Spi 230-59-80 Tunnel Protector - 58in. on 2040-parts.com

Porsche buyers put the brakes on stop-start technology

By Chris Chilton Motor Industry 23 June 2008 18:56 Direct injection and a clever new PDK dual-clutch gearbox have cemented the new 911’s reputation as the greenest performance car around, but Porsche engineers are being hampered from making the iconic sports car even cleaner by the public’s reluctance to accept further green technology Engineers at the launch of the facelifted 911 told CAR that fitting a BMW-style start-stop system could chop a further 10g/km from the Carrera’s 225g/km CO2 rating but that performance car buyers weren’t keen on having such overtly planet-conscious tech on their cars. Start-stop works by cutting the engine when the car’s stationary in traffic, and restarting automatically when you touch the pedals to move off again. Every manual transmission-equipped BMW 1-series comes with the technology, excepting the truly high performance versions.

Toyota GT86: UK TV Advert

As sales of the Toyota GT86 gain momentum, Toyota are upping the marketing with a new TV advert for the GT86. Yes, the Toyota GT86 may need a bit more power. But perhaps, just like the MX-5, the joy of the GT86 is that you can explore the limits of its abilities without having to have a million horses at your disposal?

Volvo Concept You (2011) at Frankfurt motor show

The Concept You, says Volvo, combines a sleek coupe-like exterior with a high-tech interior that keeps the driver in command via intuitive smart-pad technology. It also gives us a first taste of Volvo’s design direction as it readies the next-gen S80. Designed by Peter Horbury, Concept You builds on Concept Universe, which was shown at Shanghai 2011, and is based on Volvo’s new Scalable Platform Architecture.