SellMyCarKent

With all the electric car designs flying around it kind of already feels like we are living in the future but Audi just had to go and take it that one step further. Aspiring automotive designer Edwin Conan has stepped forward with what looks from the designs like a flying car…yes that’s right a flying car.  In actually fact, the Audi Avatar is not a flying car but has four protruding fins, each of which houses a wheel with its own electric motor.  The car will be zero emission and powered by high energy density supercharge-ion batteries, capable of delivering ranges comparable to modern diesels.  Long live the future…

As its one of the most recognised and prestigious brands in the world, its perhaps no surprise that Ferrari would seek to capitalise on its hard won fame and fortune. The latest in this cycle of capitalising is ‘Ferrari World’ a theme park due to open on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi that is a tribute to the brand. The park is scheduled to open in 2010 and is the world’s first Ferrari theme park and the largest attraction of its kind. The park “pays tribute to the passion, excellence, performance, technical innovation that Ferrari has established over the years and represents today.” The attraction is so much based on the brand and its products that it even has a sleek red roof that will be reminiscent of the curve side profile of the Ferrari GT with the largest logo ever created.

As the environmentally conscious drive gathers pace among the car making fraternity, the latest company to sharpen up their act is Citroen which has seen the Picasso get an engine improvement so the MPV delivers sub-120g/km CO2 emissions for £35 a year road tax. Improvements have also been made to the diesel engine to cut emissions so both of the models have moved down the road tax bands, hence the drop to £35 from the previous price of £120. The new model also boasts an integrated Bluetooth handset hands free system as well as the facility to connect a portable MP3 player straight into the car’s audio system via a built in USB Box and socket.

If you’re suffering a bit from the dark nights and dark mornings to come and need a bit of seasonal cheer then perhaps the news that the Kia has introduced a number of special editions to its range might come as a pleasant surprise.  Among these special editions is the Kia Picanto city car which has had a Graphite model added in titanium silver as well as the Kia Soul range which has introduced a new design to its ‘Originals’ collection.  The Picanto Graphite also has CD audio with iPod compatibility as standard and comes in at £8,495 including free metallic titanium silver paintwork.

When you think of Fiat you will no doubt conjure up an image of a little, compact car with zippy capability, possibly most at home in an urban setting.  What you may or may not be aware of is Fiat’s ventures into the territory of multi-purses vehicles.  The latest of these to get an upgrade is the Qubo which has been given a rugged facelift that includes being 20mm higher than the regular model with a sturdy front bumper, exclusive wheel trims, Pirelli 2500 mud and snow tyres and rear Trekking stickers as standard.  The car has the Traction+ system which applies an electronic differential lock to the front wheels to improve handling and control in low grip conditions like mud and snow.  The new Fiat Qubo is priced at £12,650 on the road.

The Fiat 500 has been on sale for nearly two years but still continues to be recognised for its many faculties, including in the case of the City Car of The Year award, its style, technology, versatility and also its green credentials.  The award was presented by the 2009 GreenFleet Awards for a wide range of positives including the car’s eco:Drive system, which gives drivers the ability to monitor their driving style to save fuel and reduce emissions, and the Fiat 500’s optional Dualogic automatic gearbox. The car comes with a choice of three frugal, ultra-low emissions, Euro 5-ready engines: 69 bhp 1.2-litre and 100bhp 1.4-litre petrol, or 75 bhp 1.3-litre MultiJet turbodiesel.

As the electric car revolution continues to plough ahead Brighton & Hove is aiming to become the UK’s most electric car friendly city.  This is not entirely surprising given that the city has also recently attempted to try and become completely self-sufficient in terms of food, possibly electing the first Green party MP as well as weaning itself off oil as a Transition Town.  Late in September, four street-side charging stations were installed in the city with a further 16 due to be completed by the end of 2010.  The first 10 stations will be funded by £130,000 from clean transport initiative Civitas, which is part-funded by the EU.

For a family hatchback with a dose of serious style, many would say you can’t go far wrong with the SEAT Leon.  A recent facelift has seen the car’s bold front grille, sweeping roofline and sculpted flanks set the same stylish precedent and for those drivers leaning towards the eco-friendly purchase the S and SE versions of the car come in the fuel efficient Ecomotive guise.  The Leon’s interior is pretty roomy although perhaps a little dark thanks to the dark seat trim and dashboard plastics and not quite as pretty as other similarly marketed cars like the VW Golf.  Nevertheless the car delivers decent driving dynamics and at £13,490 – £19,990 is spot on for value too.

If you’re in the market for a used car at the moment you’d better make sure you do your research as it’s emerged that a number of unlucky motorists have accidentally bought ex rentals, even from official dealerships of leading manufacturers.  Some customers found themselves confused by an unfamiliar-looking name on the car’s documents while others were told that the vehicle they were buying was “ex-fleet” or belonged to the manufacturer.  The Office of Fair Trading is currently investigating the used car market as obviously you would expect to pay thousands of pounds less for an ex rental than a normal used car.  Don’t get caught out.

If you want a fast fast, menacing, sexy (and did I say fast?), very fast car then you should be keeping your eyes peeled for the new Lamborghini Reventon.  This open top, two seat driving machine has a 6.5 litre twelve-cylinder engine that can catapult the Roadster from 0 to 62 mph in a staggering 3.4 seconds.  The car can also reach top speeds of a huge 205 mph.  Not only that but the solid aluminum casing is reminiscent of  the Batmobile and has two bars hidden behind the seats that move upwards in just a few hundredths of a second if there’s a threat of a rollover.  Sexy and safe…