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At a recent BCA sale...

At a recent BCA sale, a 2003 dual-fuel Vauxhall Vectra 1.8 LS (image) with 85,000 miles on the clock fetched ÷£4,000 - which is the guide price for a conventional car. The current duty on liquefied petroleum gas is a mere 4.5 pence per litre, compared with 47.1 pence per litre on petrol and diesel - a differential that the Government has pledged can be reduced by only 1p per year between now and 2009.


http://www.easy-moving.ca choose to work with Toronto movers
When we contacted the...

When we contacted the Midlands 4x4 marque, a spokesman told us: "No decision has been made yet." However, our sources insist the Disco will appear first at the New York Motor Show in early April. As Americans don"t buy diesels, this will be a petrol model - leaving the way clear for the oil-burner to take the stage for the first time at the British exhibition a month later.


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Britain"s top-selling...

Britain"s top-selling car magazine is going live at the Geneva Motor Show! For the first time, we"re covering the expo with video reports from the stands.

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A former student of...

A former student of the RCA in London, Wouda spent six years in the Czech republic designing for Skoda. Between 2000 and 2006 he worked on projects such as the Roomster and the forthcoming Yeti, before moving to Germany to head up exterior design at the Volkswagen Design Center in Potsdam, near Berlin. Wouda is head of exterior design and team leader for the VW Concept BlueSport project.

What are the defining characteristics of the Concept BlueSportò€™s design?

The car has a relatively simple architecture ò€“ itò€™s defined by only a few key features such as the prominent wheel arches. Much of the design is horizontal, that is to say there isnò€™t a significant wedge shape to the profile so it stays connected and parallel to the road.

Does it point the way for the design of other future VWò€™s?

There are clearly similarities in the front end between the BlueSport and the MK VI Golf, as well as the new Scirroco and the UP! concept. Itò€™s certainly a design language that will be applied across the VW range eventually.

What platform is it based on?

The engineers created and entirely new modular platform to accommodate the mid-engine layout, so itò€™s not based on anything. In fact, the mid-engine layout is a designers dream, because it allowed us to create a beautifully proportioned shape, with a low bonnet, short overhangs and the passengers seated in the middle of the wheelbase.

Why did you opt for a manual-folding roof?

From the very outset, the BlueSport was designed to be a dream car that was also affordable and kind to the environment. There was massive emphasis therefore on optimising the aerodynamics and keeping the weight down, and a manual roof is much lighter than an electric one. Itò€™s a feeling of getting back to basics and only including the things you really need ò€“ much like famous British roadsters of the past.

How likely is it to make production?

We would never show a car that didnò€™t work or wasnò€™t feasible to produce. However, whether the BlueSport makes it into production or not will depend entirely on the publicò€™s reaction at Detroit ò€“ which I hope will be positive!




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