The 2008 Honda S2000 CR is like one of those arguments in which one side goes way out on a limb and ends up winning. In this case, the winners of the argument—for once—were passionate car guys within Honda HMC, rather than the bean counters and marketing types who usually prevail in the auto business. It’s hard to believe that a middle-of-the-road company like Honda ever let this vehicle out the door. Read more…

Audi is fitting new 2.0 TDI diesel and 2.0 TFSI petrol engines in the A4 line-up, with deliveries of these models from next month.

The 120bhp/214lb ft 2.0 TDI (from £22,150) joins the 140bhp 2.0 diesel already on offer. It returns 55mpg and emits a tax-friendly 134g/km of carbon dioxide. In the A4 saloon, it gives a top speed of 127mph and 0-62mph in 10.7 seconds.
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The Toyota Yaris (pictured) has won the Green Car of the Year award from the Environmental Transport Association (ETA), while Dodge’s SRT-10 sports car has been deemed “the least green”.

Announcing the winner to coincide with Green Transport Week next week (otherwise it’s a strange time to announce a yearly winner, surely there are six months left for greener cars to come out?), the ETA looked at more than 1,300 models of cars on sale in Britain. It scored the vehicles on emissions, fuel efficiency and noise pollution. Read more…

Toyota is introducing a plug-in hybrid with next-generation lithium-ion batteries in Japan, the U.S. and Europe by 2010, under a widespread strategy to be green outlined Wednesday.

The ecological gas-electric vehicles, which can be recharged from a home electrical outlet, will target leasing customers, Toyota Motor Corp. said. Such plug-in hybrids can run longer as an electric vehicle than regular hybrids, and are cleaner.

Lithium-ion batteries, now common in laptops, produce more power and are smaller than nickel-metal hydride batteries used in hybrids now.
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A new trend is seeing German automakers offering the public some exciting entry-level cars, and the ability to park a newer Benz, Audi or Bimmer in their driveways for less than ever before. Mercedes has their B200, Audi has the A3, and now, BMW’s offering us the 1-Series.
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Spaceframe chassis with non-structural claddings aren’t exactly new and the more you think about it, the more you can bring yourself to see it as a logical extrapolation of current trends in car design. Or at least some of us can: this is a subject that has drastically divided opinion in the Classic Driver editorial office.

True, there are no actual plans to make a fabric-bodied car for the market. The GINA (Geometry and Functions In ‘N’ Adaptions – if that helps to clarify it for you) is a concept, pure and simple; one which has already had a profound effect on BMW designs of the last few years. It’s just that BMW has only now decided to make the GINA public. Read more…

The good: The 2008 Toyota 4Runner comes with serious off-road gear and an innovative suspension system. As part of the Urban Runner Package, an integrated TomTom brings good MP3 playback from a USB drive along with Bluetooth phone support.

The bad: The TomTom integrated with the 4Runner is an older model, with a small screen, and it doesn’t work very well with the CD player.
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The 2009 Toyota Matrix XRS compact wagon arrived a year later than most people expected, but at the perfect time.

Skyrocketing fuel prices have boosted small-car sales, and the Matrix — and its GM sibling, the Pontiac Vibe — hit the road with an appealing combination of high miles per gallon and affordable sticker prices.

Add a roomy passenger and cargo compartment, and both cars should win plenty of buyers.
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Forget the galloping fuel prices, just book your Prius. Japanese auto major Toyota is planning to launch the first mass-marketed hybrid car in India early next year.

Hybrid cars, which use both petrol engine and electric motor, are usually fuel efficient and has lower emission levels, making them environment-friendly.
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South Korean models pose with Germany’s Mercedes-Benz newest model, the CLS 350, during a press unveiling in Seoul, 2005. US President George W. Bush’s administration accused the Democratic-led Congress on Monday of using a variety of excuses to delay ratifying a free trade deal with key ally South Korea.