Number Plate Cloning And Number Plate Theft

Car cloning is the vehicle equivalent of identity theft of today.There are as many as 10,000 cloned cars on our roads, but many people are still unaware of the problem, and even the police admit they don't know the true scale of it.

How does it work?

There are various ways of cloning cars, most popular ways involves getting hold of other number plate (or illegally printed number plates) and using them on cars that the plates aren't registered too.

The vehicle registration mark on a number plate is the key piece of information that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) use to look up keeper details on a vehicle record.

Stolen number plates are used on vehicles, by those who don't want to be found out when they commit such crimes as:

speeding

illegal parking

not paying congestion charges driving away from a petrol forecourt without paying not paying for parking tickets or speeding fines

'disguising' a stolen vehicle

The Most Common Ways This Is Done:

Criminals make a 'clone' of another car by replacing the number plates on their car with the stolen registration plates from an almost identical vehicle of the same make, model and even colour.

When the owner of the cloned car realises that their number plates have gone, they go to the trouble & expense to replace them, unaware that the cloned vehicle is now being used under its new identity for a load of law-breaking activities.

These activities can range from getting away without paying for parking tickets, speeding fines or even driving off a petrol station forecourt without paying. They can also be used in more serious crimes including organised crime and potentially, terrorist activity.

Many people have only discovered that they are a victim of this crime when they have suddenly started to receive parking tickets for places they haven't been, or other fines or endorsements that have nothing to do with them.

As the onus is on them to prove their innocence, many victims have been left in the difficult situation of paying up or letting the issue go to court, simply because they cannot prove it wasn't them who carried out the infringement.

Wendy Rowe, boss of leading vehicle security company Retainagroup explains:

"The owner of a cloned car who receives fines, charges, penalty points or is accused of stealing fuel or involvement in more serious crimes has the difficult task of proving that he or she is innocent. I wonder how many have just taken the hit and accepted a fine or penalty points rather than challenge the system?"

"If the car is used as a getaway vehicle or in a ram raid, there will be a further victim of the original crime. And if you're unfortunate enough to 'buy' a cloned vehicle, you'll find that you don't own it and that you can say goodbye to the money. Even a vehicle provenance check will not necessarily reveal a clone."

What can we all do to stay 1 step ahead of cloners?

Make it hard for them to get your number plates off, make sure your plates are attached with clutch head screws & caps & double sided adhesive tape.

If you notice your number plate has gone don't just presume it must have fallen off on the road, report it to the police straight away this will prove that you reported the theft should your car be cloned and your registration be used at a later date.

If you have ever had to replace your number plates, it is worth considering why, as well as where you can buy them. Graham Baylis has been working with a 4plates, a company that supplies number plates, for many years now, and with the instance of car cloning increasing, wanted to pass on some advice. For more information see http://www.4plates.co.uk

Article Source: submityourarticle.com

Car Accident and Insurance Company Secrets

In any big city, traffic can be appalling, and this is particularly true during peak hours of the day. A car accident in Cincinnati, St Paul, Tampa, San Diego, or any major city can result at any time. As everyone knows, a car accident can range from trivial to very serious, even resulting in fatalities. Thankfully, in quite a few accidents the damage is chiefly to the autos involved, and personal injury is marginal.

Now if you're involved in a motor vehicle accident you'll in due course (and most likely sooner) be making a telephone call to your insurance representative. But it may well come as a shock to you to find out that the advice you receive from your agent may not be trustworthy, and we're going to examine the reason why.

But before we begin our explanation, let's talk briefly about a "Direct Repair Program" and explain what it is. Insurance providers have a "network" of repair shops with whom they have written agreements. In our example the body shop is under agreement to restore the insurance company's customers' cars. The insurer is in return, required to advocate that body shop to their clients in need of auto repairs.

Under the arrangement the auto body shop, when estimating repair, must base those estimations on the use of aftermarket parts. And the collision shop may additionally be required to bear all liability for auto repairs and indemnify the insurance company from any lawsuit the customer might bring.

