Motoring briefs
Fuel-saving record for Seat
A Seat Ibiza Ecomotive has set a world fuel-saving record of 2.9 l/100 km.
The car was driven by Austrian Gerhard Plattner, a well-known champion of fuel economy tests. On a 1,562km journey across Spain, France and Germany the Ibiza used only a single tank of 45.53 litres of diesel, resulting in an average consumption figure of 2.9l/100km.
Plattner drove out of the Martorell facilities near Barcelona in the Ibiza Ecomotive on Monday, April 27th, after both the bonnet and the fuel tank filler had been sealed.
The Seat Ibiza Ecomotive benefits from weight reduction and modifications to the 80 hp 1.4 TDI engine’s management system. The Ibiza variant will be available in Ireland from September.
Saab denies talks with Fiat on takeover
SAAB, THE Swedish unit of struggling US carmaker General Motors, said yesterday that it was not in talks with Italian peer Fiat about a takeover.
A spokesman confirmed comments by Saab chief executive Jan-Ake Jonsson in a Swedish newspaper, where he said that the carmaker was not talking to Fiat and that there were other serious buyers for Saab, which was put up for sale earlier this year.
Saab spokesman Eric Geers said that Fiat was not among the 10 remaining potential suitors, which have visited Saab’s facilities over the past couple of weeks.
“We now have 10 very serious interested parties that have visited us in Trollhattan,” Geers said.
“What will happen now. . . we will narrow these down, and we are counting on a close (of a deal) in June, or the beginning of summer.”
Fiat, fresh from a partnership with US carmaker Chrysler, said that it would evaluate a merger of its auto group with GM’s European unit.
The Financial Timesreported yesterday that Fiat aims to include Saab, which is currently under reorganisation, in the new car group.
The Swedish government said on Monday that it had contact with Fiat regarding Saab a couple of weeks ago, but that nothing concrete had been decided regarding a potential takeover.
Stunt car crashes on Times Square
A STUNT man filming a car chase in Times Square for a scene in a new Nicolas Cage movie crashed his Ferrari into a store front and two pedestrians suffered minor injuries as a result of the collision.
The crash, which happened early on Monday, was captured on amateur video that was subsequently posted on the New York Post website.
The video showed two cars weaving in between other traffic before the front car – the Ferrari – skidded out of control, mounting the sidewalk and crashing into the window of an outlet of an Italian chain restaurant.
Normal traffic in Times Square had been shut down for the filming of The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and all the cars in the video were part of the movie shoot.
Police said that a 23-year-old man was hit by a falling pole and complained of a head injury, and a 21-year-old woman suffered a foot injury.
Both injuries were considered minor and the stunt man driving the car was uninjured.
Next-generation Meriva spotted
WHILE THE trials and tribulations of future alliances and/or takeovers continue in the boardroom it’s good to see that the engineers at Opel are getting on with the real job at hand: turning out new cars and keeping the brand competitive.
These are the latest images of the much-spotted next generation Opel Meriva.
Again we can clearly see the new reverse opening side doors and it certainly seems like they are going to be a full production feature.
The new car has a much more elegant appearance than its predecessor and the new format should suit families in a market where practicality is all.