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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><itunes:author>Chris Shunk, Sam Abuelsamid and Dan Roth</itunes:author><itunes:image href="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/autoblog-podcast-itunes.jpg" /><itunes:summary>The podcast by the people who obsessively cover the auto industry.</itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Games and Hobbies"><itunes:category text="Automotive" /></itunes:category><item><title><![CDATA[Aston Martin shows off completed Cygnet, Euro sales planned for 2010]]></title><link>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/12/16/aston-martin-shows-off-completed-cygnet-euro-sales-planned-for/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://green.autoblog.com/2009/12/16/aston-martin-shows-off-completed-cygnet-euro-sales-planned-for/</guid><comments>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/12/16/aston-martin-shows-off-completed-cygnet-euro-sales-planned-for/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/aston-martin/" rel="tag">Aston Martin</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/toyota/" rel="tag">Toyota</a></p><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/gallery/aston-martin-cygnet/"><img hspace="0" vspace="4" border="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/12/cygnet-frt-1-copy.jpg" alt="" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>Aston Martin Cygnet - click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
Earlier this year, we saw photos of <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/aston-martin/">Aston Martin</a> designers working on a clay-covered <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/toyota/">Toyota iQ</a> in the studio and applying typical Aston styling queues to it. Creating a leather clad urban commuter car seems like a dubious proposition for a brand like Aston Martin. Nonetheless, the Cygnet is now complete and Aston has released a fresh batch of photos of the car. <br />
<br />
While the Aston Martin face is well-suited to the extended nose of a DBS or Rapide, it frankly looks a bit overwrought on the front of the tiny Toyota. On the inside, virtually all of the available surfaces have been covered in red and black leather. For the time being, the Cygnet is a concept only, but Aston says it hopes to have it in production in 2010 for European customers.<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/aston-martin-cygnet/low/">Aston Martin Cygnet</a></strong></p><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/aston-martin-cygnet/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/12/cygnet-frt-1-1260968139_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/aston-martin-cygnet/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/12/cygnet-rr-1_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/aston-martin-cygnet/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/12/cygnet-int-1_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/aston-martin-cygnet/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/12/cygnet-build_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />
[Source: Aston Martin]<p><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/12/16/aston-martin-shows-off-completed-cygnet-euro-sales-planned-for/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Aston Martin shows off completed Cygnet, Euro sales planned for 2010</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/12/16/aston-martin-shows-off-completed-cygnet-euro-sales-planned-for/">Aston Martin shows off completed Cygnet, Euro sales planned for 2010</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://green.autoblog.com">Autoblog Green</a> on Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:48:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/12/16/aston-martin-shows-off-completed-cygnet-euro-sales-planned-for/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/forward/19283242/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/12/16/aston-martin-shows-off-completed-cygnet-euro-sales-planned-for/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>aston</category><category>aston martin</category><category>Aston Martin Cygnet</category><category>Aston Martin Cygnet concept</category><category>AstonMartin</category><category>AstonMartinCygnet</category><category>AstonMartinCygnetConcept</category><category>toyota</category><category>toyota iq</category><category>ToyotaIq</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Sam Abuelsamid]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:48:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Aston Martin Cygnet (nee Toyota iQ) to hit European city streets next year?]]></title><link>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/10/08/aston-martin-cygnet-nee-toyota-iq-to-hit-european-city-streets/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://green.autoblog.com/2009/10/08/aston-martin-cygnet-nee-toyota-iq-to-hit-european-city-streets/</guid><comments>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/10/08/aston-martin-cygnet-nee-toyota-iq-to-hit-european-city-streets/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/aston-martin/" rel="tag">Aston Martin</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/toyota/" rel="tag">Toyota</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><!-- sphereit start --><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/aston-martin-cygnet-concept-1/2113553/"><img border="1" vspace="4" hspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/06/58032ast_opt.jpg" alt="" /></a><br />
<small style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Aston Martin Cygnet Concept - Click above to enlarge</small></div>
<br />
Most of us would be willing to kill for the opportunity to have an Aston Martin as our daily commuter. (Then again, most of us here at Autoblog are writers and don't commute much of anywhere). But the British purveyor of luxury GTs figures some of its customers - those based in major European metropolitan centers like London and Paris, for example - could use something a little more compact for driving into the city. Hence the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/29/report-aston-martin-cygnet-adds-a-smart-set-of-clothes-to-the-t/">Cygnet</a>, which as you may recall is essentially a Toyota iQ with some Aston touches.<br />
<br />
News of the car's development broke a few months ago, but the latest reports now indicate that the Aston-badged city car could begin shipping as early as next year. Although no mechanical changes are expected to take place, the pre-assembled units are expected to be shopped to AM's plant in Gaydon, England, where the company will give the citycar its own unique interior, slap on an Aston grille and the requisite badging and raise the price up to $32,000 - about twice the price Toyota fetches for a stock iQ. <br />
<br />
Whether Aston's customers bite remains to be seen, but for our part, we still want to see one of these face off against the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/15/frankfurt-2009-abarth-695-tributo-ferrari-punches-above-its-wei/">Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari</a> for the exotic supermini crown.<br />
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[Source: <a href="http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091005/ANA03/310059995&amp;AssignSessionID=773368621784176">Automotive News</a> - subs req'd]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/10/08/aston-martin-cygnet-nee-toyota-iq-to-hit-european-city-streets/">Aston Martin Cygnet (nee Toyota iQ) to hit European city streets next year?</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://green.autoblog.com">Autoblog Green</a> on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:02:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091005/ANA03/310059995&amp;AssignSessionID=773368621784176>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/10/08/aston-martin-cygnet-nee-toyota-iq-to-hit-european-city-streets/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/forward/19188547/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/10/08/aston-martin-cygnet-nee-toyota-iq-to-hit-european-city-streets/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>aston</category><category>aston cygnet</category><category>aston martin</category><category>aston martin cygnet</category><category>AstonCygnet</category><category>AstonMartin</category><category>AstonMartinCygnet</category><category>cygnet</category><category>iq</category><category>Toyota</category><category>toyota iq</category><category>ToyotaIq</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Noah Joseph]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:02:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Aston Martin dismisses fully electric cars, calls for fuel cells instead]]></title><link>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/23/aston-martin-dismisses-fully-electric-cars-calls-for-fuel-cells/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/23/aston-martin-dismisses-fully-electric-cars-calls-for-fuel-cells/</guid><comments>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/23/aston-martin-dismisses-fully-electric-cars-calls-for-fuel-cells/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/ev-plug-in/" rel="tag">EV/Plug-in</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/hydrogen/" rel="tag">Hydrogen</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/aston-martin/" rel="tag">Aston Martin</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/green-daily/" rel="tag">Green Daily</a></p><a href="http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/242185/hydrogen_the_way_ahead_says_aston.html"><img hspace="4" vspace="4" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/09/aston-martin-green.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />
With electric cars and concepts from established luxury and performance car makers like <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/07/16/officially-official-mercedes-to-produce-electric-sls-gullwing/">Mercedes-Benz</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/15/frankfurt-2009-bmw-vision-efficientdynamics-concept-is-mean-ger/">BMW</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/15/frankfurt-2009-audi-e-tron-is-red-outside-nice-inside/">Audi</a> and <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/15/frankfurt-2009-porsche-confirms-development-of-electric-sportsc/">Porsche</a>, it's at least a wee bit surprising that we've never heard anything about electric vehicles from <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/aston-martin">Aston Martin</a>. Perhaps we now know why. Speaking at the <a href="http://autoblog.com/tag/frankfurt+motor+show/">Frankfurt Motor Show</a> to <em>Auto Express</em> in the U.K., Aston Martin chief Dr. Ulrich Bez said:<br />
<blockquote>
<div><em>The technology for [electric cars] will not become truly usable until at least 2020. Real-world driving will highlight their weaknesses... It is not something Aston Martin is working on, and it will not represent a true alternative to the combustion engine for a long time.</em></div>
</blockquote>So, if not electric vehicles, where should we look for lowered emissions? Hydrogen, apparently. Dr. Bez reportedly called for the automotive industry to focus its efforts on the fuel cell and suggests that governments should invest resources for their development.<br />
<br />
That's certainly not a new sentiment - earlier this month, a consortium or eight automakers <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/09/oems-go-all-out-to-defend-fuel-cells-but-hide-hydrogen-angle/">came out in support of hydrogen fuel cells</a> - but it's important to remember that fuel cell-powered cars are really electric-powered cars that use hydrogen to store energy in lieu of batteries.<br />
<br />
[Source: <a href="http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/242185/hydrogen_the_way_ahead_says_aston.html">Auto Express</a>]<br /><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/23/aston-martin-dismisses-fully-electric-cars-calls-for-fuel-cells/">Aston Martin dismisses fully electric cars, calls for fuel cells instead</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://green.autoblog.com">Autoblog Green</a> on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:45:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/242185/hydrogen_the_way_ahead_says_aston.html>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/23/aston-martin-dismisses-fully-electric-cars-calls-for-fuel-cells/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/forward/19171874/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/09/23/aston-martin-dismisses-fully-electric-cars-calls-for-fuel-cells/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>aston martin</category><category>aston martin electric car</category><category>AstonMartin</category><category>AstonMartinElectricCar</category><category>dr ulrich bez</category><category>DrUlrichBez</category><category>electric aston martin</category><category>electric car</category><category>electric cars</category><category>ElectricAstonMartin</category><category>ElectricCar</category><category>ElectricCars</category><category>hydrogen</category><category>hydrogen aston martin</category><category>hydrogen fuel cell</category><category>HydrogenAstonMartin</category><category>HydrogenFuelCell</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeremy Korzeniewski]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:45:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Student designs fuel cell-powered Aston Martin concept]]></title><link>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/08/25/student-designs-fuel-cell-powered-aston-martin-concept/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://green.autoblog.com/2009/08/25/student-designs-fuel-cell-powered-aston-martin-concept/</guid><comments>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/08/25/student-designs-fuel-cell-powered-aston-martin-concept/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/hydrogen/" rel="tag">Hydrogen</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/aston-martin/" rel="tag">Aston Martin</a></p><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/gallery/aston-martin-volare-concept/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/08/trim-aston-martin-volare.jpg" /></a>
<div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><small>Aston Martin Volare concept - Click above for high-res image gallery</small></strong></em></div>
<br />
James Trim, a 23-year-old designer at Coventry University in the UK, has come up with a unique idea of what a future eco-friendly Aston Martin may look like. We see elements of Aston Martins past and present, along with at least a whiff of Fisker Karma, especially in the front fascia and front fender peaks.<br />
<br />
Powering the conceptual Aston Martin Volare is a centrally-located hydrogen fuel cell that sends its electrons to an electric motor mounted at the front of the car. At the rear sits a battery pack and a pair of hydrogen storage tanks mounted directly behind the two occupants and over the rear axle. Trim believes this arrangement would provide an ideal balance of weight for a performance-minded sportscar. See for yourself in our gallery below.<br />
<br />
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<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/aston-martin-volare-concept/low/">Aston Martin Volare concept</a></strong></p><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/aston-martin-volare-concept/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/08/trim-aston-martin-volare-large_03_thumbnail.jpg" alt="trim-aston-martin-volare-large_03" title="trim-aston-martin-volare-large_03" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/aston-martin-volare-concept/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/08/trim-aston-martin-volare-large_07_thumbnail.jpg" alt="trim-aston-martin-volare-large_07" title="trim-aston-martin-volare-large_07" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/aston-martin-volare-concept/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/08/trim-aston-martin-volare-large_01_thumbnail.jpg" alt="trim-aston-martin-volare-large_01" title="trim-aston-martin-volare-large_01" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/aston-martin-volare-concept/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/08/trim-aston-martin-volare-large_02_thumbnail.jpg" alt="trim-aston-martin-volare-large_02" title="trim-aston-martin-volare-large_02" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/aston-martin-volare-concept/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2009/08/trim-aston-martin-volare-large_08_thumbnail.jpg" alt="trim-aston-martin-volare-large_08" title="trim-aston-martin-volare-large_08" /></a></div><br />
[Source: <a href="http://jamestrim.co.uk/">James Trim</a> via <a href="http://www.worldcarfans.com/109082121188/student-design-aston-martin-volare-concept">World Car Fans</a>]<br /><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/08/25/student-designs-fuel-cell-powered-aston-martin-concept/">Student designs fuel cell-powered Aston Martin concept</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://green.autoblog.com">Autoblog Green</a> on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 07:57:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://jamestrim.co.uk/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/08/25/student-designs-fuel-cell-powered-aston-martin-concept/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/forward/19138653/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/08/25/student-designs-fuel-cell-powered-aston-martin-concept/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>aston martin volare</category><category>aston martin volare concept</category><category>AstonMartinVolare</category><category>AstonMartinVolareConcept</category><category>electric aston martin</category><category>ElectricAstonMartin</category><category>hydrogen</category><category>hydrogen aston martin</category><category>hydrogen fuel cell</category><category>HydrogenAstonMartin</category><category>HydrogenFuelCell</category><category>james trim</category><category>james trim aston martin</category><category>JamesTrim</category><category>JamesTrimAstonMartin</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeremy Korzeniewski]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2009 07:57:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Aston Martin Cygnet to offer "no compromises" luxury interior]]></title><link>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/07/06/aston-martin-cygnet-to-offer-no-compromises-luxury-interior/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://green.autoblog.com/2009/07/06/aston-martin-cygnet-to-offer-no-compromises-luxury-interior/</guid><comments>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/07/06/aston-martin-cygnet-to-offer-no-compromises-luxury-interior/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/etc/" rel="tag">Etc.</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/aston-martin/" rel="tag">Aston Martin</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/toyota/" rel="tag">Toyota</a></p><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/06/29/report-toyota-iq-to-underpin-smartly-dressed-aston-martin-cygne/"><img width="580" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="435" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/06/3gjk1l.jpg" /></a><br />