Now here's the reason this agreement is so troubling: the automobile parts the body shop is required to utilize under this contract, while less expensive, are at the same time of lesser quality versus parts that initially came with the car. The aftermarket parts are not only ineffective, but utilizing them to affect car repairs can result in a deadly vehicle.

But if using such parts can prove so serious, what's the reason a insurance provider will steer you to a body shop that uses them? In a word, PROFITS - given it means the vehicle repairs will be less expensive, and that the insurer pays out lesser claims. Hence your insurance provider is going to be saving money to be able to increase their earnings, at the expense of compromising the value of your vehicle, and possibly your safety and that of your family members!

So because second-rate parts were used in order to save your insurance company some money, the outcome may well be another (and possibly more serious) accident as a result.

Image Courtesy: funny-games.biz

Whenever you're involved in a car accident, turn in a claim, but your agent desires you to visit a body shop of HIS choice in lieu of one of yours, listen for the following:

"It's going to cost you far more to go there " - "If you go to that shop, we cannot guarantee the repair work" - "Never head over to that body shop since we can not offer you a rental car if you go there " - "They won't agree with our appraiser" - "We've had difficulty with that body shop" - "They are not on our preferred list" - "If you go to a non-preferred shop your repair will be delayed waiting for our adjuster to inspect the vehicle" - "We can pay our preferred shops directly, and save you time"

All of these statements are either misleading or are straight up falsehoods. Don't be misled by them!

You should not allow your insurance company's desired resolution of a car accident to bring about another (and possibly more serious) motor vehicle accident. Know your rights, and choose a repair service that places good quality work and safe repair practices above insurance company referrals!

Your next step is to get the free e-course "Insurance Dirty Tricks." If you have a car accident, your insurance agent may make some untruthful statements to get you to use the repair shop of his choice. Find out why those statements are false at: http://www.cincinnaticaraccidentinfo.com



Article Source: www.submityourarticle.com

Luxury Car Modifications

Luxury Car Modifications

Spyker Car Modification│2010 Trend Modification

Spyker Car Modification│2010 Trend Modification

Expect to see some abashing orange on the alley actual anon as Dutch car makers Spyker accept appear that a limited-edition LM85 will anon hit the anchorage and this one will be a street-legal adaptation of the acclaimed chase car. A Street-Legal adaptation of C8 Laviolette GT2-R racecar, accepted as the C8 Laviolette LM85 will anon be accessible but will be bound to absolute 24 cartage that will booty shape.
Spyker additionally appear that it will be assuming a pre-production archetypal of its accessible C8 Aileron sports car at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. The car will accept a 4.2L agent laying bottomward 400 hp and 354 lb-ft. of torque. It tips the scales at 3,142 lbs. and should additionally top out at 187 mph. The Aileron should do 0 to 62 mph in a hardly beneath extreme, but still absorbing 4.5 seconds.
While no added capacity accept been accustomed apropos the LM85’s latest alley version, it will be added than account the delay back it absolutely hits the road. Keep an eye out for this babyish back it rolls out but additionally be assured that it will bake a aperture through your abridged and more!

How To Plan a Car Audio System

Start off basic has always been my motto. If you start out planning a basic car audio system, you can then add later on the much more complex car audio components, which will improve sound and bass. But for now stick to the basics and you won't feel like you are in it over your head.

First of all look out for a quality head unit for your car. Prices range from £50 up to a thousand, depending on what you want from a car head unit. At the lower end, you can get a basic car CD Mp3 player, which has minimalist functions. In the higher up price bracket, you'll get head units with more gadgets and functions, or a simpler head unit which has an increased quality of output and few good quality functions. For instance, a more expensive head unit may have a dampening function, which dampens outside noises, making your listening experience more pleasurable.

