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New Ford KA Concept revealed

New Ford KA Concept revealed The current Ford KA really hasn’t been an overwhelming success for Ford – unlike the original KA – and there was a point where Ford were considering scrapping the KA altogether. But common sense has prevailed in a car buying world that is seeing more and more downsizing, so Ford is planning a new KA – expected to arrive for the 2015 model year – but, unlike the current KA, it won’t be a shared venture with the Fiat 500. Instead, it seems Ford are planning on using the previous generation Fiesta platform to underpin the new KA and offer a proper Ford city car rather than a second-rate Fiat 500.

New techniques cut cost of carbon fiber

Carbon fiber, once so costly that it was the preferred material only for fighter planes and supercars, is catching the attention of weight-conscious automakers. Carbon fiber's cost is falling dramatically, thanks to production advances that let suppliers speed the material's finicky, and costly, curing process. One technological breakthrough that makes carbon-fiber auto parts more affordable may come from a process used to make carbon-fiber golf clubs.

Porsche big up the Panamera S E-Hybrid (video)

The Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid (pictured) is a performance Porsche too We’ve long seen hybrids, and plug-in hybrids, as the perfect performance weapon for high-end cars, where the addition of an electric motor offers an unbeatable combination of power and economy. That’s the line that Porsche are taking with the new Panamera S E-Hybrid, and they demonstrated that recently by revealing that the new E-Hybrid managed to average 62mpg in the hands of a bunch of motoring journalists on a test day. Which is an impressive number for any car in the hands of a group of people with lead-lined right feet and clearly demonstrates that the Panamera Hybrid really can do silly mpg even in the real world.