Peugeot 308 RC Z and hybrids

By Tim Pollard Motor Shows 13 September 2007 02:36 Peugeot 308 RCZ: the lowdown The Peugeot stand at Frankfurt was a timely reminder just how much the market has fragmented these days. It was packed with 27 cars in rambling hall 8 – five of which were new concept cars, albeit mostly versions of existing production cars. But there was little doubt which was most eye-catching: the 308 coupe concept was an elegant reminder that French design shouldn’t be written off quite yet.

Porsche 918 Spyder hits the Nurburgring (video)

The Porsche 918 Spyder – Porsche’s hybrid replacement for the Carrera GT – has been caught on video at the Nurburgring. Incredibly, it’s more that two years since Porsche took the wraps of the 918 Spyder at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, yet we’re still more than a year away from actually seeing production cars. But Porsche are putting their time to good use. Porsche has made a few cosmetic tweaks already from the original 918 Concept, but they’ve also let it be known that the 918 Spyder will get a 550bhp 4.6 litre V8 to go with its electric motors on the front wheels  (one less motor than originally envisaged – there was going to be one one the back axle too), which will make the 918 Spyder a FWD Porsche when in EV mode.

Volvo gives T6 engine the Polestar treatment

Just weeks after announcing its Polestar performance kits for the T5-engined cars, Volvo is now offering packages for the XC60, S60 and XC70 models fitted with its turbocharged six-cylinder engine. The T6 Polestar software package adds 25 hp and 30 lb-ft of torque, bringing totals to 325 hp and 355 lb-ft, respectively. Volvo says the added power won't result in greater fuel consumption, as the tuning of the engine only increases power when needed--though we'd imagine most drivers will feel the need often enough to significantly affect mileage.