Subsequently to this, decide upon the accessories you are going to use. Obviously if you want to hear your music in the back as well as the front of the car, you will need coaxial mid-range speakers careful placed in the rear, just behind the back passengers. A tweeter may also be added to the front near the head unit, enabling you to hear the higher pitches in the music. Then of course, if you want to hear bass, you will need a subwoofer or two. To start off with you could purchase a small subwoofer, at around 10-12 inches, as these will not take up too much room in your car and they are generally the least expensive.

Depending on the type of music you listen and how bothered you are about quality will reinforce your choices on these options. If you listen to bass heavy music alone, subs would be the option for you. On the other hand if you listen to a variety of music, going for all the accessories will help you to hear through your car audio system all the spectrum of sounds.

Now you will need to correctly power your system through an amp, which will regulate the power to your car audio accessories. To channel power to the front and back speakers, you will need a 4 channel amp as these make it far easier than a 2 channel amp to adjust levels between front and back.

If you want a really high quality system, you could easily end up spending thousands. If you don't have the extra cash available, start out with the very basics, a head unit, amp and coaxial speakers or component kit, which you can purchase for around £200 in total. As you save more money, then you can add the rest to your car slowly and surely until its ideal for you and your music tastes.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marie_Coles

How Subwoofers in Your Car Work

The construction of a subwoofer is simple and easy to understand. In this article I will give you some background on the working of a subwoofer and the construction.

The construction of the sub woofer is so easy to understand. The main components of the subwoofer speaker are the voice coil, the magnet, cone, and the frame (basket)

Image Courtesy: jbl.com

All these parts is put together to get a speaker you can use to reproduce sound. The magnet is the devise that will cause the coil to move. But first let's take a look t the magnet of the speaker, every one know what a magnet is. The magnet has a circle cut out of the center of the magnet, this gap if for the voice coil. The coil must be able to move freely in this piece of space.

The voice coil is the devise the cause the speaker to move, with the help of an alternating current. The coil is attached to the speaker cone; this will help the voice coil to stay in position and to move the air particle to generate sound. The voice coil is the fragile part of the speaker, it consist if a thin very long wire. If you apply to much power to the subwoofer it is usually this part if the speaker that breaks, the coil run hot and melt.

The cone of the speaker is the part of the speaker that moves the air particles. This is a critical part of a subwoofer; with low frequencies you need a large cone size to reproduce those low frequencies. Low frequency is a heavy frequency and you need a lot of movement to accurately reproduce them.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alyssa_Mora

2Fast Sport Cars | 2010 Steeda Q550 Mustang StreetFighter

2010 Steeda Q550 Mustang is already to fight in street. This Steeda Q550 will introduce at Los Angles auto show occation. 2010 Steeda Q550 Mustang is the latest creation of steeda autosports for street fighter edtion. This steeda is the ultimate street performance pony car that developed to get perfectly of daily ride and racetrack warrior. High performance used is steeda power package mounted vehicle features for Ford Sucper charger racing. Supported by aerodynamic design and aeroforce gauges, 2010 Steeda Q550 Mustang has great accelerated which need 4 seconds from 0 to 60 mph.

The aerodynamic design appearance becomes additional value beside high performance of steeda 550 streetfighter. Moreover, vehicle’s race style is strengthened by a HRE monoblock p40 wheels for high performance with dimensions 275/35 in front and 315/35 in the rear.

2Fast Sport Cars | Jaguar XKR 75 2010 2Fast Sport Cars

2010 Jaguar XKR 75 - first test drive

Exclusive Jaguar XKR 75 made his debut at 2010 Goodwood speed. Jaguar Land Rover CEO, Dr. Ralf Speth, has challenged the team of engineers to build the Jaguar XKR Jaguar to celebrate 75, which will provide a combination of increased performance, superb chassis control and grip levels of management to inspire fans to explore the potential capacity to drive the XKR.

