Volkswagen Passat Engine Brain Box, Electronic Control Module; 2.8l 2004 on 2040-parts.com

UK Government to add electric cars to its fleet – but don’t think the PM will be driving a Tesla Model S

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV – the sort of car the Government will acquire The roll-out of electric cars has not been an exactly overwhelming success, with even the Government’s £5,000 bribe to get you to go electric failing to kick start electric car sales in a meaningful way. So the Lib Dem bit of the coalition has decided that the Government should lead by example and have declared that the Government Car Service – which supplies cars for ministers and ‘government’ use – will start to acquire electric cars from this Autumn and, as part of the £5 million scheme, the wider public sector will be involved with council, police and NHS fleets looking seriously at EVs. But this scheme is aimed at the sorts of government cars that do the daily grind; ferrying junior ministers, getting staff to meetings and making deliveries in commercial vehicles.

2012 Porsche Boxster unveiled

2012 Porsche Boxster revealed The 2012 Porsche Boxster has been revealed with a new lightweight body, revised chassis and engines – and looking much the same as the old Boxster. The 2012 Porsche Boxster (or, as always, if you’re on the other side of the Pond, the 2013 Porsche Boxster) has been revealed, not at the Detroit Auto Show, but, just as Audi did yesterday with the A6 Allroad, as a diversion from the car antics in North America. Looking, as you would expect from Porsche, little different to the current Boxster, the new Porsche Boxster does however get a thorough makeover of body, engines and chassis to make the new Boxster fit to fight for another decade (or so).

Lotus Exige S V6 hits the U.K.

Most recent Lotus news has been generated by a rumor that Volkswagen is considering buying the British brand's parent company, Proton. But Lotus didn't let that keep it from making a little news of its own. The long-awaited first production Lotus Exige S V6 rolled off the line Thursday in Hethel, Norfolk, in the United Kingdom.