The UK’s Lightening GT is Ready! Pre-Order at Will!

The UK’s answer to Tesla and the EV revolution that is vamping up is the Lightening GT, and the word coming down the pipeline is the Lightening Car Company is taking pre-orders now. For 15,000 British pounds you can cement your place in line to receive one of the first Lightening GT’s to step out onto the left hand lane. The Lightening Car Company appears to have everything in order and expects to make delivery of their EV coupe in 2009.

What the buyers of the Lightening GT will be getting for their money is a vehicle that is safe for the environment and lightening fast off the line. With a body consisting of carbon fiber and Kevlar and a front-to-back weight distribution of 48/52 the combined 700-hp between the independent 4-electric motors will have no problem propelling the Lightening GT to its reported zero-to-sixty in a flat 4 seconds.

Each wheel is spun by its own 120 kw electric motor with traction control and regenerative braking to boot. Unlike the Tesla EV car in America there is no transmission or gears or drive-shafts to create any mechanical difficulties or production hold-ups in the Lightening GT. And unlike a gasoline engine that requires increased revolutions in order to reach its top speed the Lightening GT’s full power is available in an instant from the NanoSafe batteries.
…After the leap you will find a full photo gallery and technical specs… (more…)

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Audi A3, BMW 135i and Volvo C30 in Action

If Ford, Chevy and Dodge were all three unveiling new 2-door mini-cars onto the auto market in the U.S. there would surely be a battle-royale in the marketing blitz to see: 1. who was fastest, 2.who was safest and 3. who could sup’ down the most fuel (And History shows the results would likely be 1. Chevy 2. Ford and 3. Dodge). However, that is not the case here as the players in the new 2-door luxury compact (oops, they don’t use that word anymore) car market are Audi, BMW and Volvo… the ABV’s if you will. Known more for the European refinement and sophistication it seems more likely that these three automakers will rely more on their own reputation to more their new wheels into this new market. The Audi A3, BMW 1-Series and the Volvo C30 express the most recent design attributes that permeate their larger model cars and sporty engines already employed in larger siblings, and that on top of their nameplates helps to build a little excitement for each of them.

So it seems like it is time to do a little visual shopping.

First to bat is the Audi A3 which came out last year to some mild applause. It was the first luxury brand to really test the compact market with a sporty entrant of this caliber. Take a look at the road test below of the A3 to see if it wets your whistle any.

Next up is the BMW 1-series that is finally about to land in North America after receiving its first introduction into the market in Europe. The 1-Series is just not sneaking onto the market with modest support and thrust power.. Oh no. BMW is unleashing its 135i with 306 horses and the capabilities of an M class car minus the badges. So far there have not been too many test drives available for the new 135i so for the time being we will have to be teased by the in-house footage provided by BMW.

And rounding out the selection is the Volvo C30, which may actually be the sleeper of the bunch. It seems odd to call a car with such unique styling a sleeper, but when you are reminded that it is a Volvo some people automatically think of their grandma and her boxy, safe Volvo wagon. Once you are labeled with something it takes a lot of time to break those stereotypes and rebuild an image of dignified excitement, as is the case with Volvo. They are not straying from the safety that built their original reputation, but they are certainly looking to expand their reach in the market. The C30 is just the car they need to strike early at the 20-30 something;s to start rebuilding their brand loyalty at an earlier age customer. To see a bit of what the designers were thinking as they shaped the Volvo C-30 watch the video below.

All three cars above are going to lead to some fun comparison and should definitely give some Mini Cooper buyers something else to think about. I for one cannot wait to get my hands on an A3, a 135i and a C30 as I head deep into my New Car shopping season. Shop Shop Shop!

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There is no mention as to want has brought on these price increases, but ...

If you are thinking of buying a brand new Porsche then you need to hurry up and get down to the dealership, because as from 1st August 2007, the price of a new Porsche is set to rise.

An increase of between 1.4% and 5% will be added across the whole range, but what’s 1.4%? Well when you are spending thousands of dollars it does actually all add up, especially when you have to put on the taxes and other charges too.

The details of the price increases will affect the Boxter S which is going up by a massive 5%, the Caymen S Porsche’s sports utility vehicle will cost 4% more, although the base model will remain the same, you pay your money and take your choice with that one! The legendary Porsche 911 models which include the Carrerra, GT3, GT3 RS will see a price rise of just 1.5%, but those wishing to cruise around in a 911 convertible will only see a rise of mere 1.4%, perhaps that because they save on not having a roof!! But if your are looking for the fantastic 911 Turbo then should be delay your purchase from today to the 1st August then that would cost you around $5,700 extra, that’s with just an increase of only 2.3%.

There is no mention as to want has brought on these price increases, but it is safe to say that the people who can afford to go out and buy a brand new Porsche in the first place, may not be put off by the increases at all.

Source [Auto Blog]

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Drivers will also be given help and advice on fitness, stamina and reaction, ...

Porsche Cars UK, have been given planning permission to develop a piece of land next to the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit in Northamptonshire.

The centre will be open to customers of the sports car company who wish to gain performance driving experience from instructors on how to handle a high performance car and to cover the safety aspects of driving such an expensive car in many varying conditions. Drivers will also be given help and advice on fitness, stamina and reaction, all qualities needed to be able to drive an high performance car to the max, without the fear of accidents etc.

According to Porsche Cars UK, the centre will cover an area of just over 10 hectares and will be situated just outside of the area known as Becket’s Corner on the race circuit. Building work is set to begin sometime in the summer of this year and is expected to be fully operational by the same time in 2008!

The plans are to build a spectacular complex of buildings, which will include restaurants, fitness centre and of course the training facilities. The top floor of the main building will have panoramic views of the training centres circuit and of course the Grand Prix circuit itself.

The test track will offer the drivers an experience of driving in varying conditions, and can be split into four separate driving areas, depending on what training is taking place at the time or for a longer and more intense driving experience the circuit can be opened up into a 3.1 km track.

Andy Goss, Managing Director, Porsche Cars Great Britain commented: �The facility at Silverstone is a major investment for Porsche GB and it will allow us to create a unique experience for customers that cannot be bettered in the UK market. It makes perfect sense for us to combine our driving experience activity into one venue and this location is perfect with over 70% of our UK customers being within a two hour drive of the Silverstone area.�

This is not a totally new innovation, because Porsche Cars UK, have been giving expert driving tuition to over 7,500 of its customers over the past seven years, but the concept of having a purpose built centre is totally new and will give the new car owners and experience to remember.

Source [Car Pages]

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