Lotus Evora Sports Coupe: Updated Photo Gallery, New Details

With the delivery of the first examples of the all-new Lotus Evora in Europe only weeks away in early June, we thought we'd update our album of the mid-engined British sports coupe with the latest batch of photos that include static shots as well as images from the building process. Initially, the sports car will be offered with a mid-mounted, Toyota-sourced 3.5-liter V6 rated at 276 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 252 lbs-ft or 342Nm of torque at 4,700 rpm.

Toyota has also provided the vehicle with a six-speed manual gearbox that sends power to the rear wheels. Buyers can also opt for close ratio version of the stick shift while an automatic transmission is planned for the near future.

Lotus claims that with the six-speed manual the Evora can sprint from zero to 100 km/h (62mph) in just over 5 seconds and has a top speed in excess of 260 km/h or 162mph. Thanks to its lightweight construction, the Evora boasts a relatively low fuel consumption figure for this type of vehicle with an average of 8.7 liters/100 km which is the U.S. equivalent of 28.1mpg.

As well as being sold in a 2+2 configuration, the car will also be available as a two-seater, the space in the rear being allocated to luggage storage. The British sports carmaker has also revealed that it is planning to introduce other derivatives of the Evora in the next few years including a convertible and more hardcore versions. In North America, the Evora will arrive in the beginning of 2010.

Ford's U.S. Sales Drop 31 Percent in April, Hybrids up 21%

Ford Motor Company today reported that combined sales of its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brands in April totaled 129,898 units in the U.S., down 31 percent compared with the same month a year ago. The group's retail sales were down 32 percent compared with a year ago and fleet sales were down 30 percent. On a bright note, this is the smallest decline in 2009 for Ford as in each of the previous three months of the year, the automaker's sales were more than 40 percent down.

Furthermore, the company stated that in April, combined sales of all hybrid models in the Ford group totaled 2,299 units, an increase of 21 percent versus a year ago.

"Sales of the 2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln MKZ and hybrid versions exceeded our plan and customers also are equipping our new products with levels of content and features that are higher than we expected," said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, Sales and Marketing.

Chrysler LLC to Shut Down Most Plants from May 4

In both statements released to the press and the firm's employees, Chrysler LLC's outgoing CEO Bob Nardelli announced that while in bankruptcy, most manufacturing plants of the automaker will be temporarily idled. The lockdown will commence on Monday, May 4 and continue for the whole duration of the bankruptcy procedure which is expected to be complete within the next 30 to 60 days.

According to Chrysler, during the bankruptcy period, the company's hourly employees will receive unemployment benefits, as well as supplemental pay that will amount to most of their base wages while company-sponsored healthcare and other insurance coverage will continue.

However, the question that arises with Chrysler's prolonged shutdown is what will happen to the company's U.S. suppliers, given the fact that General Motors has also announced that it will be idling 13 of its North American assembly plants for multiple weeks from May through to July.

Jaguar and Land Rover to Enter Indian Market for the First Time

Tata's newly formed "Jaguar Land Rover" premiere car group has announced that it will enter the Indian market for the first time later this year. The Jaguar and Land Rover models will be distributed in the country by the British group's owner, India's Tata Motors Limited with the first showroom scheduled to be open at Ceejay House in Worli, Mumbai, in June this year. The group's initial portfolio will include the Jaguar XF and XK, and the Land Rover Discovery and Range Rover models.

"We are delighted to be formally entering the Indian market, an economy which is still growing appreciably, and able to offer our premium products to a whole new group of customers," said David Smith, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover. "It is an important strategic move for Jaguar Land Rover and will enable us to realize our competitive potential in this significant market."

VW Creates Virtual Golf GTI VI Slot Car Race Game

Once in a while, automakers and their marketing teams come up with up an idea that's actually quite cool. Such is the case with Volkswagen's "GTI Project", a new virtual slot car game that you can play online from the comfort of your office chair -just don't get caught. The Scalectric track that was constructed by a team of 60 modelers and features some 200 scale buildings is truly massive measuring 30ft by 25ft (9.1meters x 7.6meters) while the Golf GTI slot car itself is a 1:43 scale replica. Give it a try and remember to have a little perseverance around the corners...

Play the Game Here: GTI Project