Now that the Tesla sports car has gone belly-up, here is the latest phallic-symbol automobile for the aging millionaires on Vortex ... the ones who invested wisely in palladium and are possessed with the reqisite greenish social conscience. [who might they be?]
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1049151/The-sports-car-Venice-tank.html The problem with this one - just as with the Tesla - is that the specs are grossly over-hyped. It is basically a revamped TVR Tuscan S which has been around for many years: http://tvrblog.blogspot.com/2008/01/find-of-week-tvr-tuscan-s-mk1-4000-in.html ... but with an 8 speed automatic gearbox [which is the claimed "torque multiplier" LOL] and that is mated to a 375bhp diesel engine which can result in a low engine speed when shifted properly (and constantly) to assist in the claimed economy figures ... which will probably turn out to be much closer to 40 mpg than 70 or 170 mpg which are imaginary numbers being tossed around as if they were somehow real. However - it does demonstrate once again the contentious proposition that *diesels* probably do manage to make as much "green sense" as the PHEV if they are properly engineered - since the net efficiency (mileage per mass of CO2 emitted 'somehwere') is very likely to be more acceptable than the grid plant with other infrastructure losses - which are needed for the plug-in... *especially if the fuel is algoil* (biodiesel made from algae). Trident Performance Vehicles has this web site: http://www.trident-vehicles.co.uk/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 ...and since the engine is a "6.6 liter V8 diesel", and the only one of those (apparently) being made anywhere of this displacement comes from GM (the Allison Duramax) the price is a bit harder to justify unless it "really does" get that kind of mileage (doubtful but hopeful). Anyway, I hope Terry will allow me to do a thorough road test when his arrives (that is: if he got his deposit back from the Tesla). Jones
