By Christopher Tan
Senior Correspondent

ELECTRIC MERC

Daimler is close to producing its first electric car with a petrol engine as back-up (above). The Mercedes-Benz Concept BlueZERO E-Cell Plus has a range of up to 590km, with close to 100km done solely under electric power.

Aiding its lithium-ion electric drivetrain is a 68bhp three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which can charge the batteries on the go as well as drive the car.

CHARGED SALES PACT

Mitsubishi Motors and PSA Peugeot- Citroen have entered into an agreement to market the Mitsubishi i-MiEV1 electric car in Europe. The battery-powered subcompact will be available in Peugeot and Citroen guises from late next year.

Mitsubishi will start selling right-handdrive versions of the i-MiEV1 this year.

BRIGHTER TYRE SHOPS

Goodyear is revamping at least 20 tyre shops in Singapore. In a programme co-funded by its dealers, the tyre manufacturer is spending more than S$50,000 a store in the islandwide spruce-up.

The plan is to transform "dark and messy" outlets into bright premises with proper display and lounge areas.

DUAL-CLUTCH BIKES

Honda has developed the world's first dual-clutch gearbox for motorcycles.

The super fast, smooth and efficient transmission, pioneered by Volkswagen Group and now found in a wide range of cars, will be fitted on sportier large displacement Honda bikes from next year. It will come with three shifting modes.

GULLWING TAKES FLIGHT

Mercedes-Benz has released details of its SLS AMG, its first gullwing sports car in over 50 years.

Built on an aluminium spaceframe body and powered by a 6.3-litre V8 producing 570bhp and 650Nm of torque, the car will reach 100kmh in 3.8 seconds and an electronically capped top speed of 315kmh. It has a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

SUPER MCLAREN

Behold the McLaren MP4-12C, the third McLaren set to wow the supercar world in 2011.

It promises a host of superlatives, including an all-carbonfibre body that weighs only 80kg, a twin- turbo 3.8-litre V8 pumping out 600bhp and 600Nm of torque (80 per cent of torque available from below 2,000rpm), a dual-clutch gearbox that is able to handle all that twisting force, and a battery of stability programs.

It will wear carbon-ceramic brakes and have BrakeSteer, which dials out oversteer in corners.

What is really far out is a spoiler system that provides additional braking power.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.

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