<div align="center"><small style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Toyota iQ-based Aston Martin Cygnet concept - Click above to enlarge</small><br /></div>
<br />We're still not sure what to think about <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/06/29/report-toyota-iq-to-underpin-smartly-dressed-aston-martin-cygne/">Aston Martin's foray into microcar territory</a> with its Cygnet concept, which is based heavily on the diminutive Toyota iQ. In reality, the supercar-spec front fascia treatment doesn't look all that bad when applied to the Japanese runabout, but there are legitimate concerns that the mere presence of the Cygnet in Aston's lineup will severely damage the brand's good reputation among petrolheads. Perhaps in an effort to appease the critics, Aston Martin chief Dr. Ulrich Bez covered his bases when talking to <em>Auto Express</em>:<br /><blockquote><em>Until now, small cars offered a message that people are buying something cheap. The Cygnet will show that small cars can also make a statement. It will be an intelligent purchase for people concerned about the environment, but who also want to enjoy all the luxury associated with a premium brand such as Aston Martin</em>.<br /></blockquote>Chief among the upgrades Aston Martin plans to make to the basic iQ platform will be an interior swathed in the finest leathers, wood trims and carbon fiber. Sounds nice, but we still question whether the effort will seem disingenuous in light of the Cygnet's plebeian roots.<br /><br />[Source: <a href="http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/238204/cygnets_luxury_pledge.html">Auto Express</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/07/06/aston-martin-cygnet-to-offer-no-compromises-luxury-interior/">Aston Martin Cygnet to offer "no compromises" luxury interior</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://green.autoblog.com">Autoblog Green</a> on Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:56:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/238204/cygnets_luxury_pledge.html>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/07/06/aston-martin-cygnet-to-offer-no-compromises-luxury-interior/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/forward/19087777/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/07/06/aston-martin-cygnet-to-offer-no-compromises-luxury-interior/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>aston martin</category><category>aston martin cygnet</category><category>aston martin cygnet concept</category><category>aston martin iq</category><category>AstonMartin</category><category>AstonMartinCygnet</category><category>AstonMartinCygnetConcept</category><category>AstonMartinIq</category><category>toyota iq</category><category>toyota iq concept</category><category>ToyotaIq</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeremy Korzeniewski]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:56:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[REPORT: Toyota iQ to underpin smartly dressed Aston Martin Cygnet]]></title><link>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/06/29/report-toyota-iq-to-underpin-smartly-dressed-aston-martin-cygne/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://green.autoblog.com/2009/06/29/report-toyota-iq-to-underpin-smartly-dressed-aston-martin-cygne/</guid><comments>http://green.autoblog.com/2009/06/29/report-toyota-iq-to-underpin-smartly-dressed-aston-martin-cygne/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/etc/" rel="tag">Etc.</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/aston-martin/" rel="tag">Aston Martin</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/toyota/" rel="tag">Toyota</a></p><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/06/29/report-toyota-iq-to-underpin-smartly-dressed-aston-martin-cygne/"><img width="580" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="435" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/06/3gjk1l.jpg" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><small style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Toyota iQ-based Aston Martin Cygnet concept</small><br /></div>
<br />Even supercar and luxury GT makers are finally starting to think green. <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/bentley/">Bentley</a> is trying out E85 and possibly working on a hybrid. Same goes for <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/ferrari/">Ferrari</a>. <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/lamborghini/">Lamborghini</a> is even adopting solar power, at least for its factory. The latest premium brand to step to the plate is Aston Martin. Sure, the fine folk from Gaydon have already used E85 in some of their racecars, and Prince Charles is even driving <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/07/01/prince-charles-converts-38-year-old-aston-martin-to-run-on-briti/">a wine-powered Aston</a>, but we just got news that the firm is taking a big step down in order to lower their carbon footprint.<br /><br />Aston Martin has announced the world's first super luxury supermini. Having blown their development budget on the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/20/aston-gets-social-releases-20-new-pics-of-v8-vantage-on-faceboo/">V12 Vantage RS</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/20/spy-shots-this-is-your-aston-martin-rapide/">Rapide</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/27/first-completed-aston-martin-one-77-wins-concorso-deleganza-des/">One-77</a> hypercar, they turned to an unlikely partner for some help: Toyota. Aston Martin has taken the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/08/new-york-2009-the-scion-iq-goes-big-wheels/">Toyota iQ</a> 3+1 commuter and given it a tailored suit from Savile Row. The result is the new Aston Martin Cygnet you see above. In case you're wondering, "cygnet" is a baby swan.<br /><br />Although technically just a concept, word has it that the vehicle will be put into limited production and sold exclusively to existing Aston Martin owners, at least initially. There's a full press release <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/06/29/report-toyota-iq-to-underpin-smartly-dressed-aston-martin-cygne/">after the jump</a>, but the Cygnet should sell for around &pound;20,000 when it goes on sale late next year. The car will retain the iQ's unique 3+1 seating but will be tailored to the individual customer's needs when it is assembled in Gaydon. We only have the one photo for now, but from what we can see it doesn't look half bad with that distinctive Aston Martin grille, hood cutouts, side vents, and of course, the winged badge. <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/06/29/report-toyota-iq-to-underpin-smartly-dressed-aston-martin-cygne/">Follow the jump</a> for the presser.<br /><br />[Source: Toyota via <a href="http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/241124/">Autocar</a>]<p><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/06/29/report-toyota-iq-to-underpin-smartly-dressed-aston-martin-cygne/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>REPORT: Toyota iQ to underpin smartly dressed Aston Martin Cygnet</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/06/29/report-toyota-iq-to-underpin-smartly-dressed-aston-martin-cygne/">REPORT: Toyota iQ to underpin smartly dressed Aston Martin Cygnet</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://green.autoblog.com">Autoblog Green</a> on Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:32:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/06/29/report-toyota-iq-to-underpin-smartly-dressed-aston-martin-cygne/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/forward/19081141/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2009/06/29/report-toyota-iq-to-underpin-smartly-dressed-aston-martin-cygne/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>am cygnet</category><category>am iq</category><category>AmCygnet</category><category>AmIq</category><category>aston martin cygnet</category><category>aston martin cygnet concept</category><category>aston martin iq</category><category>AstonMartinCygnet</category><category>AstonMartinCygnetConcept</category><category>AstonMartinIq</category><category>breaking</category><category>cygnet</category><category>cygnet concept</category><category>CygnetConcept</category><category>feature</category><category>featured</category><category>toyota iq</category><category>ToyotaIq</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Frank Filipponio]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 29 Jun 2009 09:32:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[London announces that Aston Martin has winning bus design]]></title><link>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/12/20/london-announces-that-aston-martin-has-winning-bus-design/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://green.autoblog.com/2008/12/20/london-announces-that-aston-martin-has-winning-bus-design/</guid><comments>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/12/20/london-announces-that-aston-martin-has-winning-bus-design/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/solar/" rel="tag">Solar</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/transportation-alternatives/" rel="tag">Transportation Alternatives</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/aston-martin/" rel="tag">Aston Martin</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/uk/" rel="tag">UK</a></p><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/next-gen-london-bus-design-winners/1235855/"><img width="210" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="183" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/london_bus_thumb_1.jpg" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/next-gen-london-bus-design-winners/1235856/"><img width="210" vspace="4" hspace="4" height="183" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/12/london_bus_thumb_2.jpg" /></a><br />