Mike O’Driscoll, managing director, Jaguar Cars, said: “The Jaguar XKR 75 will provide owners with an exclusive, fun and a bit of the Jaguar heritage. This is a way to celebrate the power of the XK sports trademark name Jaguars 75 years,” he said.

2010 Jaguar XKR 75 - interior design

Jaguar engineers have been improving the power and torque from a supercharged 5.0-liter 530p recognized and 655nm, respectively for the 75 Jaguar XKR, to offer performance truly extraordinary. Although the speed limit in a limited edition model is limited electronically to 174 mph (280 kmh), with the Jaguar XKR 75 times 0-60mph (100 km / h) acceleration was reduced by 4.6 to 4.4 seconds from the 510 PS standard XKR.

Use of lightweight aluminum rigid architecture of the XK as a strong foundation, the rise of the Jaguar XKR counterbalanced by the chassis 75, a dynamic agile handling are very, very good ride and stop with time to convince surefooted after time.

2010 Jaguar XKR 75 - speed performa

The revision of the Jaguar XKR 75 feature suspension and handling precision and agility for improved performance. To ensure the Jaguar XKR 75 remained stable at high speeds, wrapped with revised front aerodynamic splitter, side jamb extensions, a rear diffuser and rear wing provide a better balance and greater loss of lift. Computer Active Differential Control accordance XKR also reduce the sensitivity of direction at high speed, further enhancing the stability and driver control.

And with enhanced acoustic package for sports with semi-active exhaust, Jaguar XKR 75 products thunderous pulse racing at peak performance.

natural experiment based on the car, however, has not been achieved at the expense of traditional values Jaguar and comfort improvements.

“We designed the XR 75 as a sports car with the duality of character that make it suitable for driving in Europe at the Nürburgring, finishing a lap very quickly, then go home again said Mike Cross, chief engineer for vehicle integrity.

The Jaguar XKR 75 features of the new Stratus Gray arrived. red brake calipers contrast, eye-catching 20-inch Vortex forged alloy polished finish with black light technology and diamonds turn. Customers will have the opportunity to apply the single graphic body that runs from front bumper to the back of the back.

Jaguar XKR Interior complete 75 environmental performance based drivers finished in charcoal with a point d’Ivoire, piano-black finish dashboard and center console and the main Jet Suede.

Jaguar XKR 75 THE FLASH

The uniqueness of exclusive features of the new XKR 75 include:

* Increased performance by recalibrating the engine and transmission details
o More power to 530p (compared with 510 PS on XKR)
Not much at 655nm torque (625Nm at cons XKR)
There is no torque converter upgraded to handle the increased torque
* Suspension system enhanced to improve the accuracy and agility
o Increase the spring and damper rates (spring 28 percent of the front springs are fixed at the rear 32 percent more rigid)
New aluminum front o the engine and completely revised rear suspension for improved vertical camber stiffness (up 25 per cent)
o Dynamic Adaptive Re-listening damper control software
Reduce no. ride height (15mm front and 10mm rear)
* Body Pack finished aerodynamic body color front splitter, rocker extensions and rear diffuser, and body-colored rear spoiler and larger rear deck lid finisher
* Sports exhaust with increased performance and acoustics – the new system and crossover pipe exhaust outlet
Stratus Grey paint * New graphics outside of the package option
* Red calipers approximately 20 “Vortex forged alloy wheels in light, dark gray diamonds
* Performance XKR charcoal leather interior and the point of d’Ivoire, with Jet Suede headlining and baseplate 75 XKR
* Active Front Lighting
* Final Calibration done in collaboration with the engineering team has been working with RSR Jaguar for 2010 program of motorsport.

Production of the Jaguar XKR 75 is limited to 75 vehicles will be available around July 2010 in England, OTR price of £ 85.500. customer shipments will commence in October 2010.

