Leaf Spring Assy. Part 48210-04660 on 2040-parts.com

Porsche acquires Nardo Test Track as its new playground

Porsche Nardo Test Track (map from Google Earth) The enormous Nardo Test Track near Lecce, Italy, has been acquired by Porsche as a new testing ground. Top Gear viewers will probably remember the opening episode if the last series of Top Gear (series 18) with the Lamborghini, McLaren and Noble in Italy or, more specifically, in the Lecce region of Italy which nestles in the warmth of Italy’s heel. The Lecce region also houses the Nardo Test Track which is where the boys took their supercars to hammer round the slightly bumpy outer oval seeking top speed.

ZAP electric car

California-based ZAP has completed the initial concept phase for a new electric vehicle claimed to hit a top speed in excess of 100 mph with a range of 100 miles per charge.  "With ZAP's experience over the past 12 years and the groundwork we have already laid, we know that electricity is the future of the auto industry," said ZAP CEO Steve Schneider.  "At the same time, we believe we have a design that will serve a niche no other manufacturer in the auto industry is seeking to fill." More details of the car will become available at the end of the month.

2013 Hyundai i30 3-door arrives on video

The next variant on the Hyundai i30 – the 3-door i30 – has arrived on video ahead of arriving in Hyundai’s Uk showrooms. Not only are there endless press releases for the news the car makers want you to know about, but there’s an even more endless stream of feeds coming in to make sure we miss nothing. Throw in all the car makers’ web sites, their press sites, their Facebook pages, their Twitter feeds and their YouTube channels – never mind keeping up with those who might just know something the rest of the world doesn’t yet know – and it’s a full-time job for a team of people before a story even gets written.