<div align="center"><em><strong><small>Click above to enlarge the winning designs for a 21st Century Routemaster bus</small></strong></em><br /></div>
<br />What would a modern take on the old London Routemaster double-decker bus look like? How would it function, and what would power it? One more question: who would design it? The answer to all of these questions has just been answered, and a surprising contender has emerged from an unlikely source: Aston Martin. The manufacturer of beautiful, high-end supercars is apparently branching out to people movers, and we like what we see. The concept calls for a zero-emission drivetrain, but we're unsure of what, exactly, that means. We do see that solar panels have been placed on the roof, so this thing might be electric or a hybrid. <br /><br />The second winning design is much more traditional, but it also calls for an environmentally-friendly powertrain of some sort. Now that London Mayor Boris Johnson and his crew of judges have weighed in, both next-gen bus designs will be sent out to manufacturers for review. Guess the <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/12/06/a-radical-new-bus-project-for-london/">OnRoute and Freight*BUS concept didn't wow the judges</a>.<br /><br />[Source: <a href="http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/10863.aspx">Transport for London</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/12/20/london-announces-that-aston-martin-has-winning-bus-design/">London announces that Aston Martin has winning bus design</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://green.autoblog.com">Autoblog Green</a> on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 12:51:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.tfl.gov.uk/corporate/media/newscentre/10863.aspx>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/12/20/london-announces-that-aston-martin-has-winning-bus-design/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/forward/1406699/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/12/20/london-announces-that-aston-martin-has-winning-bus-design/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>electric bus</category><category>ElectricBus</category><category>london bus</category><category>LondonBus</category><category>transport for london</category><category>transport for london bus</category><category>TransportForLondon</category><category>TransportForLondonBus</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Jeremy Korzeniewski]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 20 Dec 2008 12:51:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Prince Charles converts 38 year old Aston Martin to run on British wine]]></title><link>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/07/01/prince-charles-converts-38-year-old-aston-martin-to-run-on-briti/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://green.autoblog.com/2008/07/01/prince-charles-converts-38-year-old-aston-martin-to-run-on-briti/</guid><comments>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/07/01/prince-charles-converts-38-year-old-aston-martin-to-run-on-briti/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/ethanol/" rel="tag">Ethanol</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/aston-martin/" rel="tag">Aston Martin</a></p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/07/prince-chuck-aston.jpg" alt="" /><br /><br />The man who may or may not ever step up to the British throne has been keeping busy while his mother keeps his new seat warm. As wealthy people are wont to do, Britain's Prince Charles has a number of vehicles at his disposal. As a very public person, he has been trying to set an example by reducing the carbon footprint of his transportation fleet. Last year he had his <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2006/12/11/prince-of-wales-converts-his-jags-to-green/">Range Rover and Jaguar</a> converted to run on biodiesel. Now he has decided to put some surplus British wine to use by having to distilled into ethanol to feed his Aston Martin. His Royal Highness has a 38 year old Aston Martin DB6 Volante that is now fueled by E100. The Aston only gets 8.3mpg (U.S.) on gas and will get less than that on ethanol. However, Charles only drives it about 300 miles a year so the overall effect is negligible at best. The vineyard that produces the wine is limited in how much it can bottle by EU quotas, so the leftovers are distilled to produce fuel. <br /><br />[Source: <a href="http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23503568-details/Prince+Charles+converts+his+beloved+Aston+Martin+to+a+green+machine...+run+on+English+wine/article.do">This Is London</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/07/01/prince-charles-converts-38-year-old-aston-martin-to-run-on-briti/">Prince Charles converts 38 year old Aston Martin to run on British wine</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://green.autoblog.com">Autoblog Green</a> on Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:58:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23503568-details/Prince+Charles+converts+his+beloved+Aston+Martin+to+a+green+machine...+run+on+English+wine/article.do>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/07/01/prince-charles-converts-38-year-old-aston-martin-to-run-on-briti/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/forward/1242202/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/07/01/prince-charles-converts-38-year-old-aston-martin-to-run-on-briti/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>british wine</category><category>BritishWine</category><category>ethanol</category><category>featured</category><category>prince charles</category><category>PrinceCharles</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Sam Abuelsamid]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 01 Jul 2008 11:58:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[VIDEO: Top Gear say "Bah, Humbug!" to hypermiling, finds most efficient supercar]]></title><link>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/06/30/video-top-gear-say-bah-humbug-to-hypermiling-finds-most-ef/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://green.autoblog.com/2008/06/30/video-top-gear-say-bah-humbug-to-hypermiling-finds-most-ef/</guid><comments>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/06/30/video-top-gear-say-bah-humbug-to-hypermiling-finds-most-ef/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/mpg/" rel="tag">MPG</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/aston-martin/" rel="tag">Aston Martin</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/audi/" rel="tag">Audi</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/ferrari/" rel="tag">Ferrari</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/lamborghini/" rel="tag">Lamborghini</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/mercedes-benz/" rel="tag">Mercedes Benz</a></p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V82So-yIsuM"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="top" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/06/top-gear-supercar-mileage.jpg" /></a><br /><br />With the new series of Top Gear having started recently over in England, the team decided that it was again time to look at fuel economy. A few years back, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2007/12/26/video-london-to-edinburgh-and-back-on-one-tank-of-diesel-in-an/">the show made the round trip from London to Edinburgh</a> and back in an Audi A8 TDI on a single tankful of diesel fuel. Now, with fuel prices above $9 a gallon, they have decided to see which cars provide solid fuel economy numbers. This time around they are working on the premise that even those with lots of money to spend on a car might still want to get better mileage. Sure the premise is thin but we're talking about Jeremy Clarkson here. Rather than the usual Prius vs, everybody else routine, Clarkson and Crew decided it would be better to test some of the fastest cars in the world to see which could go the furthest on a gallon of gasoline. Literally a single gallon of gas. They took a Ferrari 599, Audi R8, Lamborghini Murcielago, Mercedes Benz SLR and an Aston Martin DBS and put in a gallon of fuel each. Then they raced them around the Top Gear track until they were empty. You can watch the video after the jump to see which was the thriftiest with its gas allotment. Be forewarned however, that none made it into double digits.