Citroen C Metisse Diesel Hybrid Sports Car

Being a concept car there is no surety that we will see this car burning the roads but this concept could soon be seen assuming more realistic proportions for Peugeot 307 and Citroen C4.

This Diesel /Hybrid from Citroen is powered by a 205 hp diesel V6 engine on the front wheels , two electric motors on the rear wheels and does 0 to 60mph in 6.2 seconds .

Paris Motor Show is the place to be for all car fanatics. Starting 30th September, this show is all set to rock with numerous stunning cars and Citroen C-Metisse Diesel Hybrid Sports car is another one causing astir.

2010 Nissan Nismo 370Z

Nissan's new 370Z may be quite nimble, but those hankering for a track-ready package should consider stepping up to the new 2010 Nismo 370Z, which debuts at the 2009 New York auto show.

Like the Nismo 350Z before it, the new car receives a host of suspension revisions designed to glue the Z to the track. Nismo (Nissan's in-house tuning firm) adds a front strut tower brace, performance dampers, increases the front spring rates by 15 percent, and stiffens the rear coils by 10 percent. Coupled with thicker stabilizer bars, the tweaks increase the 370Z's damping factor by 40 percent in front and a whopping 140 percent in the rear.

In order to provide power to match the track prowess, Nismo also fiddled with the Z's engine. The 3.7-liter V-6 is almost identical to that in a normal 370Z, but thanks to a Nismo exhaust system and a tricked-out engine control module, it sees a substantial boost in power. The Nismo-tuned mill produces 350 hp at 7400 rpm (vs. 332 hp @ 7000 rpm) and 276 lb-ft of torque (up from 270) at 5200 rpm. Nismo 370Zs are only available with a six-speed manual transmission, which is equipped with the trick rev-matching system.

Nismo also modifies the 370Z's exterior, adding a new elongated front fascia. Although it does clean up the Z's front appearance, the new snout also incorporates a chin spoiler and twin canards to improve downforce. New side sills are designed to match, and a giant rear spoiler, inspired by racing-spec Zs, is again part of the package. So too are Rays aluminum wheels - these 19-inch pieces are unique to the Nismo Z, although the large vented disc brakes are culled from the 370Z's Sport Package.

The Nismo model throws in a few interior touches, including red stitching on the leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, Nismo logos on the tachometer and cloth bucket seats, and aluminum-trimmed pedals. Don't look for an iPod dock or navigation - the Nismo 370Z makes do with the base four-speaker AM/FM/CD stereo system, and options are otherwise limited to selecting one of five paint colors (red, white, silver, graphite, or black).

Nissan hasn't discussed pricing for the new Nismo model, but does expect cars to arrive at U.S. dealerships sometime in June 2009.

New BMW Concept Active

Coming to the next North American Auto Show in Detroit, BMW will show a 1 Series based EV called the Concept ActiveE. This is yet another piece of evidence that all of the big auto manufacturers will be getting into making electric vehicles in one way or another. And, since this is a BMW, it looks like they’re tying to keep it as fun to drive as possible.

Let’s deal with the specifics first, and then we can talk about the potential impact after that. The BMW Concept ActiveE is rear wheel drive and that means it should be fun to drive, especially when you consider all the torque that electric motors can churn out. And speaking of the EV 1-Series is powered by synchronous electric motor that is all new and was designed and will be purpose built for this car. The motor develops 125 kW/170 bhp, and puts out a maximum torque of 250 Nm / 184 lb-ft. The electric motor gets its juice from a lithium-ion battery pack that was jointly developed by BMW and SB LiMotive (a German electronics firm). The custom tailored battery features a new stable temperature regulating function that optimizes the battery packs performance.

And speaking of charging, keeping the lithium-ion battery pack topped up is handled via conventional power outlets at public charging stations or at a special wall box at home. In Europe, the battery pack can be fully charged at a 50 ampere high-current power outlet in as little as 3 hours. And in North America, using a 32 ampere continuous high-current residential wall box, the charge time is around 4.5 hours.

The ActiveE is just a concept, says BMW, but I wouldn’t be too surprised to see this one on the road soon.

Performance-wise, the little EV should scoot from zero to 100 km/h (62mph) in less than 9 seconds, and tops out at an electronically limited to 145 km/h (90 mph). BMW says that the “real-world range” should be about 160 km / 100 miles on a single charge, depending on conditions.

In wanting to bring the performance up to BMW standards, they have kept the center of gravity low and have kept weight distribution as even as possible. When you add this to the rear drive layout, then it’s easy to believe that the BMW Concept ActiveE ” … has everything it requires to provide the dynamic driving properties and agile handling in the style of the BMW 1 Series,” as BMW says.

Weight? Well, as for all things EV, it’s kind of on the porky side. The BMW Concept ActiveE tips weighs 1,800 kilograms or 3900 lbs. Given the size of the BMW 1 Series, that is pretty hefty, but not all that bad for an EV.