Monthly Archives: April 2012

US Government wants fix for “unintended acceleration”

April 17, 2012   Sean

The US government’s safety agency (National Traffic Safety Highway Administration) wants all new cars to have a “brake override” feature, so that if drivers hit both accelerator and brake pedal, the engine will return to idle automatically. This follows the controversy over allegations of Toyotas experiencing unintended acceleration. Now the US government has confirmed that it has not been able to substantiate a single case against Toyota. However, it believes driver error can lead to too many cases of hitting both pedals together and it wants car companies to make it impossible for both pedals to activate at the same time.
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Renault Twizy now on sale

April 16, 2012   Sean

Renault’s eye-catching Twizy electric two-seater is now on sale in the UK, priced from £6,690.If you are wondering how Renault can sell an electric anything for that price, when the Nissan Leaf is £26K, the answer is that buyers also have to lease the batteries for £45 per month over three years. The wacky two seat Twizy (or one seat plus a 50 litre shopping bag) is certainly the most distinctive way of getting around town: even a pink Ferrari is unlikely to get as much attention. However, the Twizy would struggle to keep up with a Ferrari: the top speed is 50 mph, thanks to a 17 bhp electric motor giving a range of 60 miles.
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Maserati to go large

April 16, 2012   Sean

Maserati announced a plan to increase sales to 50,000 per year, compared to around 6,000 today. Clearly, not even the booming Chinese market is going to absorb tens of thousands of Quattroportes.
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Audi to buy Ducati?

April 16, 2012   Sean

It’s been, ooh, months since VW Group tried to buy an automotive brand and the credit card is clearly burning a hole in their pocket. Like a shopaholic feeling the need for a new pair of shoes, VW feels the need to buy something new.
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Citroen unveils fine Numero 9 DS line concept

April 14, 2012   Sean

Citroen is about to hit the Chinese market with its ‘posh’ DS line of cars, so to go in with a bang, it’ll show the stunning Numero 9 concept at the Beijing Motor Show next week. The first official pictures have landed today, with Citroen saying that the car you see above “signals the styling cues of the next three models in the DS line”.What they will be are a premium family saloon, an SUV and, intriguingly, a “C-segment premium sedan”, which would be odd in the UK because C-segment sedans are few and far between. The C-segment is occupied by family hatchbacks like the Golf and Focus, with the VW Jetta being a notable exception.
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