Second race, second pole position for the defending world champion Sebastian Vettel. The beginning of this season looks very good for Red Bull's driver who managed to win the first race in Australia and now he will start from pole in the Malaysian GP. He managed to do finish a lap in 1m 34.870s, quicker than Hamilton by a mere 0.174.

Mark Webber grabbed the third place on the starting grid, but my guess is that he isn't happy with his result. In Q2, Jenson Button was the fastest driver on the grid but he only managed the 4^th in the decisive Q3. Ferrari continues to disappoint this season as Alonso will start on the 5^th position of the grid, because he was almost an entire second behind Button. His college, Felipe Massa will start tomorrow from the 7^th place. Here's the complete grid:

Source:EnterF1.com | Photo: telegraph.co.uk

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Vettel Takes Pole Position In Sepang

Volvo C30 Black Design

The Volvo C30 is one of those cars that you either love or hate. While some like the hatch design, others think that it is a little bit to awkward. With the help of this special edition, Volvo hopes to boost up sales for this model.

Volvo C30 Black Design

Named the C30 Black Design, Volvo is going to make only about 600 units of this special edition and all of them are going to be available for the Italian market. It sports a 3M carbon-look film on the roof, wing mirrors, grille surround and on the pillars. In addition, the car sits on matte black-painted 17-inch (18-inch are also available) rims and has a specially trimmed cabin with an individualized dedication plaque.

Volvo C30 Black Design

Customers will be able to choose from either a D2 115 hp engine or a D3 150 hp turbodiesel power unit. They also offer a gasoline engine in the form of a 4-cylinder 2.0-liter that develops 145 hp. Available in white, gray or orange, this C30 Black Design looks considerably better than the standard version, at least this is my opinion.

Source: OmniAuto.it via Autoblog

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Italy Gets Volvo C30 Black Design

Reptile

Arturo Arino is a Mexican industrial designer and his latest creation is an imaginary hybrid racer that is road-legal. Dubbed the "Reptile", it packs a 2.7-liter Wankel rotary engine that produces a theoretical 700 hp (552 kW) @ 9,000 rpm, along with a 4-pole electric induction motor and regenerative braking to give juice to the batteries.

Reptile

It offers seating for two people and packs a touchscreen infotainment system, similar to the one found on the Nissan GT-R. The aforementioned rotary engine kicks in only when the roadster is put in "RACE" mode.

Reptile

With a paint scheme reminding us of the classic Fiat Abarth models, we feel bad that most likely it will not leave the rendering phase.

Reptile

Source: Coroflot via Carscoop

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Arturo Arino's Reptile – The Modern Lightweight Roadster

2012 Land Rover Range Rover Prototype

It seems that the British automaker Land Rover is working on a hybrid version of its Range Rover model. In an interview given to Inside Line, the company's Global Brand Director, John Edwards, said that Land Rover will implement a top-down hybrid strategy that will focus on bigger models "where the greatest consumption gains are to be made."

This means that in 2013 we will be able to see the redesigned Range Rover packing a hybrid powertrain and one year later, a plug-in electric hybrid that will feature a small engine and a lithium-ion battery. The engine (most likely a gasoline unit) will act only as a generator.

At this moment, there is no information about a possible hybrid version of the sleek Evoque.

Source: Inside Line via WCF

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Range Rover Hybrid In The Works

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This special Mercedes C63 AMG is the perfect example that even a high-performance sports car can be further improved if you have enough money to spare for the necessary aftermarket parts. It all started two years ago when the owner of this car, Keith Brantley, contacted the tuning company Modern Horsepower (MHP) and asked them to do a complete makeover of his C63 AMG.

What they've come up with you can see for yourselves. Dubbed the "Red Brown Arrow", it is probably the fastest C63 AMG in the world. It packs a Stage 3CMR Package developed by MHP, which means that the powerful sedan has been completely modified mechanically. The car's naturally-aspirated V8 power plant delivers 652 hp and 595 lb.-ft (807 Nm) of torque, which is 201 hp and 152 lb.-ft (206 Nm) more than the regular model.

