Early rumors seem to believe Honda will be taking their DN 01 Cruiser and transforming it into an eco-easy rider with an all electric engine. According to Honda CEO Takeo Fukui. “Honda is currently developing a battery-powered electric motorcycle which emits no CO2 during operation, because the characteristics of a battery can be better utilized in the area of motorcycles, which are often used for short distance travel. Honda is aiming to introduce this electric motorcycle to the market about two years from now.”

It’s the perfect time for an electric hog – with gas prices surging up and down like someone’s bad cholesterol reading and parking in urban areas becoming scarce, the general public can use a small mode of transit that doesn’t have four doors. So, Honda claims ready by 2010 – by 2011 we’ll have a sequel to Wild Hogs featuring silent riders and more bad puns from Tim Allen. Damn You Honda!!

But what happens when these two vehicular juggernauts enter unexplored territory – will they come crashing to the ground with an almighty aluminium-alloy thud?

Mercedes is currently working on its new R-Class, a range of people movers or mini vans that will add power and prestige to what is at present a largely utilitarian genre, and BMW is also working on a luxury people mover.

The people mover or MPV market is currently dominated by Asian and American car makers, but Europe is now getting in on the act.

At present, Mercedes sells the Viano and Vaneo people movers in some countries, but Merc’s new R-Class will be the first of the super-luxury MPVs.

By ’super-luxury’ we mean that the new minivan will be offered with features like a glass roof, climate control, three DVD screens, pneumatic suspension, ESP and plenty of leather, wood and aluminium, while at the same time offering sedan-like ride, handling and power levels.

Internally the new Mercedes people mover is still referred to as the GST, or Grand Sports Tourer, but the chance of the car adhering to the marque’s naming convention of ‘classes’ is extremely high.

The new six-seater from Mercedes made its debut at the 2002 Detroit Motor Show – one of the biggest events on the auto show calendar – and for obvious reasons.

While the show car made use of a hybrid diesel-electric engine, production versions will most likely use non-hybrid engines.

The advanced engine seen in the pre-production R-Class models consists of a V8 diesel engine borrowed from the S-Class and an electric motor producing 184kW and 50kW respectively.

That amounts to a total of 234kW, but just take a look at the torque figures: when the two drive systems combine, 860Nm of torque is accessible via the throttle.

The end result of such high torque levels gift the GST, which is expected to weigh more than 2.0 tonnes, with a limited top speed of 250km/h, and the 0-100km/h sprint takes just 6.6 seconds.

Mercedes will begin manufacturing the R-Class range at the marque’s Tuscaloosa, Alabama assembly plant in the US towards the end of 2004, and the new people mover will be sold in mid-to-late 2005 after making its official production debut at the 2005 Detroit Motor Show in early January.

It will arrive with a range of bent 6- and 8-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, and is being built on the same floorpan of the next generation M-Class, which will see the light of day in late in 2005, after R-Class sales begin.

The R-Class is expected to cost more than the current M-Class, but Mercedes will be releasing a stack of new engines to offset this, including the 3.5-litre V6 and possibly even the new 4.6-litre V8.

Mercedes new family-friendly wagon is an evolution on the current Merc design, one that manages to be stylish and up-to-date, integrating traditional visual features with some new ones.

By using large headlights placed far to the sides, the designers were consciously emphasising the car’s high-tech features, with visible cylinders projecting forward behind the oval lenses, turning the headlights into true eye-catchers.

In the rear, the R-Class body’s rising waistline meets a three-section rear-lamp cluster, which appears as a striking red LED panel and creates a visual connection between the rear and the sides.

Three glossy sections of aluminium form the rear lights and accommodate the light-emitting diodes for the turn-signal and reversing lights.

In addition to its contemporary exterior design, the R-Class will be available with Mercedes’ AirMatic DC system, that can raise and lower ride height and change damping rates on the go for uncompromising levels of ride quality.

The suicide or barn-style rear doors of the 2002 concept car appear to have been scrapped in favour of four normal doors (as seen in the photos), and there is also talk of smaller, shortened version of the R-Class in the works, and the rumour mill has been furiously pumping out news of an AMG version as well.

Insiders hint that an R 55 AMG or R 63 AMG will arrive in 2006, packing more heat than most parents taking their kids to soccer practice will ever need.

