Going topless
Clockwise from top left: completely shielded from the elements; roof retracted but with the windscreen still up; roof collapsed and blocking rear vision; and the Smart ForTwo in its most naked form, without its roof rails, which are stored in a compartment in the tailgate.
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We take some time out from reviewing the latest GPSes to have a look around this year's Australian International Motor Show and find some cars we'd love to be driving, if we had a sack full of hundred-dollar bills.
Hometown heroes Holden and Ford may have been the headline act at this year's Melbourne Motor Show, but there were also plenty of concept cars on display.
Its two-seat configuration limits its appeal to just a few. That's a shame because Australia's cheapest convertible is loveable, unique and deserving of a wider audience.
Everyone in the industry knew Honda was working on a Prius-fighting, dedicated hybrid vehicle, but Honda has denied that it was reviving the Insight moniker. Today, Honda released the first official information and images of its Prius-like concept and it's called, you guessed it, the Insight.
When the Nissan GT-R was released, Nissan's engineers famously stated that the vehicle was the apex of Nissan performance, its system's so well integrated that any traditional go-faster mods would in fact make the car slower. Nissan's Nismo tuning division apparently didn't get the memo since it has just released the Nismo Club Sport Package for the Nissan GT-R in Japan.
Holden has launched a 99¢ per litre fuel offer on all petrol and diesel cars delivered to private buyers from the beginning of September through to the end of October.
Pirelli hopes that by embedding electronics in the Cyber Tyre, cars will be more in tune with the road and, therefore, making them more responsive in potentially life-threatening situations.
The world's fastest road car, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4, just lost its head. The new Grand Sport convertible features lots of new features, including a soft-top deployed via the aid of an umbrella-style mechanism.
Lotus is known for making small, fast cars with Toyota engines, but the company's engineering department gets into all sorts of projects, with the Concept Ice Vehicle (CIV) being one of the more novel.
Despite the bright lighting, traditional coloured warning flags will be hard to see at Singapore's F1 night race. So technology has come to the rescue.
Everyone in the industry knew Honda was working on a Prius-fighting, dedicated hybrid vehicle, but Honda has denied that it was reviving the Insight moniker. Today, Honda released the first official information and images of its Prius-like concept and it's called, you guessed it, the Insight.
When the Nissan GT-R was released, Nissan's engineers famously stated that the vehicle was the apex of Nissan performance, its system's so well integrated that any traditional go-faster mods would in fact make the car slower. Nissan's Nismo tuning division apparently didn't get the memo since it has just released the Nismo Club Sport Package for the Nissan GT-R in Japan.
The world's fastest road car, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4, just lost its head. The new Grand Sport convertible features lots of new features, including a soft-top deployed via the aid of an umbrella-style mechanism.
Hummer doesn't embody environmentalism, but that's the spin GM CEO Rick Wagoner gave when he introduced the Hummer HX concept at the 2008 Detroit auto show.
The GT Sport TSI shape-shifts easily between a relaxed cruiser and inconspicuous hot-hatch, and the 1.4-litre Twincharger engine is an engineering marvel. But the GTI is just five grand more. Decisions, decisions.
Built for serious off-roading, not just dashing up the gravel track to your favourite vineyard, the Cherokee demands too many compromises to be a city-bound family hauler.
A people mover that transports all manner of cargo with ease. Pity that it's so pricey and that many of the valuable safety features are optional extras.
The R35 Nissan GT-R is a technical tour de force, with evidence of brilliance throughout. Hopefully not too many of its tech goodies are chucked overboard by the time it finally goes on sale in Australia in 2009.
The GT Sport TSI shape-shifts easily between a relaxed cruiser and inconspicuous hot-hatch, and the 1.4-litre Twincharger engine is an engineering marvel. But the GTI is just five grand more. Decisions, decisions.
The R35 Nissan GT-R is a technical tour de force, with evidence of brilliance throughout. Hopefully not too many of its tech goodies are chucked overboard by the time it finally goes on sale in Australia in 2009.
Electric cars can be frumpy, soul-less looking conveyances. The Lightning GT aims to be different, it mixes sexy and electric together in automotive form.
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