Click above for more images of the Trident Iceni

A biodiesel-powered supercar with an all-stainless steel chassis, composite bodywork and beautiful curves? Are we in heaven? Nope, just the UK. We've seen this car before, but Trident Performance Vehicles has upped the ante on eco-friendly supercars with its latest Iceni. Now powered by a Duramax turbo diesel engine with 550 horsepower at 3800 rpm and a gut-wrenching 950 ft-lbs. of torque at just 1800 rpm, the Iceni is reportedly capable of achieving well over 200 miles per hour. No need to go that fast? That's alright, the Iceni is quite the quarter mile king too, launching itself to sixty in just 3.7 seconds and surely tripping the lights at an equally astronomical figure. Fuel mileage is about 57 miles per gallon U.S.

Trident says that any blend of biodiesel is just fine with them and will not void your warranty. Of course, that would assume that you could actually purchase one of these fine specimens, which is currently not the case as the company is currently hoping for some additional funding. If they do make it to market, expect a £75,000 hit to your wallet (that's roughly US$140,000).


[Source: Trident Performance Vehicles]

Click on picture for high-resolution picture

One of Europe's sexiest sedans, the Peugeot 407, has gotten a mid-life boost. Besides some aesthetic tweaks, Peugeot has updated the 2.0-liter HDi 140 engine with a 6-speed manual gearbox which develops 140hp - an increase of 4hp over the previous HDi 136. It also benefits from lower fuel consumption, at 49.5 mpg imperial (41 mpg U.S. or 5.7 l/100 km) and CO₂ emissions have been reduced to 150 g/km. It also gets a Diesel Particulate Filter (nicknamed FAP at Peugeot) as standard. The FAP is also available on the 1.6-liter 110hp base diesel model. Two additional diesels, a 170hp and a V6, remain available. All PSA diesel engines built after 1998 are certified to use biodiesel blends up to 30 percent. For flex-fuel lovers, Peugeot is offering a new 2.0-litre 'Bioflex' engine that can burn E85 fuel starting in November. Full UK press release after the jump.



[Source: Peugeot]

Click above for more images of Top Gear's crashed G-Wiz

Top Gear has never been kind to the G-Wiz, that electric Quadricycle that's only available across the pond in Europe. In this video, Jeremy Clarkson - star of the U.K. Top Gear shows - definitively proves that a table is a better, faster and safer mode of transportation. But, that's not the only time that Top Gear has tested the G-Wiz's safety. In this video, Top Gear tested the electric vehicle's crashworthiness by smashing one head-first into a concrete barrier at 40 miles per hour. Considering that the G-Wiz is not required to meet safety regulations - it is not intended to be driven at high speeds - the results are rather predictable, but a bit scary nonetheless. After the test, it seems that the wrecked G-Wiz EV was ignominiously left for dead at the Top Gear offices in the U.K. Anybody interested in picking up a slightly used, though still currently registered, G-Wiz can check the eBay auction here. Proceeds go to the Children in Need charity.


[Sources: eBay, Top Gear]

Going up against awesome track-ready machinery such as the Lotus Elise, KTM X-Bow and Ariel Atom is the new Jetstream SC250. While any minimalist car might somehow be considered green, nothing says anti-eco like a heavy lump of metal and plastic burning fuel solely for the enjoyment of its driver. To lessen the environmental impact somewhat, the SC250's GM-supplied 2.0-liter turbo four is capable of running on ethanol. Not only that, but that engine allows for a four-second run to sixty miles per hour while returning an average of 38 miles per gallon, according to the manufacturer, though the mileage figure would likely drop somewhat when run on an ethanol blend. We do take a bit of issue with the car's styling, though, as it looks a bit like a block of cheese running down the road. Plus, we know there are prettier ways to burn ethanol on your next track-day.

[Source: Autocar]

The new Ford Fiesta - available used sometime next decade

The market for used fuel-efficient small cars is just as vital in the UK as it is in the U.S. these days. EurotaxGlass's, publisher of the Glass's Guide, has announced that values of big vehicles "continue to fall at above-average rates as growing numbers of UK motorists shift into smaller vehicles in an effort to lower their running costs." Those costs are a combination of fuel prices and higher taxes on dirty vehicles, which are often those same large vehicles. Here's a good quote from Adrian Rushmore, EurotaxGlass's managing editor: "The current economic climate has accelerated a trend of downsizing in all but the smallest used car segments." In other words, every time that drivers could possibly downsize, they do.