<br /><br />[Source: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V82So-yIsuM">YouTube</a>]<p><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/06/30/video-top-gear-say-bah-humbug-to-hypermiling-finds-most-ef/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>VIDEO: Top Gear say "Bah, Humbug!" to hypermiling, finds most efficient supercar</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/06/30/video-top-gear-say-bah-humbug-to-hypermiling-finds-most-ef/">VIDEO: Top Gear say "Bah, Humbug!" to hypermiling, finds most efficient supercar</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://green.autoblog.com">Autoblog Green</a> on Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:36:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V82So-yIsuM>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/06/30/video-top-gear-say-bah-humbug-to-hypermiling-finds-most-ef/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/forward/1240293/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/06/30/video-top-gear-say-bah-humbug-to-hypermiling-finds-most-ef/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>supercar mileage</category><category>SupercarMileage</category><category>top gear</category><category>TopGear</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Sam Abuelsamid]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:36:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Aston Martin flexes muscles, fuel with Vantage GT2 racer]]></title><link>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/29/aston-martin-flexes-muscles-fuel-with-vantage-gt2-racer/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/29/aston-martin-flexes-muscles-fuel-with-vantage-gt2-racer/</guid><comments>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/29/aston-martin-flexes-muscles-fuel-with-vantage-gt2-racer/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/ethanol/" rel="tag">Ethanol</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/flex-fuel/" rel="tag">Flex-Fuel</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/aston-martin/" rel="tag">Aston Martin</a></p><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/aston-martin-vantage-gt2-2/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/amvantagegt2_metal_03_lo.jpg" alt="" /></a><br /><em>Click image for a photo gallery of the Aston Martin Vantage GT2</em><br /><br />Aston Martin Racing announced the E85-compatible Vantage GT2 car <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/01/04/aston-martin-launches-e85-ready-gt2-race-vantage/">back in January</a>, but all we saw at the time was a sketch. Well, on Friday, Aston finally unveiled the sexy flex-fuel racer, and it's a visual feast. The Vantage is a beautiful starting point, and when race-prepped, it looks positively menacing. It's race debut comes on April 5th when the green flag waves at the European Le Mans Series round in Barcelona. In addition to the European LMS, the Vantage GT2 is also cleared for use in ALMS competition. In due time, racing cars like this -- ones that use flex-fuel or other alternative fuel technologies -- will become the norm as race series integrate green policies and initiatives like the <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/01/15/detroit-2008-alms-announces-green-challenge-corvette-goes-cell/">Green Challenge</a> ALMS announced this year in Detroit. <br /><br /><div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/aston-martin-vantage-gt2-2/low/">Aston Martin Vantage GT2</a></strong></p><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/aston-martin-vantage-gt2-2/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2008/03/amvantagegt2_metal_04_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/aston-martin-vantage-gt2-2/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2008/03/amvantagegt2_metal_03_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/aston-martin-vantage-gt2-2/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2008/03/amvantagegt2_metal_02_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/aston-martin-vantage-gt2-2/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2008/03/amvantagegt2_metal_01_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />[Source: Aston Martin]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/29/aston-martin-flexes-muscles-fuel-with-vantage-gt2-racer/">Aston Martin flexes muscles, fuel with Vantage GT2 racer</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://green.autoblog.com">Autoblog Green</a> on Sat, 29 Mar 2008 08:14:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/29/aston-martin-flexes-muscles-fuel-with-vantage-gt2-racer/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/forward/1152079/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/29/aston-martin-flexes-muscles-fuel-with-vantage-gt2-racer/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>aston martin</category><category>aston martin racing</category><category>AstonMartin</category><category>AstonMartinRacing</category><category>e85 aston martin</category><category>e85 vantage gt2</category><category>E85AstonMartin</category><category>E85VantageGt2</category><category>vantage</category><category>vantage gt2</category><category>VantageGt2</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Alex Nunez]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 29 Mar 2008 08:14:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Aston Martin may use Mercedes-Benz hybrid technology]]></title><link>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/12/aston-martin-may-use-mercedes-benz-hybrid-technology/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/12/aston-martin-may-use-mercedes-benz-hybrid-technology/</guid><comments>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/12/aston-martin-may-use-mercedes-benz-hybrid-technology/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/hybrid/" rel="tag">Hybrid</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/aston-martin/" rel="tag">Aston Martin</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/mercedes-benz/" rel="tag">Mercedes Benz</a></p><a href="http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-aston-martin-interested-in-mercedes-hybrid-technology.html"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="top" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/am_rapide_2_hr.jpg" /></a><br /><br />With Aston Martin now no longer wholly owned by Ford, they are free to look elsewhere for help with powertrain technology. There have been rumors for the past couple of months that future Astons might use Mercedes Benz powertrains in place of the current Ford-designed V-12s and V-8s. The onset of carbon dioxide emissions limits in Europe and Aston's limited resources means they're looking to some of their competitors to help. Fortunately Mercedes happens to have a new mild hybrid system that might be just the ticket for the British GTs. The Two-Mode hybrid is probably too big and heavy for Aston Martin but the more compact mild system would be a lot easier to package. With Porsche adding a hybrid system to their <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/01/07/porsche-confirms-panamera-will-be-hybridized/">upcoming Panamera</a>, the similar Rapide would probably be the best candidate for a hybrid setup when it debuts in a couple of years.<br /><br />[Source: <a href="http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-aston-martin-interested-in-mercedes-hybrid-technology.html">Left Lane News</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/12/aston-martin-may-use-mercedes-benz-hybrid-technology/">Aston Martin may use Mercedes-Benz hybrid technology</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://green.autoblog.com">Autoblog Green</a> on Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:42:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.leftlanenews.com/report-aston-martin-interested-in-mercedes-hybrid-technology.html>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/12/aston-martin-may-use-mercedes-benz-hybrid-technology/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/forward/1137959/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/12/aston-martin-may-use-mercedes-benz-hybrid-technology/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>aston-hybrid</category><category>aston-martin-hybrid</category><category>aston-martin-rapide</category><category>mercedes-benz-mild-hybrid</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Sam Abuelsamid]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:42:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sebring '08 Preview: Full speed ahead on fuel diversity!]]></title><link>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/09/sebring-08-preview-full-speed-ahead-on-fuel-diversity/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/09/sebring-08-preview-full-speed-ahead-on-fuel-diversity/</guid><comments>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/09/sebring-08-preview-full-speed-ahead-on-fuel-diversity/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/diesel/" rel="tag">Diesel</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/ethanol/" rel="tag">Ethanol</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/hybrid/" rel="tag">Hybrid</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/aston-martin/" rel="tag">Aston Martin</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/audi/" rel="tag">Audi</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/chevrolet/" rel="tag">Chevrolet</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/peugeot/" rel="tag">Peugeot</a></p><a href="http://www.americanlemans.com/Schedule/SeasonSchedule.aspx"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="top" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/03/r10-tdi.jpg" /></a><br /><br />The American Le Mans Series kicks off its 2008 season next weekend with the 56th running of the 12 Hours of Sebring in central Florida. The ALMS has long had the most diverse field of race cars of any major series in North America and this year it's getting even more so as the series makes a push for greener racing. This is the only series that has cars running on three different fuels; gasoline, ethanol and diesel all play a major part. In the LMP1 class, Audi is kicking off its third year running the diesel-powered R10 TDI. They'll get competition this time from Peugeot, which is bringing one of their 908 HDi prototypes to race in the U.S. for the first time.  <br /><br />In the production-derived GT1 ranks, the Corvette C6Rs will tackle an Aston Martin DBR9 with all of them using cellulosic E85 fuel. The same fuel will also power an <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/02/23/intersport-racing-joins-the-cellulosic-e85-ranks-in-the-alms/">LMP1 Lola entered by Intersport racing</a>. The rest of the field for now will continue using the E10 ethanol/gasoline blend that was used in 2007. As the season progresses and going into 2009, other teams are likely to make the switch to E85 and possibly even diesel. Although Honda representatives were non-committal at the Detroit Auto Show, it appears that they are looking hard at diesel power especially as they are about to introduce a <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/02/12/new-york-08-preview-acura-tsx-honda-euro-accord/">diesel-powered Acura TSX</a> in the U.S. next year. ALMS officials are also encouraging other alternative powertrains, such as hybrids, and they are open to looking at all options. When the 2008 draws to a close at the Petite Le Mans race at Road Atlanta this fall, ALMS will also introduce <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/01/15/detroit-2008-alms-announces-green-challenge-corvette-goes-cell/">their first Green Challenge </a>that will measure a variety of sustainability efforts by teams in addition to their on-track performance and fuel efficiency. ALMS officials are working hard to encourage innovation and diversity in the field that can help advance powertrain and fuel technology. For those of us who enjoy motorsports it's by far the most interesting and exciting series to watch and I for one will be among the happy spectators this year.<br /><br />[Source: <a href="http://www.americanlemans.com/Schedule/SeasonSchedule.aspx">American Le Mans Series</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/09/sebring-08-preview-full-speed-ahead-on-fuel-diversity/">Sebring '08 Preview: Full speed ahead on fuel diversity!</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://green.autoblog.com">Autoblog Green</a> on Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:19:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.americanlemans.com/Schedule/SeasonSchedule.aspx>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/09/sebring-08-preview-full-speed-ahead-on-fuel-diversity/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/forward/1135402/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/03/09/sebring-08-preview-full-speed-ahead-on-fuel-diversity/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>12-hours-of-sebring</category><category>alms</category><category>american-le-mans-series</category><category>aston-martin-dbr9</category><category>audi-r10</category><category>cellulosic-ethanol</category><category>corvette-c6r</category><category>green-challenge</category><category>peugeot-908</category><category>sebring</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Sam Abuelsamid]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:19:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Look for more bio-fueled Aston Martin racers in 2008]]></title><link>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/02/25/look-for-more-bio-fueled-aston-martin-racers-in-2008/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://green.autoblog.com/2008/02/25/look-for-more-bio-fueled-aston-martin-racers-in-2008/</guid><comments>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/02/25/look-for-more-bio-fueled-aston-martin-racers-in-2008/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/ethanol/" rel="tag">Ethanol</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/aston-martin/" rel="tag">Aston Martin</a></p><a href="http://www.britishgt.com/news.php?action=showArticle&amp;params%5Bid%5D=287"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/02/cadenaracing_astondbrs9.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Last year, Barwell Motorsport's bio-ethanol powered <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2007/06/05/biofueled-aston-martin-makes-british-motorsport-history-with-eth/">Aston Martin DBRS9</a> proved green fuels can be <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2007/11/08/uks-defense-minister-quits-job-to-race-ethanol-car/">competitive in racing</a>. That success did not go unnoticed, and <a href="http://www.astonmartinracing.com/eng/teams/dbrs9teams/cadenamotorsport">Cadena Motorsport</a> will follow in Barwell's footsteps, converting its yellow DBRS9 to run on the greener juice as well. The <a href="http://www.britishgt.com/news.php?action=showArticle&amp;params%5Bid%5D=287">British GT Championship's</a> website caught up with Cadena drivers Barrie Whight and Gavan Kershaw. Whight says Aston Martin's racing partners see the use of green fuels as very attractive because it improves their corporate environmental responsibility. It's likely to only get better, too, as other major series like the ALMS help encourage further innovation by embracing green racing initiatives. The bio-ethanol conversion for the Cadena DBRS9 is underway and should be finished by the end of this month. <br /><br />You may also recall that in January, Aston Martin Racing announced that its new <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/01/04/aston-martin-launches-e85-ready-gt2-race-vantage/">Vantage GT2</a> racer would also be E85-capable. And lest you think the Aston Martin biofuel migration is exclusive to modern racers, one of the entrants in the 2008 New York-to-Paris "Great Race" is a <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2007/08/17/e85-powered-1967-aston-martin-db6-part-of-2008s-great-race/">vintage '67 Aston Martin DB6</a> converted to run on E85. It's no secret that automotive technology is often tested on the racetrack before making its way into passenger cars. Maybe the well-heeled (and James Bond) will be cruising in bio-fueled roadgoing Astons in the not-too-distant future. <br /><br /><div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ethanol-fueled-aston-martin-dbrs9/low/">Barwell Motorsport's Ethanol-fueled Aston Martin DBRS9</a></strong></p><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ethanol-fueled-aston-martin-dbrs9/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2007/06/040607-a-pd_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ethanol-fueled-aston-martin-dbrs9/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2007/06/040607-b-pd_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ethanol-fueled-aston-martin-dbrs9/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2007/06/040607pd_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ethanol-fueled-aston-martin-dbrs9/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2007/06/040607-c-pd-_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br /><div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/e85-am-db6/low/">1967 Aston Martin DB6 w/ E85 Conversion</a></strong></p><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/e85-am-db6/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2007/07/img_2219_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/e85-am-db6/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2007/07/img_2221_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/e85-am-db6/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2007/07/img_2220_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/e85-am-db6/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2007/07/img_2218_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/e85-am-db6/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2007/07/img_2217_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><br />[Sources: <a href="http://www.britishgt.com/news.php?action=showArticle&amp;params%5Bid%5D=287">British GT</a> via <a href="http://www.crash.net/motorsport/brit_gt/news/159310-0/cadena_goes_green.html">Crash.net</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/02/25/look-for-more-bio-fueled-aston-martin-racers-in-2008/">Look for more bio-fueled Aston Martin racers in 2008</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://green.autoblog.com">Autoblog Green</a> on Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:45:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.britishgt.com/news.php?action=showArticle&amp;params%5Bid%5D=287>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/02/25/look-for-more-bio-fueled-aston-martin-racers-in-2008/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/forward/1123343/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/02/25/look-for-more-bio-fueled-aston-martin-racers-in-2008/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>Aston-Martin</category><category>bio-ethanol</category><category>ethanol</category><category>James-Bond</category><category>racing</category><category>video</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Lascelles Linton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:45:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[KL Process Design Group to supply cellulosic ethanol for ALMS]]></title><link>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/01/30/kl-process-design-group-to-supply-cellulosic-ethanol-for-alms/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://green.autoblog.com/2008/01/30/kl-process-design-group-to-supply-cellulosic-ethanol-for-alms/</guid><comments>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/01/30/kl-process-design-group-to-supply-cellulosic-ethanol-for-alms/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/ethanol/" rel="tag">Ethanol</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/aston-martin/" rel="tag">Aston Martin</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/chevrolet/" rel="tag">Chevrolet</a></p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="top" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/e85-c6r.jpg" /><br /><br />At the <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/tag/DetroitAutoShow/">Detroit Auto Show</a>, American Le Mans Series CEO Scott Atherton announced a green racing initiative for the series. A big part of that included the announcement that the <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/01/15/detroit-2008-alms-announces-green-challenge-corvette-goes-cell/">Corvette Racing team would be running on E85</a> made with cellulosic ethanol during the 2008 season. At the time General Motors did not announce who the fuel supplier would be. They have now revealed that the cellulosic ethanol would be provided by KL Process Design Group. KL will be producing the ethanol from wood waste using a proprietary enzyme process. <br /><br />Cellulosic ethanol will debut as a race fuel at the Twelve Hours of Sebring on March 15. The Corvettes won't be the only cars running the biofuel. The Aston Martin DBR9 will be returning to the GT1 class this year and it will also run cellulosic E85. In the top LMP1 class the Audi R10s will be joined at least at Sebring by the Peugeot 908 HDi diesels reprising their battle from Le Mans 2007. Hopefully the Peugeots will stay for the full season.