BMW Sports Car Concept Revealed

BMW Sports Car Concept Revealed

Sports Car manufacturer BMW has revealed their latest concept vehicle. BMW is scheduled to show off this beauty at the Frankfurt Motor Show in a couple of weeks. “The Vision Efficient Dynamics is a plug-in hybrid sports car with a new dynamic exterior and interior design language. But underneath the eye catching design is a smaller and more efficient engine BMW is exploring for possible future use.” This amazing vehicle is the wave of the future, more dynamic vehicles made with the concept of environmental preservation constantly on the mind of engineers. Check out the rest of the post for more images of this great vehicle.

Renting a Car in a Foreign Country

One of the best ways to really get to know a foreign country while on vacation is to travel its back roads and byways. Doing so is generally allowed, but Americans do have to keep a few things in mind when attempting to rent a car in a foreign country. For the smoothest possible transaction, some advanced planning can come in handy. It is also wise to do some homework about driving in the country of choice, too.

To rent a car in a foreign country, it is recommended that you do these things in advance: Find out about licensing - Most western European countries will accept a standard American state license. Still, it is smart to make sure before going on faith. If an International Driving Permit is required, get one in advance of arrival. Automobile club locations can help on this front.

Check on insurance requirements - Not all American policies will translate to foreign rented vehicles. Before heading out, find out what your insurance policy will and will not cover on foreign soil. It may be that you will have to purchase a temporary foreign policy.

Secure the car in advance - It is always wise to put in a reservation for a rental car well in advance of arrival. The rule of thumb is to start looking about three weeks before you go. Your travel agent can help on this and so can many American car rental companies that have counterparts or branches on foreign soil. If possible, pay for the car in advance.

Once you have your licensing and car situation straightened out, there are things you might want to consider before heading out. Doing these things in advance of a trip can make the miles ahead much more enjoyable:

Plan out your route - Study up on road maps and even check with an automobile club about planning a route for you to take on your trip. The more you know about the roadways and the safest possible routes, the better.

Study foreign road signs - Make sure you understand what the roadway signs look like and what they mean in the country you plan on driving in. Americans are often thrown a curveball when they see signs written in languages they do not understand. Study up and learn at least the language of driving before you go.

Understand the rules of the road - In addition to learning about signs, it is also wise to study up on the rules of the road where you are going. In countries like Spain, for example, it is law that you have emergency flags on board a vehicle at all times. The more you know about local motoring laws, the less likely you are to run afoul of the law. Should you run into a problem in a foreign country, do be prepared to pay fines immediately. It is not uncommon for law enforcement to hold licenses or permits until all fines are paid.

Renting a car in a foreign country is not much different from securing one at home. Do plan in advance and take the time to learn the rules before you go. The more you know, the more enjoyable your trip is likely to be.

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Mazda Furai Wallpaper

Despite by the concept car that could be driven, rarely this car was driven exceeded 2 mph when being moved from transporter headed space pameran.Namun this did not happen to Mazda Furai, this vehicle initially the race car of American LeMans Series that was wrapped bodi just that was more "legal" to in the road umum.3 the Wankel Furai Rotor Machine progressed with E100 Ethanol that could give the power 450 powers kuda.Furai in significant Indonesian the "wind voice"

Ferrari F430 Gets a Unique Paint Styling

The Ferrari F430 is going to make its way quite soon with the replacement of the vehicle at Frankfurt show; two German firms have joined hands to give F430 a real unique style of branding with their efforts, these firms are Novitec Rosso and Unique Sportscars.

The new tattoo-style painting, which is a masterpiece of well-known airbrush artist Knud Tiroch, is going to answer many questions that are not asked usually including how it looks like if spent too much time with it on beach at Venice.

The full work over to this vehicle has been given by Novitec with its double superchargers that will offer it 707hp that is a lot more than F430 Evoluzione and that seems quite exceptional with TuNero version and with its adjustable suspension and requisite 20” wheels.

Some nice changes have also been introduced in the interior that adds daytime strip lights aside from front splitter, Novitec body kit and lots of other modifications.

