The meanest ever parking...
The meanest ever parking meter is on its way. The clock starts as soon as you drive up, it knows when you have overstayed and photographs your number plate to send a ticket to your home. "It will increase revenue for cities by up to five times," said inventor Fred Mitschele of Vancouver, Canada, who"s opening a London office.
America’s going...
America’s going into hyperdrive! It’s been a while, but Vector is back – and it’s aiming to steal the thunder of European supercar makers by building the world’s fastest vehicle.
The original Vector was made in small numbers before financial prob÷lems ended production in the Nine÷ties. But entrepreneur Gerry Weigert is back with the Vector Avtech WX8, which he unveiled at the Los Angeles Motor Show. Power comes from a 7.0-litre V8 tuned to 600bhp – or 750bhp with the aid of a superchar÷ger. The unit has the potential to develop as much as 1,200bhp.
As standard, the car claims to cover 0-60mph in 3.3 seconds and hit a 270mph top speed. The 19-inch alloys get race-engineered tyres cap÷able of sustained high-speed use.
Meanwhile, the body is made of carbon fibre and a low-drag spoiler is used to aid high-speed stability. Inside, there’s room for three, while the fighter jet-style dash features military-specification switches, an electro-luminescent four-mode control panel and a head-up display.
But despite its racing leanings, the Vector has a custom-engineered 10-speaker sound system with lightweight amplifiers. Wiegert’s philosophy is to produce “aerospace technology for the road” – and with the WX8, he’s aiming for the stars.
Production for 2008 is scheduled at a limited number, while prices have yet to be determined.