2005 Nissan Xterra Sales Brochure on 2040-parts.com

E85 makes inroads on cost and availability

Three years ago, we embarked on a Midwest road trip in search of what was then the Holy Grail of fuel: E85. Our findings weren't too positive--there were far more E85-compatible vehicles on the road in 2006 (5 million) than there were E85 pumps to fuel them (about 700 out of some 200,000 fuel stations nationwide). In addition, those burning the mix of 15 percent gasoline and 85 percent ethanol were paying a pretty penny for their earth-friendly ways, losing about 15 percent in fuel economy while often paying the same price as for regular unleaded.

Top Gear Series 21: The tease begins, but when does the new series of Top Gear start?

Top Gear Series 21 – the tease begins (video below) The new series of Top Gear – Series 21 – is due to start some time soon, although exactly when is still a little in doubt as the BBC are staying tight-lipped. That said, they have released the first – very short – tease video (below) for the new series with Jeremy Clarkson sitting in what looks like a VW up! moaning about the number of lorries he’s encountering.

Michelin Challenge Design 2009 preview

Michelin has released details of three more contenders which will be displayed at the Michelin Challenge Design exhibit at the 2009 NAIAS next week. The stand will feature 11 scale models and 24 two-dimensional drawings that were selected by a jury of top automotive designers. Among these are Raquel Aparicio’s Soft Vehicle, Fernando Gomez’s Packard concept and Niels Grubak Iversen and David Goncalves’ Phoenix concept.