<br /><br />[Source: American Le Mans Series]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/01/30/kl-process-design-group-to-supply-cellulosic-ethanol-for-alms/">KL Process Design Group to supply cellulosic ethanol for ALMS</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://green.autoblog.com">Autoblog Green</a> on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 08:56:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.americanlemans.com/news/Article.aspx?ID=3907>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/01/30/kl-process-design-group-to-supply-cellulosic-ethanol-for-alms/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/forward/1100506/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/01/30/kl-process-design-group-to-supply-cellulosic-ethanol-for-alms/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>american-le-mans-series</category><category>cellulosic-ethanol</category><category>corvette-racing</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Sam Abuelsamid]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 30 Jan 2008 08:56:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Aston Martin launches E85-ready GT2 race Vantage]]></title><link>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/01/04/aston-martin-launches-e85-ready-gt2-race-vantage/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://green.autoblog.com/2008/01/04/aston-martin-launches-e85-ready-gt2-race-vantage/</guid><comments>http://green.autoblog.com/2008/01/04/aston-martin-launches-e85-ready-gt2-race-vantage/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/ethanol/" rel="tag">Ethanol</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/aston-martin/" rel="tag">Aston Martin</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/detroit-auto-show/" rel="tag">Detroit Auto Show</a></p><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/photos/aston-martin-vantage-gt2/557584/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="top" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/vantagegt2_low.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Aston Martin is not a brand that's <em>ever</em> been associated with fuel efficiency or alternative fuels. However, at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham England next week, they will unveil their latest race car based on their <span style="font-style: italic;">"entry level"</span> Vantage model. The GT2 class Vantage will come delivered ready to run on E85. More racing series are starting to allow the use of ethanol as an alternative to gasoline. All the non-diesel cars in the American Le Mans Series ran E10 in 2007 and several of them are expected to run E85 or E100 in 2008. ALMS officials will be making an announcement about 2008 fuel plans at the Detroit Auto Show which we will be covering here.<br /><br />[Source: Aston Martin]<p><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/01/04/aston-martin-launches-e85-ready-gt2-race-vantage/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Aston Martin launches E85-ready GT2 race Vantage</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/01/04/aston-martin-launches-e85-ready-gt2-race-vantage/">Aston Martin launches E85-ready GT2 race Vantage</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://green.autoblog.com">Autoblog Green</a> on Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:47:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/01/04/aston-martin-launches-e85-ready-gt2-race-vantage/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/forward/1077497/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2008/01/04/aston-martin-launches-e85-ready-gt2-race-vantage/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>alms</category><category>american-le-mans-series</category><category>aston-martin</category><category>detroit-auto-show</category><category>e85</category><category>vantage-gt2</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Sam Abuelsamid]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 04 Jan 2008 14:47:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Oh goodness - Autocar says Rolls-Royce, Jaguar drivers are a "minority group" and shouldn't be persecuted]]></title><link>http://green.autoblog.com/2007/08/27/oh-goodness-autocar-says-rolls-royce-jaguar-drivers-are-a-mi/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://green.autoblog.com/2007/08/27/oh-goodness-autocar-says-rolls-royce-jaguar-drivers-are-a-mi/</guid><comments>http://green.autoblog.com/2007/08/27/oh-goodness-autocar-says-rolls-royce-jaguar-drivers-are-a-mi/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/mpg/" rel="tag">MPG</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/aston-martin/" rel="tag">Aston Martin</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/bentley/" rel="tag">Bentley</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/jaguar/" rel="tag">Jaguar</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/land-rover/" rel="tag">Land Rover</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/rolls-royce/" rel="tag">Rolls Royce</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/legislation-and-policy/" rel="tag">Legislation and Policy</a></p><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border=" " align="top"  src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2007/08/jaguar-xk.png" alt="" /><br /><br />Perhaps my response to a statement released last week by <a href="http://www.autocar.co.uk/">Autocar</a> is misinformed because there is some misinterpretation going on between my American English reading of British English words. The key is whether or not "minority group" carries with it the same connotations in the UK as it does in America. I read this line in Autocar editor Chas Hallett's  statement - "Why do we need a scheme which is so expensive to administer that it has to pick on a minority group" - and thought how silly it was for him to use those words to describe people who drive the most expensive vehicles, those that are also fairly unkind to the environment. You can see what your response is by checking out the statement in full after the jump. <br /><br />In any case, Hallett's point is that the proposed &pound;25 congestion charge will not really do anything except raise &pound;250 million for <a href="http://www.tfl.gov.uk/">Transport for London</a>, the "integrated body responsible for the Capital's transport system." By unfairly charging vehicles in the Band G category (those that emit <a href="http://www.vcacarfueldata.org.uk/search/vedSearch.asp">more than 225 gm/k of CO2</a>), Hallett says, the charge does nothing but punish a driver who causes "almost no harm to congestion or pollution, and helps preserve British jobs." The jobs issue is because so many vehicles by Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, Jaguar and Land Rover are in Band G. <br /><br />I understand that someone who works at Autocar isn't going to be keen on anything that, in effect, criticizes the classic UK automakers. Still, just because someone makes a car in your backyard doesn't mean they can have that vehicle emit anything they want. Some things - the air we breathe, for example - are more important than a particular vehicle or automaker. It's not like it's a secret that there are plenty of powertrain options these companies could look into so their vehicles fit into one of the less expensive Bands (see <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2007/06/12/connaught-prototype-finally-testing-on-the-road/">this example</a>). <br /><br />[Source: Autocar]<p><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2007/08/27/oh-goodness-autocar-says-rolls-royce-jaguar-drivers-are-a-mi/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Oh goodness - Autocar says Rolls-Royce, Jaguar drivers are a "minority group" and shouldn't be persecuted</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2007/08/27/oh-goodness-autocar-says-rolls-royce-jaguar-drivers-are-a-mi/">Oh goodness - Autocar says Rolls-Royce, Jaguar drivers are a "minority group" and shouldn't be persecuted</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://green.autoblog.com">Autoblog Green</a> on Mon, 27 Aug 2007 09:13:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.autocar.co.uk/>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2007/08/27/oh-goodness-autocar-says-rolls-royce-jaguar-drivers-are-a-mi/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/forward/974362/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2007/08/27/oh-goodness-autocar-says-rolls-royce-jaguar-drivers-are-a-mi/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>autocar