| British motor show |
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Top car tech from the British International Motor Show in London
The predominant colour at this year’s London Motor Show was Green. It’s everywhere – on signs and a record-breaking number of cars. Both main halls have green car areas stuffed with electric cars of various viability, and every major manufacturer had at least one special ‘green’ model, usually dubbed Eco-something, and demonstrating its maker’s commitment to a low-carbon future.  Interestingly, the boldest use of green was on the stunning new 300 bhp Ford Focus RS, which sported a brilliant metallic paint-job mainly because the when the car was being developed, the order came down from Ford’s carbon-conscious bosses: “Whatever you do with that car, guys, make sure there’s a green angle.” The car itself is brilliant, a painstaking development of the ST in every high-performance direction. There’s a cunning tweak to the strut front suspension which changes the strut angle to reduce wheel fight when you deploy the full 300 brake.  The wraps have come off the new Ford Focus RS, one of the most significant new models to be launched at this year’s British motor show. Ford claims that the new RS will set the benchmark for affordable performance when it goes on sale, with 295bhp and 302lb ft from its 2.5-litre, turbocharged five-pot engine. Despite the prodigious power output, the Focus RS does without four-wheel drive, opting instead for a lighter front-wheel drive layout and a Quaife limited-slip differential. The RS is due to go on sale early next year, with a price tag of less than £25,000.  The London motor show was the official public world premiere of Alfa’s new small car sensation. Pride of place went to a red Mito and an 8C, both – Alfa promises – symbols of the sporty brand getting back to basics in terms of driver focus and quality. The UK-only Prodrive-fettled Brera S was also in attendance. The Alfa stand was a sea of passionate red but we weren’t completely won over by the white 8C on one side with the iffy mid-brown leather seats.   The previous GT revealed by the Lightning Car Company two years ago was a conventional 4.8 V8 petrol sports car but then the firm decided to start again from scratch and become a pure electric car brand. The result – claimed to be Britain's first all-electric sports car – was shown at London…The completely redesigned 2008 GT – only the windscreens are common – is a pure electric vehicle with a claimed 700bhp equivalent of power on tap. It’s a dream machine in every sense: 100 percent electric with four in-wheel motors, slick sports car styling, 0-60mph in under four seconds, a 180-mile range and claimed 10-minute recharge.  This is a green car that doesn’t look like a kid’s toy. Its curvy but muscular lines – courtesy of principal designer Daniel Durrant – look great and there are some neat details like the blue back-lit filler cap behind the B-pillar that changes colour – as an Apple Mac laptop does – when it’s fully recharged.  Honda came up with a genuine global surprise at the London motor show 2008 – with the OSM concept car that previews a potenital successor to the S2000. The Open Study Model is a junior roadster that bears an uncanny resemblance to the CR-Z concept.  The Open Study Model dominates the Honda stand, which occupies a dominant corner of the northern hall. The low-emissions roadster sat near the FCX Clarity hydrogen car, that was on show in the UK for the first time. One of the highlights of the show – as well as the firm’s stand – was the Open Study Model. Essentially a topless version of its CR-Z hybrid coupe, it’s a design study of a low-emission sports car.   The car which until now has been known under the codename of Project Eagle has been formally unveiled at the British International Motor Show under its proper name, the Lotus Evora. The Evora is still six months from the end of its development, but most of the details are in place. For a start, it's the world's only mid-engined 2+2 sports car, with enough room up front for two six foot five adults and further space for two much smaller people in the rear.  Power comes from a 3.5-litre V6 Toyota engine which has been modified by Lotus to produce a maximum of 276bhp and drives through a six-speed gearbox, again supplied by Toyota. A similar gearbox with closer ratios is still being developed. The lightweight structure of the car - composite body panels on an extruded aluminium chassis - means that the prototype weighs just 1350kg, and with the power available that means a top speed of around 160mph and a 0-60mph expected to be confirmed at under five seconds.  But the lack of weight also means relatively good fuel economy and CO2 emissions (estimated at over 30mpg and under 225g/km respectively), plus superior handling and braking.  Other significant high performance cars included the magnificent Chevrolet Camaro, a model soon to be made with an “economy” engine that shuts off half its cylinders when cruising. Power comes from an appropriately old-school 6.2-litre LS2 V8, which will put out well in excess of 400bhp, and that’s before the high-performance SS model that is rumoured to be in the works already.   The Toyota Aygo Crazy is something else entirely from the original Toyota Aygo. It is, in fact, almost exactly the opposite of the standard car. This special is heavily modified (aside from what you can see). Rather than rear seats, the engine has been positioned into the mid-point of the vehicle, giving you a rather odd (but useful) shelf. More importantly, putting the engine there really allows you to feel and hear everything that’s going on. This is good. What’s better is the engine itself. The car is powered by a 1.8 litre VVT-i turbocharged engine, meaning that it should be very happy to freely rev up and provide you with that power quite quickly. This is the same unit that powers the Celica and MR2, along with various Lotus vehicles. Whilst in a standard Aygo you’ll be suffering a yawn-inducing 14 seconds plus to 60, in this one-off special, you’ll race there in less than six seconds. Impressive from something the size of a roller-skate.  |
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