By adding a nitrous oxide system, the power is boosted to a whopping 900 hp, good enough for a 1/4 mile in a mere 10.41 seconds, with an exit speed of 135.27 mph. This performance was achieved last month at the Maryland International Raceway, with only a 125 hp shot of nitrous.

It did the 0-60 mph sprint in only 3.04 seconds and from 0 to 100 mph it needed 6.19 seconds. Even more impressive than that are the 6.59 seconds between 60 to 130 mph, which is 1.2 seconds quicker than the Murcielago!

The owner of the car said that his C63 AMG is still a work in progress as he wants to install some new cams, better rubber and wheels, along with bigger nitrous jets.

Source: Carscoop

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Tuned Mercedes C63 AMG Packs 900 HP

MG6

I'm really glad that MG has been resurrected by China's Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) group and the results of this partnership are beginning to show. This MG6 is going to be the first all-new car that will roll out of the automaker's Longbridge factory in 16 years. Their last model was the MG F, a mid-engined, RWD roadster that was introduced back in 1995.

MG6

Later on this summer, a sedan version of this model will be introduced, and both of them are going to be available with a 4-cylinder turbocharged 1.8-liter engine that produces 160 hp and 215 Nm, between 1,750 – 4,500 rpm. The MG6 will be able to sprint to do the 0-60 sprint in 8.4 seconds, onto a limited top speed of 120 mph (193 km/h).

MG6

At the first, the car is going to be available only in the UK, and will be offered in three trim levels: S – 15,495 pounds; SE – 16,995 pounds and the top-of-the-line TSE, which will have a base price of 18,995 pounds. Customers will be able to choose from one of the following exterior colors: Champagne Gold, Arctic White, Platinum Silver, Granite Grey, Union Blue, Regal Red, Pitch Black and Burnt Orange.

MG6

In my opinion, the car looks great but that price tag will definitely scare away some of the potential customers as there are plenty of alternative in this price range.

MG6

Source: MG via Carscoop

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MG6 Enters Production Next Week

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Green is a popular trend nowadays; we have battery-powered cars, high-performance sports cars, and even trucks. But what about a bus? Well, someone had an idea to make one and the result is this one – the Electric Superbus.

Electric Superbus

It all started in 2006 when Wubbo Ockels, who was the first astronaut from Holland, decided that he wants an electric superbus that could reach a top speed of 155 mph. His dream is now reality, after five years and $18 million, this 50-feet long bus offers enough space for 23 passengers that can be transported at very high speed.

As you might have guess that already, it benefits from a lightweight construction, featuring carbon fiber and fiberglass components. In addition, it has an aerodynamic shape and its 300 kW electric motors are fed by lithium-ion batteries, good enough for a top speed of 155 mph!

Electric Superbus

Because the government in Holland will probably say pass to this ambitious project, Dubai sound a more suitable option, taking into consideration the wider and clearer roads there, along with the speed freaks.

Source: greensupercar.com, YouTube

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Electric Superbus Gives New Meaning To The Concept Of Public Transportation

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Ever since the late 50s, Bremach has been rolling out rugged work trucks and their latest project, the T. Rex, is not exception to this rule, but with a catch – it's an EV!

Bremach T. Rex

A few years ago people were saying that a sports car cannot be battery-powered and Tesla Motors proved them wrong with the sexy Roadster model. On that note, this T. Rex goes to show that even for a massive vehicle like this one, the electric motor is suitable for just about any type of car/truck. In this particular case, the 100 kW of power is available instantly and the truck will do 150 miles before running out of juice, even under hard work conditions. Bremach is also offering a 30,000 miles / 3-year warranty.

Bremach T. Rex

For those of you that don't like EVs or you need more range, they also offer the T. Rex with a conventional Chevrolet V8 6.0-liter gasoline engine, mated to either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a 5-speed automatic one. Even with this huge engine, the T. Rex will do 20 mpg on the highway, which is pretty impressive if you ask me. In addition, the manufacturer offers this truck in compressed natural gas and hybrid versions, so you will definitely find something that suits you. All of these engine options are available in a 2- or 4-door hardtop or a 2-door convertible.

Bremach T. Rex

The loaded EV version of the truck will cost you more than $120,000 – big truck, big price tag, right?

