CAR TALK
TASTY: PORSCHE’S SPYDER SUPERCAR
Look familiar? This is Porsche’s 918 Spyder supercar in 756bhp race car guise which has gone down a storm at this week’s 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Called the 918 RSR, it has a carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) monocoque chassis and is essentially a teaser for the production car to follow in 2012.
HOT OFF THE PRESS: CITROEN’S FIVE-DOOR HATCHBACK
Citroën’s stylish new C4 five-door hatchback with a class-leading 408-litre boot has just gone on sale. Though there’s a choice of four engines with five or six-speed gearboxes, it’s the fuel-saving HDi 110 diesel engine coupled with the six-speed EGS transmission that’s the most interesting. Capable of 67.3mpg, emissions are just 109g/km.
DEMAND SOARING FOR HEIGHT OF LUXURY
Recession, what recession? Rolls-Royce has just announced that 2010 sales were up a whopping 171 per cent on 2009. The prestigious carmaker sold 2,711 cars last year, mainly in the US, China and the UK. Its new model, the Ghost, has been a massive draw with about 80 percent of buyers new to Rolls-Royce.