With all these mods, the custom will be able to hit 60 in 3.5 seconds and it will be at 216mph at its top speed. According to Unique Sports Car, only 11 models of it to be introduced that really seems to make it a great choice for those who know that there is no accounting for taste. So, we can guess that will be offered only to some selected ones.

TOP 5 SEXIEST SUSTAINABLE SPORTS CARS

It is often said that for green cars to be taken seriously, serious car buffs must realize that they can compete with the big boys. You see, most people think that you just can’t get proper mileage out of electric cars, that they are ugly, and most importantly, that they just can’t go fast. Well, to prove them wrong, and to start out our brand new Transportation Tuesdays series, we’d like to bring to you the top 5 greenest, fastest, and sexiest beauties on wheels that we’ve ever seen. Counting down from 5 to 1, here they are…

5. Saab Aero-X

It’s encouraging to see car manufacturers look for alternative fuel sources to power their vehicles. This particular concept by Saab comes equipped with an ethanol guzzling 2.8L twin-turbocharged V6 that can get you from 0 to 100kph/60mph in 4.2 seconds. Even cooler, the car has no doors, rather, the entire top canopy section of the car opens up, making it one of the most unique designs out there. Sadly, the car is still on concept stage. But one can still dream.

4. Venturi Fetish

Looking like something out of a spy movie, the Venturi Fetish is the world’s only in production electric sports car. While its top speed is only 100mph, it’ll give you plenty of power in the initial acceleration as it does a good 0-100kph/60mph in about 5 seconds. sadly, only 25 cars are being produced a year. But this list wouldn’t be complete without it.

3. Citroen C-Metisse Concept

Unveiled at the Paris show last year, the Citroen C-Metisse Concept is another attempt to create a diesel hybrid car. What’s so exciting about that? well this particular vehicle can operate in a Zero Emission mode, an all electric mode perfect for city cruising, while giving you access to the power of the diesel engine when needed in the motorway. While not as fast as the Saab, the fact that it has a mixed mode engine puts it just a bit higher in our list.

2. Toyota FT-HS

Now when talking about power, you can’t help but wish that you had access to a FT-HS. So far, most of these have been concept cars. Not this one though, as this vehicle is scheduled to go into production in 2009. Soon we can all be salivating at the beauty of its advanced hybrid – gasoline system, capable of moving you from 0 to 100kph/60mph in an astonishing four seconds flat. Now that’s what we call power!

1. The Tesla Roadster

No list would be complete, without what is probably the greenest sports car in the planet. The Tesla Roadster, is the cream of the top. The fully electrically powered sports car can do 0-100kph/60mph in a little over 4 seconds. To give you an idea of how cool this car is, if we were to calculate the fuel efficiency of this vehicle it would be the equivalent of 135 miles PER GALLON! Not bad for a fully electrically powered vehicle. Take that Ferrari!

Aston Martin Racing reveals E85 Vantage GT2

Aston Martin Racing has revealed the first impressions of its new GT2 racing car. Known as the Vantage GT2, the new car is based on the V8 engined Aston Martin Vantage road car. The new car will mean Aston Martin is the only manufacturer to offer cars in every GT racing category: GT1 – DBR9; GT2 – Vantage GT2; GT3 – DBRS9; GT4 – Vantage N24. For the first time, Aston Martin Racing is designing this car to run on either standard race fuel or E85 bio-ethanol (where regulations allow). In 2007, Aston Martin Racing successfully converted a standard DBRS9 to run on E85. Robin Brundle, Aston Martin Racing’s new managing director, said: “The new Vantage GT2 completes our product portfolio for 2008 with competitive cars now available in every category. Thanks to our experience with the DBRS9, we have been able to develop a bio-ethanol fuelled version, which will be eligible to compete in an increasing number of series now accommodating this greener fuel, including the American Le Mans Series.”