Source: Bremach via Autoblog

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2012 Bremach T. Rex – A Green Truck Gone Mad

2011 Tesla Roadster

More and more electric cars can be seen on our streets these days and probably the best way to get familiar with one is by heading to a rental company that has one in its inventory. One of these firms is Enterprise who in the near future will be offering the Nissan Leaf, along with other EVs at several locations. By renting one, you will have the possibility to spend more time with it, in comparison to what a car dealer might offer.

The rental company Enterprise has announced its plans to offer the 2011MY Leaf at the outlets in Santa Monica, Seattle, Los Angeles, Portland, San Diego, Nashville, Tucson and Phoenix.  Another company, Hertz, started renting EVs back in December in their branches in NY, Washington and San Francisco.  Other cars that will make it in the inventory of rental companies will be the tiny 2012MY Smart Electric Drive, the 2012MY Mitsubishi i-MiEV, along with the soon-to-be-released Ford Focus Electric and the Codra Sedan.

Now, is it a good idea to rent one? Well, you need to know that the aforementioned Nissan Leaf has a driving range between 75 to 100 miles, while the Mitusbishi i-MiEV will do approximately 65 miles. The Focus EV will probably do between 80 to 100 miles, while the Coda Sedan should last you for 130 miles. In addition, the funky Smart Electric Drive is good for 65 miles and if you want something cooler than these cars, the 2011MY Tesla Roadster can return 150+ miles. However, the latter is not widely available so you will have a hard time finding one at a rental company.

As most of you know, when the weather gets colder and you use the car's heater, the range will drop by 15%. If you rent the Leaf and forget to set it in "Eco" mode, you will lose an additional 10% of the available driving range. Below outside temperatures of about 30 degrees Fahrenheit, the battery chemical production of electricity is significantly slowed down and the actual functional range will most likely be only 70% of the advertised range.

The guys over at greencarreports.com have figured out when it is smart or dumb to rent an electric car. They consider that if you won't be travelling more than 50 miles with it, the 2011MY Nissan Leaf (or any other battery-powered car) will work for you. Running a few errands that should take you a couple of hours will be just fine for you rented EV. You can even get a hybrid, like the Chevrolet Volt and the upcoming Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid. With these, you won't have to worry about running out of juice.

Estimations say that by 2014 the network of charging stations in the United States will be more developed and there will be fewer risks of running out of power. Keep in mind that you will still have to wait a couple of hours until the batteries are filled (which is why I'm not a big fan of EVs).

The main issue with such cars is that if the driver is not very attentive to how many miles he covers and the way he actually drives the car, he might (and definitely will) have to find a recharging station sooner than scheduled.

Just about all EVs feature a 120V charging cable and it will take about 20 hours to fill the batteries. From a 240V you will have to wait 10 hours or so, but it still is a lot in my opinion.

As a conclusion, if you plan on using the car for up to 50-60 miles, green is the way to go. Anything higher than that, you'll have to stick to a conventional car, at least for a couple of years when hopefully, EVs will offer a bigger driving range.

Source: greencarreports.com

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Renting An EV, Wise Or Dumb?

2011 Axell Nissan Widebody GT-R

If we look at the previous projects developed by Axell Auto, we shall find that most of them are based on SUVs and vans. However, they've turned their attention to the Nissan GT-R this time and I have to say that they did a pretty good job.

2011 Axell Nissan Widebody GT-R

It comes with an awesome black exterior that benefits from wide front & rear fenders, a new design for the front and rear bumpers, along with a rear wing, a carbon fiber rear diffuser and side skirts with functional brake ducting. In addition, the Nissan GT-R sits on a brand new set of rims, measuring 10.5J in the front and 13J out in the back. Inside the cabin, you'll find sultry red leather that looks breathtaking.

2011 Axell Nissan Widebody GT-R

The car's V6 3.8-liter has been tuned by Axell Auto, which now can be offered in two levels of performance: 789 hp or a whopping 986 hp. This extra oomph for the engine will be combined with a new brake system, suspension, along with a new exhaust system that packs four pipes.

No information about the price, but we'll let you know ASAP.

Source: GTRBlog.com

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2011 Axell Nissan Widebody GT-R