Either a 5.5-litre supercharged V8 outputting 276kW (370hp) or a new 6.5-litre V12 generating 373kW (500hp) will drive all four of the R-Class’s wheels, and thanks to the 4ETS electronically controlled traction system, loss of traction will be a thing of the past.

Other additions to the AMG-tuned R-Class include a 7-speed automatic transmission, exaggerated bodywork, fatter wheels and special badging. And until BMW’s multi-seat people mover makes itself known, which should be very soon, Mercedes will have little in the way of competition.

In relation to the earlier question of “what happens when these two vehicular juggernauts enter unexplored territory – will they come crashing to the ground?” consider that both BMW and Mercedes proved that they could turn a profit in the luxury SUV markets, and looking to consolidate more power, they have a good chance of doing the same for the luxury MPV genre.

Even though the R-Class fills a very small gap between the marque’s E-Class Estates and the M-Class 4WDs, it is still a new design for Mercedes, and one that will no doubt find grace with many buyers. Mercedes spends huge money on identifying demographics and car buyer’s wishes, and it’s obviously found that there are buyers out there who need a multi-seater people mover with plenty of badge cachet, a glass roof a great big V8.

Designer’s Iman Maghsoudi’s creation, Ferrari Monza, may wery well be the beggining of flying car production we all dreamed of when we were child. It’s styling, obviously borrowed from Enzo’s, aerodynamic in nature, allows it to go over 200 km/hr. Obviously not intended for casual driving or cruisin’, this is a vehicle for those in some serious need for speed. So, this concept will be a good minute before we see any flying autos.

Hit the jump for more images of this Ferrari Monza.

Designing a car is an art and sometimes the graphic designers outwit the automotive ones in their own trade. The reason is that designers like Bruno Delussu (French) are never bothered about the technical specifications as to what will power the car, but simply let their imagination flow to create what pleases the eye.

The mesmerizing Buggati Stratos created by the French graphic designer affirms that it is favorable to let go the tech spec considerations to create a gem of a design. Bruno was inspired by the ever so beautiful Buggati Type 57 Atlantic and that inspiration did help him weave magic. Some design cues were also picked up from the Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 Mille Miglia (for the front end) and Raymond Loewy’s locomotive designs. I must say that it for the first time I don’t really bother whether the Stratos will ever make the cut or not.

As boat accessories go, a bespoke supercar is probably the most extravagant. But that’s exactly what millionaire buyers of the $25m Strand Craft SC122 will get.

Beating the Bugatti Veyron hands down for exclusivity, the supercar has 880bhp from its twin-turbo V12 engine and a claimed top speed of 234mph. Only six will be built, each capable of hitting 60mph from rest in 3.2 seconds.

Designed by Eduard Gray, the car is so synonymous with the yacht that the company doesn’t seem to have named it. The supercar will spend most of its time in the custom garage below deck while its owner enjoys the supreme luxury of the yacht.

The SC122 is a vision of absolute splendour inside and out, kitted out with 52-inch televisions and a Bang & Olufsen surround sound system in every room. There are four double bedrooms, too.

Its power dwarfs that of the accompanying supercar. Twin Rolls-Royce engines each pump out over 4,000bhp, and there’s an optional 5,000bhp booster if the standard amount just won’t do.

That power enables the yacht to reach 55 knots – though at just over 60mph, it’s actually quite sluggish compared to the car.

The MG Midget, right, was mechanically identical to the Austin-Healey Sprite. It had the traditional MG grille and a different trim. The ‘frog eye’ Sprite was never badged as an MG, so the MG Midget was always one mark number behind the corresponding Austin-Healey Sprite. The Midget was always slightly more expensive and few people questioned the value of paying a little extra for the MG name.

Motor magazine tested the Mk II Midget and found it a much better car than the Mk II Sprite they tested a year or so earlier. The equivalent Mk III Sprite was, of course, identical. The MG Midget now had the 1098cc engine, wind-up windows, lockable doors and a heater. Some early Sprite enthusiasts might have objected to these innovations, however, the appeal of the car was widening to include older people and more women drivers. On the road, the new Midget was faster and handled better; but it was still a squeeze and uncomfortable for tall drivers.

For many people, the first choice as a classic car today is a classic sports car from the sixties. The 60s sports car evokes an age of carefree, open top motoring down narrow, country lanes, or on motorways free of traffic. Sixties’ classic sports cars with gleaming chrome and vintage style wire wheels draw admiring glances from passers by and comments of ‘I used to have one of those’. A sixties’ classic sports car seems the ideal way to travel: fast enough to keep up with modern traffic; yet quaint and charming enough to be different from today’s cars.

