We Don't Want to Set the World on Fire

Please check out my new parody song about global warming"We Don't Want to Set the World on Fire" to the tune of "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire".  Come on people, we can do this!

Thanks to Fred Ewing for playing the piano and coaching the singing, and to Brooks Larsen for compiling the photos!

Facelifted Elise - lower drag, new engine

Autocar brings news that Lotus has given the Elise a mild facelift and some new mechanicals. The new look brings the car in line with the styling of the Evora, but importantly also reduces drag which, combined with the new engine option, improves fuel economy and reduces emissions.

That new engine is a VVTi Toyota powerplant similar to those currently used in the Elise, but in a new 1.6 litre displacement. The new motor will power the basic Elise S model, and reduces emissions to 155g/km of CO2. As a conservative estimate, fuel economy should be in the early forties mpg, yet coupled to a new close-ratio six-speed gearbox, performance even from the basic 1.6 should be as impressive as ever.

The car is expected to start arriving in showrooms in April.

(Image: Autocar)

Volkswagen 1-litre concept one step closer

News arrives via AutoBlogGreen that Volkswagen's 1-litre concept is still under development and nearing production reality.
The concept, now being named the L1, will be on display at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show and Volkswagen have released more details about the car and the engine that will be powering it in a press release that you can read in full on ABG's page.

The 1L has a 0.8 litre TDI developed from Volkswagen's new 1.6 TDI that makes its debut in the new Golf and Passat BlueMotion. Along with automatic stop-start, a 0.195 coefficient of drag and thanks to an all-in weight of only 380kg, the 1L is claimed to sip one US gallon of fuel every 170 miles, or 204mpg imperial (and only 36 grammes per kilometer of CO2). This works out at a little over the original 1l/100km that Volkswagen claimed, though I'm sure owners wouldn't complain as the eventual figure is still only 1.38 litres per 100km. Thanks to the light weight and slippery shape, the 1L also manages 100mph.
Volkswagen are now giving the car a tentative 2013 release date. Should give you time to save up...

(Image credits: Volkswagen)

Letter to Auto Express

I don't often feel compelled to write in to motoring magazines. Actually, I tell a lie. I often feel compelled, but rarely follow through with the desire.

However, Auto Express columnist Mike Rutherford (who also writes for The Times and The Telegraph) has finally irritated me enough to put digit to keyboard in his column for the 17-23 June issue of Auto Express. I shan't replicate his column in full - Mr Rutherdford aside the magazine is still one of the better motoring titles out there and this issue has an interesting comparison test between old and new Mazda MX-5s. But I digress.

Mr Rutherford writes: "If we're to believe those in authority and their ecomental pals, global warming is the greatest threat to mankind. The allegation is that the phenomenon will kill untold millions of people and places. What's more, some mentalist 'experts' deviously give the impression that CO2 emissions from 'murderous' motor cars are largely or entirely to blame for scorching the earth and allowing the planet and its inhabitants to crash and burn.

"I hear what they're saying, and I acknowledge their right to express their own opinions and predictions. But can we have less of the crystal ball gazing and scaremongering, and more of the hard facts, please? Where is the unbiased, incontrovertible, compelling evidence which proves beyond doubt that global warming will, on its own, destroy earth and mankind?"

He goes on to say: "When was the last time you actually heard any of the leading political parties even mention the T word [transport], let alone say what, if elected, they intend to do with the roads, rails, waterways and sky routes?"

The rest of his column devolved into a rather dull bash at politicians who've done far worse things than to not mention transport policy in their manifestos. Anyway, after adding weeks, months and years worth of straw with Mr Rutherford's smug columns, the camel's back finally succummed:

"Perhaps if Mike Rutherford is to get the unbiased evidence of man-made global warming he desires, he should first avoid biasing his column too far in the other direction. Labelling those who consider motor vehicles to be a large component of global warming "mentalists" is ignorant and arrogant. Regardless of whether Mr Rutherford likes their findings or not, these are still the findings of scientists which still hold more weight than the smug rantings of a mouthy motoring journalist. Indeed, Mr Rutherford is not even being forced to believe these findings and there are many, many other theories out there which he conveniently ignores in order to propogate an opinion that has already been done to death in the motoring media.

"Oh, and last time I checked, Mayor of London Boris Johnson was a Conservative MP, and he mentions "the T word" [transport] quite frequently, and I seem to remember his transport policy was instrumental in his election as Mayor. Perhaps Mr Rutherford is looking in the wrong places for his own research.

"Global warming probably didn't kill the dinosaurs, but perhaps Mr Rutherford is worried that environmental issues will wipe out the dinosaur journalists?"

It remains to be seen whether my letter will merit inclusion in the comments section of the magazine, but if it does I'll update the blog with the response, if any. Who knows, I may even receive an email from Mr Rutherford himself.