congestion charge</category><category>AutocarCongestionCharge</category><category>chas hallett</category><category>ChasHallett</category><category>congestion charge</category><category>CongestionCharge</category><category>uk automakers</category><category>UkAutomakers</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Sebastian Blanco]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 27 Aug 2007 09:13:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Biofueled Aston Martin makes British motorsport history with ethanol]]></title><link>http://green.autoblog.com/2007/06/05/biofueled-aston-martin-makes-british-motorsport-history-with-eth/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://green.autoblog.com/2007/06/05/biofueled-aston-martin-makes-british-motorsport-history-with-eth/</guid><comments>http://green.autoblog.com/2007/06/05/biofueled-aston-martin-makes-british-motorsport-history-with-eth/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/ethanol/" rel="tag">Ethanol</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/aston-martin/" rel="tag">Aston Martin</a></p><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ethanol-fueled-aston-martin-dbrs9/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="top" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2007/06/040607-c-pd.jpg" /></a><br /><em>Click on the Aston Martin for a high-res gallery</em><br /><br /><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Lord Drayson and Jonny Cocker drove their Aston Martin DBRS9 to victory during the British GT championship race at Snetterton England last Sunday. That much is not new. What is new is that this is the first time a car fueled by ethanol has won a race in the series. The car is basically a standard ProDrive built DBRS9 that has been re-calibrated to run on the biofuel. The Barwell Motorsport run Aston Martin has been running on ethanol all season and previously earned two pole positions and now leads the championship standings.<br /></font><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ethanol-fueled-aston-martin-dbrs9/low/">Barwell Motorsport's Ethanol-fueled Aston Martin DBRS9</a></strong></p><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ethanol-fueled-aston-martin-dbrs9/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2007/06/040607-a-pd_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ethanol-fueled-aston-martin-dbrs9/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2007/06/040607-b-pd_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ethanol-fueled-aston-martin-dbrs9/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2007/06/040607pd_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/photos/ethanol-fueled-aston-martin-dbrs9/low/"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autobloggreen.com/media/2007/06/040607-c-pd-_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div></font><br /><font size="2" face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">[Source: NewsPress.co.uk]<br /><br /></font><p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2007/06/05/biofueled-aston-martin-makes-british-motorsport-history-with-eth/">Biofueled Aston Martin makes British motorsport history with ethanol</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://green.autoblog.com">Autoblog Green</a> on Tue, 05 Jun 2007 08:02:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.newspress.co.uk/DAILY_LINKS/arc_jun_2007/040607pd.htm>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2007/06/05/biofueled-aston-martin-makes-british-motorsport-history-with-eth/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/forward/910664/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2007/06/05/biofueled-aston-martin-makes-british-motorsport-history-with-eth/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>british gt championship</category><category>BritishGtChampionship</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Sam Abuelsamid]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 05 Jun 2007 08:02:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Honda Civic Hybrid named U.K.'s greenest car again]]></title><link>http://green.autoblog.com/2007/03/18/honda-civic-hybrid-named-u-k-s-greenest-car-again/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://green.autoblog.com/2007/03/18/honda-civic-hybrid-named-u-k-s-greenest-car-again/</guid><comments>http://green.autoblog.com/2007/03/18/honda-civic-hybrid-named-u-k-s-greenest-car-again/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/green-culture/" rel="tag">Green Culture</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/mpg/" rel="tag">MPG</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/aston-martin/" rel="tag">Aston Martin</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/ferrari/" rel="tag">Ferrari</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/gm/" rel="tag">GM</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/honda/" rel="tag">Honda</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/jaguar/" rel="tag">Jaguar</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/lamborghini/" rel="tag">Lamborghini</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/toyota/" rel="tag">Toyota</a>, <a href="http://green.autoblog.com/category/tesla-motors/" rel="tag">Tesla Motors</a></p><a href="http://www.autotrader.co.uk/EDITORIAL/CARS/news/33793.html"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="0" align="top" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/green.autoblog.com/media/2007/03/2007_civic_hybrid_display.jpg" alt="" /></a><br /><br />The United Kingdom's Environmental Transport Association (ETA) annual awards have named the Honda Civic Hybrid Britain's greenest car for the <a href="http://www.autotrader.co.uk/EDITORIAL/CARS/news/33793.html">second straight year</a>. Finishing ahead of the Vauxhall Corsa 13.CTDi and Toyota Yaris 1.4 Diesel, the Civic won out for its superior combination of engine size, fuel consumption, noise pollution and safety impact on pedestrians. <br /><br />The award for Greenest Off-Roader went to the Toyota RAV4 diesel and the Greenest Luxury Car award went to the Jaguar XJ 2.7 diesel. The wrong end of the list was dominated by luxury brands including Lamborghini, Ferrari and Aston Martin, proving that making a car really fast still requires a lot of petrol.<br /><br />Top ten green cars:<br />
<ul>
    <li>Honda Civic Hybrid</li>
    <li>Vauxhall Corsa 1.3 CDTi</li>
    <li>Toyota Yaris 1.4 D-4D Manual</li>
    <li>Renault Modus 1.2 16V VVT</li>
    <li>Daihatsu Sirion M300</li>
    <li>Citroen C1 1.1</li>
    <li>Toyota Aygo 1.0 Manual</li>
    <li>Peugeot 107 Manual</li>
    <li>Daihatsu Charade Manual</li>
    <li>Fiat Panda 1.3</li>
</ul>
<br />Top ten worst cars:<br />
<ul>
    <li>Lamborghini Diablo Roadster</li>
    <li>Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster</li>
    <li>Ferrari Supermerica</li>
    <li>Ferrari Scagliatti</li>
    <li>Bentley Azure</li>
    <li>Bentley Arnage RL</li>
    <li>Aston Martin Vanquish</li>
    <li>Aston Martin DB9 Manual</li>
    <li>Bentley Continental Flying Spur</li>
    <li>Ferrari F430 Spider</li>
</ul>
<br />Analysis: Small, light vehicles get great fuel economy and are unlikely to mow down pedestrians while large, fast sports cars are made to go even faster by using bigger engines that suck more fuel. That's why the Tesla Roadster is such a revelation - a fast, sporty vehicle that runs on electricity and has zero emissions. By the looks of this list, it will have the other sports cars beaten hands down for environmental performance for a while yet.<br /><br />Related:<br />
<ul>
    <li><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2007/03/15/cameron-diaz-in-the-tesla-roadster-porn/" rel="bookmark"><span id="pt853687">Cameron Diaz in the Tesla Roadster = porn?</span></a></li>
    <li><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2007/03/14/honda-accord-hybrid-to-pace-indy-series-for-2007/" rel="bookmark"><span id="pt852344">Honda Accord Hybrid to pace Indy series for 2007</span></a></li>
    <li><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2007/03/14/ecorazzi-highlights-q-orianka-kilcher-and-her-honda-fcx-with-vid/" rel="bookmark"><span id="pt852132">Ecorazzi highlights Q'Orianka Kilcher and her Honda FCX with video</span></a></li>
</ul>
<br />[Source: AutoTrader.co.uk]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2007/03/18/honda-civic-hybrid-named-u-k-s-greenest-car-again/">Honda Civic Hybrid named U.K.'s greenest car again</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://green.autoblog.com">Autoblog Green</a> on Sun, 18 Mar 2007 14:39:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.autotrader.co.uk/EDITORIAL/CARS/news/33793.html>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2007/03/18/honda-civic-hybrid-named-u-k-s-greenest-car-again/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/forward/854730/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://green.autoblog.com/2007/03/18/honda-civic-hybrid-named-u-k-s-greenest-car-again/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>award</category><category>awards</category><category>britain</category><category>civic hybrid</category><category>corsa</category><category>Environmental Transport Association</category><category>greenest</category><category>honda civic hybrid</category><category>rav4</category><category>roadster</category><category>tesla</category><category>u.k.</category><category>uk</category><category>united kingdom</category><category>win</category><category>xj</category><category>yaris</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Dane Muldoon]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 18 Mar 2007 14:39:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>