Sports cars in the sixties offered a different style of motoring to contemporary saloons.  They had performance and handling characteristics that made them a pleasure to drive, rather than just a way of getting from A to B.  In an era of no speed limits, a sports car happy to cruise at 90 or 100mph made a huge difference to journey times compared to a family saloon of a similar price.  However, sports cars  offered more cramped dimensions and less luggage space compared to their contemporary saloons.

From the early sixties, the traditional image of the draughty and uncomfortable sports car was fading.  Even cheaper models were improving in terms of comfort and convenience.  However, by modern standards they might seem primitive.  There were really three types of sports car for sale in the sixties: small, cheap sports cars such as the Austin-Healey Sprite, MG Midget or Triumph Spitfire; medium-sized cars, still small by today’s standards: the MGB, Triumph TR4/5 and Sunbeam Alpine; and fast, powerful and expensive machinery, starting with the Austin-Healey 3000 and E-Type Jaguar.  Anyone choosing a classic car today would need to choose one of these three groups and pick a car from them. 

This guide is based on reports from the motoring press in the sixties about the various different sports cars on offer.  We invite readers to add their own comments about driving these cars today, or in the sixties if your memory goes that far back.

Small sports cars
At the cheaper end of the market, you could either buy an older second-hand sports car, such as a classic MG TF, or TD from the early fifties. They still held their price quite well in the early to mid sixties. MG TFs were selling for around 300 in 1964 and TDs were going for upwards of 200. If you wanted something more modern, there was a choice between the MG Midget, or the virtually identical Austin-Healey Sprite or a Triumph Spitfire. The Japanese competitor, the Honda S800, joined the fray in the mid sixties.

At first they had to make do with pre-war cars, as rationing and the drive for exports restricted the home market. Once rationing was finally over there was a boom in car ownership. The car and the booming British car industry was a symbol of the new prosperity. People had “never had it so good”.

Cars of the early 50s
 
Morris Minor
Like the music of the 50s, the cars changed radically in the 50s. Early models were based on pre-war designs. One of the first completely new cars was Alec Issigonis’ Morris Minor. It was design he worked on during the war years. The Morris Minor had a rounded look which developed from the streamlined style of the late 30s. The original models had headlights low down in the grill and a split front windscreen screen. This example (left) is from the middle years of the 50s.

The Morris Minor had a long production run, from 1948 to 1971, but by the end of its run, it was distinctly unfashionable. However, battered early models were often repainted in bright colours and used as transport by the hippie movement.  It is still a very popular classic on today’s roads and is affectionately known by some as a “Moggie”

Austin A30
 
Austin’s rival to the Morris Minor was the Austin A30 (right). Like the Morris, it had the rounded look of the early fifties. It was a scaled down version of the larger Austin Somerset.

Cars of the late 50s

In the second half of the fifties, British car designers took their lead from America. They adorned British cars with chrome and gave them rocket-inspired fins. It was on a much smaller scale than the excesses of the US, nevertheless British cars were brighter and more glamorous in the second half of the fifties.
 
Ford’s top of the range Zodiac had two-tone paint and its name spelt out in gold plated letters on the bonnet. Later the Zephyr, Consul and Zodiac acquired fins and a lower look following the style of the American Fords of the 50s.

Vauxhall, strongly influenced by its parent company, General Motors, produced a car very similar to Chevrolets of the 50s, the Vauxhall Victor. The Victor brought all the excesses of the decade into one model. Its glamorous futuristic look failed to last, however, and the cars rusted badly and cost Vauxhall dear in terms of reputation.

BMC (British Motor Corporation) also used two-tone paint on Morris Oxford and Austin Cambridge models. Fins were added in 1959 when Pinnin Farina restyled both models.

The jukebox style of the fifties continued into the early years of the sixties. New models such as the Ford Classic continued the theme.

Webber felt aggrieved at Silverstone after the developmental front wing on his RB6 had been removed prior to qualifying to be fitted onto the sister car of Red Bull Racing team-mate Sebastian Vettel instead, after the German’s had broken at the end of FP3 on Saturday morning.

Whilst team principal Christian Horner explained that the decision had been taken based purely upon the 23-year-old’s superior championship position and practice pace, the Australian – and the majority of F1 fans, judging by reaction to the incident – felt there was more than a hint of favouritism to the move, and in the post-race press conference he admitted that he ‘would never have signed a contract again for next year if I believed that was the way it was going to be going forward’.

