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THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2013 |

Renault’s EV supermini, the Zoe, is priced from £13,650 (€16,040) in the UK after the government’s Plug-in Car Grant deduction. The new hatchback is already available to order now and will arrive in UK showrooms from June 7.

On top of the retail price that is similar to the diesel Clio, buyers will also have to pay from £70 (€82) a month for the battery lease. Starting April 5, Zoe’s base price will increase to £13,995 (€16,450), to align with Renault’s price hike on all of its models.

The Zoe has an NEDC (New European Driving Cycle) homologated range of 130 miles (209 km). However, Renault admits that in real conditions and in suburban use, the Zoe will offer a driving range of around 60 miles (96.5 km) in cold weather and 90 miles (145 km) in warmer conditions.

Power comes from a 65kW (87HP) synchronous electric motor with rotor coil which delivers 220 Nm of torque, that allows the Zoe to reach a limited top speed of 84 mph (135 km/h).

Renault’s electric supermini is available in three trim levels – Expression, Dynamique Zen and Dynamique Intens. The latter two versions start from £14,750 (€17,345) now, but will cost £15,195 (€17,870) from April 7. The base Expression trim comes with 15-inch Aerobase wheel trims, the R-Link multimedia system, a 4x20W radio with USB input, jack, SD multimedia and Bluetooth, climate control, cruise control, hill start assist system and traction control, among others.

Dynamique Zen and Intens have additional features, including 16-inch wheels, hands-free keycard, remote battery charging and climate control activation, auto lights and wipers, 4x35W Arkamys 3D digital sound system, leather steering wheel, electric rear windows and rear parking sensors.

Every Zoe features "Range OptimiZEr", a package that combines bi-modal regenerative braking, a heat pump and Michelin Energy E-V tyres in order to increase driving range.

The EV is also fitted as standard with the Chameleon charger, which is compatible with all power levels from 3kW up to 43kW. Using a Rapid Charger 43kW AC power source, the batteries can be charged 80 percent in 30 minutes. Full battery charge can take up to nine hours though.

By Dan Mihalascu

PHOTO GALLERY

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FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 2013 |

The name Alpine used to be synonymous with endurance racing and now, after a 35-year absence, they have revealed their 2013 Le Mans racer named "Alpine No36", which is built in collaboration with Nissan and Signatech.

It uses a 4.5-liter V8 engine, sourced from the Japanese automaker, which puts out 500 hp. Weight is kept down to 900 kg (1984 lbs) and top speed is rated at 330 km/h, but it really depends on what gear ratios the team of mechanics decides to use for each racing venue.

They are openly admitting that this is part of the re-emergence of the Alpine brand, and they want to make the name heard again, before they debut their first road car, which is set to debut in 2016, and is being developed by Renault, with the help of Caterham.

Before starting to compete at the 2013 Le Mans 24 Hours, as well as the European Le Mans Series (ELMS), the car will make its public debut around the modern Paul Ricard track, in France, on March 26-27. That is when the official ELMS test days have been programmed.

Alpine has already chosen the drivers, and they are Nelson Panciatici and Pierre Ragues for the ELMS, while Tristan Gommendy will also join them for the 24 hours race.

By Andrei Nedelea

PHOTO GALLERY

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THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013 |

Dacia has been one of the most stably growing automakers in Europe in recent years, and in 2012, they managed to sell 360,000 cars around the world. Along the line, they decided to add a bit of zest to the Dacia name, and ended up witha monster Duster which raced at Pikes Peak, andanother Duster, specially-designed to be driven on ice, which competed in the Andros Trophy.

Now, they're moving into the Scandinavian (formerly Swedish) Touring Car Championship, most frequently called STCC.

However, they have not used the company's only crossover as a base this time, opting instead to use the new Logan sedan. It is the first incursion made by Dacia into the realm of asphalt racing, and the northern European championship will pit it against cars like the Chevy Cruze, VW Scirocco, Honda Civic, BMW 320i and even an old Alfa Romeo 156.

The touring-Logan is gets its motivation from a V6 engine, and sends all of its 400+ hp to the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential gearbox. Performance should be good, because with its unusually low stance, and weight of 1,100 kilos (2425 pounds), and that high horsepower rating, the numbers look good.

The blue Logan is now set to go into the wind tunnel for further tuning, and then it will be further tested, before debuting in the 2013 season on 3-4 May, at the Knutstorp track. The final race of the year will take place on 21 September, and it is the last of eight races.

We are very eager to see this thing in motion, because it looks very purposeful and should prove enjoyable to watch. It also reminds us of a WRC version of the first Dacia Logan, called the S2000. However, that project never got off the ground and all we are left with are low quality videos from 2004.

By Andrei Nedelea

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