One upside for the UK economy: at least some cars are selling well.

[Source: EurotaxGlass's]

We have heard all about these European hypermilers who manage to churn out 45-50mpg U.S. in production cars, usually with high-technology turbocharged diesels. However, British TV station Channel 4's motoring website 4Car has carried out real-world fuel economy tests on eight low-emissions cars (5 diesels, 2 gasoline and one hybrid) and has found out that they didn't meet the official mileage and CO₂ emission figures. Although the EU driving cycle is more theoretical than real-world driving, the difference is quite stunning. For instance, the worst offender was the Ford Focus Econetic, which got 11mpg Imperial (9mpg U. S. or almost 1l/100 km) worse in the Channel 4 tests than the official numbers whould have us believe. Moreover, higher fuel usage means that these cars pollute more than expected, and means they should fall in a different Vehicle Excess Duty (Road Tax) band and the driver should pay a higher rate. Follow us after the jump for the complete list and their press release which explains their evaluating method.

[Source: 4Car]

Click above to enlarge the Kiddiemoto GSX-R

Suzuki has recently launched a new two-wheeler in the U.K. which emits absolutely zero emissions. Not only that, the entire machine is made from sustainable materials. Best of all, the bike costs just £99.00. Perhaps the Kiddiemoto GSX-R wooden child-sized bike isn't exactly street legal, but we don't imagine that kids aged 2+ should be venturing out on the street anyway. Painted up just like their dad's GSX-R, the kiddies can spend all kinds of time pretending to slay the dragon.

The Kiddiemoto GSX-R is reportedly made almost entirely of birch wood and it's way cooler than those wooden horses we had as kids. If you like this idea, but need something a bit more adult-sized, be sure to check out the Wikerbike which we featured over on Autoblog a while back. Proof positive that some people have way too much free time on their hands.

[Source: Suzuki GB via Visordown]

London trucking got a bit greener today as Daimler AG has delivered ten Fuso Canter Eco Hybrids to various customers in the city. The 7.5-ton hybrid trucks are expected to save about 15-percent in both fuel and carbon emissions using a diesel engine and electric drivetrain. The eight customers were specifically chosen to study what the economic benefits of the fuel savings could be, since all the trucks will be used in slightly different roles. Daimler hopes that it will become apparent after the three-year test what roles the trucks are best suited for. Daimler has even created a special service center in London for servicing of the trucks, which were delivered pre-painted in each of the customers' colors. Quite acomodating of the German automaker, wouldn't you say? The trucks themselves were introduced in 2006 and have proven popular in Japan. Daimler hopes that European customers will find that the fuel savings over a couple of years will make up for the higher initial cost that the hybrid trucks are saddled with.

[Source: Daimler AG]

People who insist that cruising the streets of London should be done in an electric vehicle like the G-Wiz (pictured) can't really complain that the city isn't supporting them them with ways to power their rides (see also here and here). The latest addition to the EV charging infrastructure in London will be in the southern and western parts of the city - in the buroughs of Wandsworth, Richmond Upon Thames, Sutton and Hammersmith & Fulham - and is made up of nine new charging stations. The devices go online tomorrow and will be open to unlimited used for anyone willing to drop a £100 annual fee. The exact locations of the charging stations is listed here. The chargers, called Elektrobays (others are known as Juice Points), are a joint project of SWELTRAC, Transport for London, the Energy Saving Trust, EDF Energy and Elektromotive. Thanks to Adam V.

[Source: Smart Planet]

It seems that oil prices are going down these days but gas prices are still high at the pump. But what's the maximum price we want to pay at the pump before we look for alternatives (i. e. public transport)? In the case of Britain, insurance company Esure found that this price was £1.75 per liter. If one quid (the British slang for 1 pound) is about $1.93 and there are 3.79 liters in a gallon, this makes $12.80. Currently, UK's current average price is £1.15, which is $8.4/gal. Other interesting facts from this research showed that 17 percent would drive even at £2/liter, almost $15/gal. Esure then lists a few fuel-saving tips. Find the press release after the jump.

