Toyota Prius gets sporty with the new Plus Performance package

No one is going to confuse a Toyota Prius hybrid with a sports car. But the Japanese automaker has released a styling and suspension package developed by Toyota Racing Development that gives the Toyota Prius a sportier look. The Prius Plus Performance package first appeared at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas in November 2010.

Hyundai ix35 Review (2012): Premium 1.7 CRDi 2WD

We have Hyundai’s impressive looking ix35 compact SUV come crossover in for a week for review in 2WD guise with Premium trim and the 1.7 CRDi engine. We’ve wittered on endlessly about how impressive Hyundai’s efforts have become in the last few years; from Halford’s special to credible alternative in less time than it takes from one Olympic games to the next. But it’s one thing turning small, budget family cars in to real competition for the established market leaders, but is it a stretch too far to think Hyundai can take on the might of car makers like Ford and VW in the compact SUV market?

Tesla asks NHTSA to investigate fires

In response to concerns following a recent accident which appeared to result from road debris damaging the underside of a battery compartment of a Tesla Model S, causing a fire in the engine compartment, the company has announced that it has requested that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conduct a full investigation into the fire incidents. In a blog post, Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote the following about the investigation: "While we think it is highly unlikely, if something is discovered that would result in a material improvement in occupant fire safety, we will immediately apply that change to new cars and offer it as a free retrofit to all existing cars. Given that the incidence of fires in the Model S is far lower than combustion cars and that there have been no resulting injuries, this did not at first seem like a good use of NHTSA's time compared to the hundreds of gasoline fire deaths per year that warrant their attention." Tesla has also released a software update to the cars which will maintain their standard ride height at highway speeds, preventing the air suspension from lowering the car an extra inch at highway speeds for greater aerodynamic efficiency.