995 OTR.

Externally, the Volvo C70 Ice White sports the head-turning Ice White finish. The interior boasts sumptuous Calcite leather upholstery with black interior trim and aluminium inlays. The exterior appeal is also boosted with 18” Midir diamond cut alloy wheels.

The Volvo C70 is an extraordinary sports coupé that can transform itself into a full convertible at the touch of a button. The unique three-piece metal roof goes up or down in less than 30 seconds and makes the Volvo C70 two cars in one: a sports coupé that offers excellent performance and agile handling, and a beautiful convertible just right for open-sky motoring.

The Ice White is powered by a four-cylinder 2.0D diesel engine (136PS), which emits 161g/km CO2 and returns up to 46.3mpg fuel economy on the combined cycle. Options include Volvo’s Powershift gearbox for £1,400 – a six-speed twin-clutch transmission which provides the comfort of a full automatic mode with the performance of a manual. Powershift versions return up to 44.8mpg and 167g/km CO2.

(Source) AutoChannel

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It looks like a shrunken RX-8 but the 2009 Mazda 3 carries a sharper and smarter look. The big grille and black plastic bumper make it look like a pretty girl that’s smiling and bearing her braces. Some vertical rather than horizontal fog lights might have also made the 3 look more dynamic, and the rear lights look a little aftermarket. In all, the new Mazda 3 look is far better than the old one.

The new Mazda 3 is a good car. It steers nicely, has a great gearbox and decent engines, and it’s cheaper than the equivalent Volkswagen. But it doesn’t feel as richly luxurious or prestigious inside, the badge doesn’t have the cachet and many people will overlook it because of that.

(Source) Car Magazine Online

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