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport

Want to own the fastest production car ever built? Then prepare to pony up the mountains of cash it will take to get you the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport ($TBA). With its 16-cylinder, turbocharged and intercooled engine tuned to produce 1,200 hp — nearly 200 more than the typical Veyron 16.4, if there is such a thing — this world-beater offers lateral acceleration of up to 1.4G, carbon-fiber composite body panels, central rear exhaust system, and a top speed of 257.9 mph, which is less than the 267.8 it averaged when taking the production car land speed record, but is certainly enough to outrun the local police should you get in trouble for exercising your need for speed.

The Otto Club

The world is a busy place, and sometimes folks just don't have time to research their next car purchase — especially when their cars are like this. The Otto Club ($13500 - $35000) is a Boston-based club that offers members the chance to drive some of the world's greatest rides. Pricing is based on a points system, with the Red level offering 15,000 points — about 20-30 days of driving for $13,500. The Black level, $19,500 per year, offers 30,000 points, or around 40-60 days of driving. Cars available include the Lamborghini Murcielago, the Ferrari 430 Coupe, and Bentley Continental GT. Unfortunately, the service is currently only available in the Boston area (they have a clubhouse opening soon in downtown), but we spoke with the company's president and he assured us that the company does plan to expand in the future. Right now though, if you're in Boston and have both the means and a love of cars, check it out.

FIAT Bugster – environmentally friendly fun

While most cars designed to protect the environment look, at best, well-meaning, at worst, plain dull, the FIAT Bugster is designed to make saving the planet outrageous fun.

As might be expected when a group of Brazilians and Italians, two countries not renowned for their wall-flower tendencies, got together to produce a car under the “Environment and Fun” banner they came up with the FIAT Bugster – an all electric off-road car designed to be charged at home.

But, for a technical first, the Bugster is not so much mid-engined, as mid-batteried. The 93 Lithium-Ion batteries, being the heaviest part of the drivetrain, have been mounted in the middle of the car to provide optimum weight distribution to achieve the best level of handling and roadholding – issues that usually don’t trouble the minds of people designing hybrids and electric cars.

To make the most of its 59 kW and 220 Nm of torque, the electric engine is mated to the same Dualogic sequential manual gearbox as used in the FIAT Punto, so as to provide a sporty response and yet more fun.

Beyond the engine and the bright green paint there are many more ingenious ideas – the tools in the tool kit are made from recycled plastic reinforced with natural sisal fibres; the seats are made from foam produced with 30 per cent recycled soya bean oil and body panels use clay that had been modified by nanotechnology to make it suitable for car bodywork use.

Entirely built by FIAT’s Brazilian division, the Bugster makes its world debut this week (30 October 2008) at the Sao Paulo Motor Show and is the latest in FIAT’s long history of environmental advanced cars. FIAT, for example, produce for the Latin American market the first car to be able to run on four different fuels, the FIAT Siena Tetrafuel, which uses pure ethanol, a petrol/ethanol blend, pure petrol or compressed natural gas.

Not only is this unique car capable of running on each of the four fuels, it automatically switches to whichever energy source is most suitable for the driving demands being placed on it.

Original Batmobile Spotted at Car Wash?

It’s no secret that Southern California is home to one of the best car cultures in the world. You can find a cruise or car show pretty much any day of the year, and it’s always amazing to see the vehicles that show up. It’s even incredible to see the kinds of cars that are simply out and about performing normal, everyday tasks. In addition to the usual Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches, you can sometimes catch some truly unique cars out in the wild.

Take, for instance, this original Batmobile that was out getting a wash and wax at the Car Spa in Newport Beach this weekend. It’s the fourth of four original Batmobiles built by George Barris back in 1966 and is known as the “dragster” version because of its 427ci Holman and Moody V8 under the hood and dual parachutes attached to the rear. The car was built to serve as an exhibition model and actually raced at several drag strips around the country back in the 1960’s. It also comes with a working saw blade that drops down at the front and can actually shoot flames out the back. We tip our hats to the fine gentleman that actually drives this thing on the street.