[Source: Esure.com]

Click above to enlarge the Cannonball Run-winning smart fortwo

Though the original Cannonball Run, organized in the early seventies by then Car and Driver editors Brock Yates and Steve Smith, is no longer officially run in the United States where it started, a version of the event still takes place in Europe. Amazingly, despite all of the high-power entrants into this year's race, a smart fortwo managed to take the victory after traveling some 3,000 miles. The machine was already a few years old and had been modified with a revised engine map from BRABUS along with some basic suspension goodies. Other than that, the little two-seater was basically stock. According to its drivers, David Ward and Adrian Hull, from Essex in the U.K., they were able to zoom past many of the faster moving cars due to their relatively good fuel mileage. In fact, over the course of the trip, the duo managed to average around 35 miles per gallon. Read about their trip on their blog here. Proceeds for the victory went to the NSPCC.

[Source: smart]

Gasrec, a British company that produces liquid biomethane fuel, Veolia, which works in waste management and truck manufacturer Iveco have joined forces to test a new truck. The CNG Iveco Daily Light will be run for six months on biomethane obtained from a landfill in Surrey by Gasrec. It will be compared alongside regular CNG-powered Iveco Dailys to check performance and emissions. The vehicle will be refuelled at a refuelling station installed by Gasrec at Camden Council's York Way depot. According to Gasrec, biomethane is the most sustainable biofuel available and it reduces emissions by 70 percent, compared to regular diesel trucks. Thanks to Jason for the tip.

[Source: Italiaspeed]

Big news: another politician has made an open-ended commitment with little way of seeing it through. In this week's episode, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown -- who previously committed to switch his Vauxhall for a Prius but then went for the V8 Jag once he got into office -- told local newspaper the Sunday Mirror that he'd give his armor-plated Jaguar the boot and replace it with an electric vehicle as his official mode of ground transportation.

Well that's nice, but we can hardly imagine the world leader being driven around in a Prius or a G Wiz, especially when a Downing Street spokesman points out that, "A new vehicle for the PM must meet security requirements like special strengthening and bullet-proof glass." Somewhere, somebody's got to be testing the impact of weighing down a Lexus LS600h with iron plates and reinforced glass.

[Source: Sunday Mirror via All Cars, All the Time]

Now that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pledged some £90 million for the development of clean vehicles in the U.K., General Motors is seeing plenty to like about the European market for its E-Flex vehicles. The automaker has already reversed its stance on building the electric cars in America and shipping them overseas, with the Ellesmere Port plant now being considered for Opel and Vauxhall EVs. Just how many electric cars could GM sell in Europe? According to Bob Lutz, plenty. In fact, GM believes it could move as many as 30,000 units in the first year of availability, with the worldwide figure of one million by 2020.

While those sales targets are pretty ambitious, so are the goals of Gordon Brown. If the Prime Minister has things his way, all new cars sold in Britain by 2020 will be electric. Oh, and built in the U.K. (editor's note: FAT CHANCE!), which could become a small step closer to reality if GM decides to go with the Ellesmere Port factory.


[Source: Times Online]

There's lots of green-car action taking place at this years British International Motor Show (BIMS) and although we can't be there in person, our vlogger pal Danny is. Today, Danny has a fresh interview with Darryl Siry from Tesla who was at the show to check out the Lightning GT reveal accompany a Roadster while it sits on display for the public to longingly cast their eyes upon. Mr. Siry was forthcoming in answering most of his queries and we were able to glean a few interesting bits of Tesla news.

The most important information was about the state of European Roadster sales. Although he wouldn't give an exact figure, Danny did manage to wrest from the marketing VP that they've sold several dozen, in fact, they are "pretty soon going to close in on a hundred". They expect to sell the entire European allotment of 250 units for 2008 before the end of the year. Another eyebrow raiser was the mention of plans for Euro stores, including one on the outskirts of London, possibly in the direction of Surrey. They go on to discuss other things such as the Model S deployment strategy, batteries and the Roadster drivetrain 1.5. If you're in need of a Tesla fix with a British accent, hit the jump.

[Source: Danny's Contentment]