Solar car

A solar car is an electric vehicle powered by solar energy obtained from solar panels on the car. Solar cars are not currently a practical form of transportation as they can only operate during the day and can only carry one or two passengers. However, they are raced in competitions such as the World Solar Challenge and the American Solar Challenge. These events are often sponsored by Government agencies such as the United States Department of Energy keen to promote the development of alternative energy technology such as solar cells.

Tesla to supply drive system for Electric Smart

Tesla founder and chairman Elon Musk took the occasion of his company’s first Detroit show appearance to announce that the green car maker will provide components for the Smart Electric.Musk said Daimler gave him permission to reveal Jan. 13 that the German automaker has been working with his firm for the nearly a year and half. Tesla will provide the battery pack and charging systems, initially for 1,000 units. “This will allow us to accelerate the advent of an affordable electric car,” said Musk, who also said his company is seeking to develop other, similar partnerships with major automakers.

Infiniti's new G37

We're cruising through Beverly Hills, Calif., in the new 2009 Infiniti G37 convertible, top down, sunny day, following a beautiful Ferrari 360 Modena. Up next to us pulls a 40-ish woman with hair so orange it could be on a traffic cone. She is driving a ratty '90s Celica GT convertible, also with the top down. Does she even look at the Ferrari? No. Instead, Carrot Top's sister yells out, "Beautiful car!" and gives a thumbs-up to the Infiniti. She didn't even see the Ferrari. Now, the G37 convertible is no slouch in the performance department. It shares a drivetrain and a rear-wheel-drive platform with the magnificent Nissan 370Z. It's powered by a 325-hp, 3.7-liter V6 driving the rear wheels through your choice of a six-speed manual or a seven-speed automatic.

The 2009 Suzuki Equator

There are a few holes in the Suzuki lineup, and while we know that the company is busy working to fill the midsize-sedan void with whatever the Kizashi becomes, it opted for a quicker and surely cheaper solution for a pickup truck. Enter Nissan, which has plenty of production capacity in Tennessee, where it’s churning out the Frontier--and from which the Equator is born. The final product is a truck that has proven underpinnings but wears a better-looking front-end treatment.

Next Porsche 911 GT3

Engineers who developed the 2010 Porsche 911 GT3 call it “the best of all worlds” in the current 911 lineup: an unsurpassed mix of race, track-grade performance and acceptable street comfort. We’d call the GT3 the coolest and the absolute most engaging 911 to drive, and we’re not suggesting the others are anything close to dull. The irony might be that the next GT3 has neither of two key characteristics that have defined the latest generation of 911s.