Coulthard – who partnered Webber at Red Bull from 2007 to 2008, and remains good friends with him today – has suggested the New South Wales native’s openly outspoken and critical stance was a bold or perhaps foolhardy one to take…and one that could either strengthen his position within the team and his world championship challenge, or else make it untenable for him to remain there.

“There are two ways of running a race team,” the 13-time grand prix-winner turned BBC F1 pundit wrote in his regular column for The Daily Telegraph. “You can either go the Ferrari-Schumacher route, with one driver openly backed over the other, or you can go for an equal partnership. The first is the most effective way of winning a championship but morally dubious; the second is the fairer system, but is incredibly volatile and difficult to put into practice. My preference is for the second system. I once turned down the chance of a move to Ferrari as I would not accept being a signed-up number two to Michael.

“Red Bull are clearly a team trying to do it the fair way, whatever Mark Webber may have said at Silverstone. I have a huge amount of respect for Mark, and he had his own reasons for saying what he did. He clearly felt aggrieved that the team gave Sebastian Vettel his wing prior to qualifying, and he saw an opportunity to turn the situation in his favour by making his feelings plain to the media. That is his prerogative.

“In many respects, that bloody-minded attitude is what I wish I had shown on the two occasions during my career – at Jerez in 1997 and Melbourne a year later – when I was asked to make way for my McLaren team-mate, Mika Hakkinen. I will never know whether my compliance cost me the chance of a championship. Arguably Mika was the more complete driver anyway, but perhaps those incidents gave him additional confidence or subconsciously dented mine, as well as my self-esteem.

“That is not to say, though, that I agree with Mark. As Christian Horner explained, his team were in an invidious position. With just one new front wing and two hungry drivers, he applied a logic he felt would give Red Bull the best chance of winning the championship. That is his prerogative.

“Okay, so the logic helped Sebastian as the leading driver, but to be fair to the team, with the standings now reversed, they have already said they will apply the same logic next time, which would help Mark. The mistake Red Bull made, and which Christian has admitted, was that they did not go into the weekend with that system already in-place and publicly known; that way, they would not have left themselves open to accusations of partisanship.

“Red Bull would doubtless prefer it if Mark aired his grievances in private. Mark, who suspects Red Bull’s Austrian owners would prefer Vettel to win the championship, clearly feels he can gain more leverage by going public and trying to shame the team whenever he feels hard done-by. It is a risky strategy. If it goes wrong, the relationship with the team could sour irreparably. If it comes off, he could consolidate his position, attract public sympathy and be remembered as a steely champion who battled against the odds to win his title.

“This is undoubtedly a very big test for Christian, [but] I think he is up to it. He started the healing process with some appalling karaoke at the post-race party on Sunday night. It is easy to forget that Red Bull won the race on Sunday with a car that was out-of-this-world – Adrian Newey has now designed eleven British Grand Prix-winning cars, and the team are in great shape. Red Bull learnt from Istanbul and they will learn from this. When the dust settles, I think they will take more positives than negatives.”

Whilst ‘clear-the-air’ talks – necessitated for the second time this season – have since been held and Red Bull is claiming that everybody is now friends again, comments made by Vettel after the young German finally broke his silence on the front wing controversy suggest that behind-the-scenes, all is still far from sweetness-and-light at Milton Keynes, with the Heppenheim native contending that in remarking over the team radio that his Silverstone triumph had been ‘not bad for a number two driver’, Webber betrayed his ‘true face’.

Echoing the argument of 13-time grand prix-winner turned BBC F1 pundit David Coulthard that rather than airing his dirty laundry in public so that all the world could hear his grievance, the Australian should have instead dealt with the matter internally, Vettel went on to forecast that any such further fall-outs could end up costing RBR the crown, fastest car regardless.

“Such things do not belong in the public,” the 23-year-old told German newspaper Bild. “They should be handled internally by the team. I’m brought up to show respect for one another. The most important thing is the atmosphere within the team. We have a really strong car, and the only thing that can stop us is ourselves.”

Those sentiments are echoed by Mercedes Grand Prix CEO Nick Fry, who told British newspaper The Sun that ‘drivers are a vital part of the team but they’re not the team, and that needs to be clear’, adding that ‘as soon as the lunatics start running the asylum, you have big problems’.