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Ownership costs of traditional versus alternative fuel vehicles

As gas prices remain high, and an increasing number of automakers roll out plug-in hybrid cars and full-electric vehicles, it's becoming easier to be tantalized with the idea of driving right past the gas station and simply "plugging in." The debate ensues when it comes to cost: These alternative fuel vehicles mean a larger outlay of cash at the onset, but the long-term fuel savings could make the purchase worthwhile. To help straighten out this numbers game, we use the Department of Energy's Vehicle Cost Calculator to compare alternative fuel vehicles with their gasoline-only counterparts. For each scenario, we assumed that our hypothetical owner was able to get the full $7,500 federal tax credit and a $2,500 state tax credit, such as is available in California.

Mercedes SLS David Coulthard Golf Ball catch – now on video

The recent golf ball catching Guinness world record set by David Coulthard and Jake Shepherd finally turns up on video. In another of those ‘We didn’t know there was a world record for that’ stories, we reported earlier this month that a new Guinness World Record had been set for the furthest golf shot caught in a car. A Mercedes SLS AMG driven by David Coulthard had managed to catch a golf ball driven down the runway at Dunsfold by professional golfer Jake Shepherd.

Peugeot 407 Coupe – new diesels

Peugeot has introduced two new diesel engines for its stylish 407 Coupe But it’s a decent car, and Peugeot has now made it more appealing with some updates for 2009 / 2010. The style changes are very minor – a bit of chrome trim and bigger door mirrors – and the 407 Coupe now gets  Bluetooth and hands-free as standard equipment on its Connect Navigation (RNEG). But the big news is the new diesel engines.