The good oil: Lotus introduces 2010 version of Exige S

The wild Lotus Exige S. Photo / Supplied

"How many cars have performance figures of 0-100km/h in 4.7 seconds but produce only 199g/km CO2?" is the rhetorical question Lotus asks as it introduces the 2010 version of its wild Exige S (above) with revised styling, less drag, better fuel economy and carbon dioxide emissions that slip in under the 200g/km yardstick. Acceleration is courtesy of the Exige Performance Pack with a Magnuson/Eaton M62 supercharger that increases power to 179kW at 8000rpm. It also has faster flowing injectors and a larger roof scoop to feed more air to the supercharger/intercooler system.

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BMW is building a special edition to mark 10 years of its X5 sports utility, or Sports Activity Vehicle as the company prefers to call it. The X5 was first shown at the North American International Auto Show in 1999. New Zealand will get 60 units with individually numbered plaques and loaded with some $15,000 worth of extra specification in the $129,000 sticker price.

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Chrysler's closing its New Zealand office, but that doesn't mean its brands will disappear. Sime Darby Automobiles, which distributes Peugeot, has signed on to represent the Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Mopar, including parts, warranty and technical support. In addition to Peugeot Sime Darby handles Mack, Hino, UD Nissan, Renault and Volvo Trucks and Coaches, and is active in vehicle retailing.

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Frankfurt motor show's the place to see the most of the newest. Organisers are promising 82 world premieres by the time doors close, calling it a "fireworks show of innovations". However, the claim isn't quite all it seems as several manufacturers are offering only new versions of existing models or production version of cars already seen as prototypes.

Best ingredient at the Frankfurter? Maybe Audi's e-tron, a high-performance electric sports car with four motors - two each at the front and rear axles. Together they produce 230kW and, drum roll please, 4500Nm of torque. The two-seater's lithium-ion battery is good for a range of about 248km.

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Seems like only yesterday Mercedes-Benz was doing the unthinkable, opening a factory in the United States. Now, it's just made the one millionth M-Class. Initially, the M-Class SUV was the only model built at the Alabama factory when it opened in 1997. Today, the R-Class Tourer, and the GL-Class luxury sports utility have joined it. All three are built for global markets.

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PSA Peugeot Citroen and Mitsubishi have agreed to introduce an electric car in Europe by the end of next year, based on the interesting i-MieV that's being evaluated in New Zealand. The companies expect eventual annual sales of 50,000 vehicles, half made by Peugeot and Citroen in Europe, the rest by Mitsubishi in Japan and elsewhere. The car is designed to go for 130km between charges with a battery that can be fully recharged in six hours.

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In another vote of confidence for the rapidly growing Chinese auto industry, components giant GKN has signed a new 50-year agreement with its joint-venture partner. The first major European automotive supplier to invest in China, GKN Driveline has factories in the Shanghai area, Chongqing, and Wuhan.