Porsche 914 Ashtray on 2040-parts.com

Mazda 2 and Mazda Hakaze

By Ben Whitworth Motor Shows 08 March 2007 09:15 Lighter and smaller - now there's a change Mazda drew in the Geneva crowds with two key show cars – its sprightly new Mazda 2 supermini and the radical Hakaze crossover concept. In a world that’s piling on the pounds, the Mazda 2 bucks the trend – it’s smaller in all directions and weighs a full 100kg less than the outgoing model. The result is better emissions and economy, tidier handling and punchier performance, according to the spec sheet.

Hyundai/Kia – the Hydrogen push.

Hyundai and Kia are making huge strides in to the mainstream car buyer’s conscientiousness. They’ve managed – in just a short time – to move from being an almost laughably cheap option for buyers with no money and even less taste to cars that offer serious and credible alternatives the best from Europe and Japan. So we now think of Hyundai and Kia as a formidable threat to established car makers, but not exactly innovators and pioneers.

Alluring Alfa Romeo falls far short of its promise

Few names can match the allure of Alfa Romeo. The sporty Italian brand is all about swooping lines, intoxicating engine noise, nimble road manners and the sexiest grille around. Alfa Romeo should be a bright Italian alternative to, say, Audi that stands out from the silver-gray herd of German luxury machines.