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the Opel Ampera is nothing more than a Chevrolet Volt with some extremely mild cosmetic changes, but doppelgangers have always had a very special place in the wonderful world of General Motors. If Bloomberg’s inside sources are right, GM is currently looking into the development of a Buick-badged version of the plug-in hybrid Opel Ampera. According to people familiar with the project, the Buick model could go on sale in 2013, if the plans goes ahead.

the Opel Ampera is nothing more than a Chevrolet Volt with some extremely mild cosmetic changes, but doppelgangers have always had a very special place in the wonderful world of General Motors. If Bloomberg’s inside sources are right, GM is currently looking into the development of a Buick-badged version of the plug-in hybrid Opel Ampera. According to people familiar with the project, the Buick model could go on sale in 2013, if the plans goes ahead.

A key aspect to General Motor's survival is what is now being called its Voltec platform - cars which are built on the same platform underpinning the Chevrolet Volt, an electric car scheduled to be introduced before the end of 2010. Besides the Chevrolet Volt, GM has been showcasing the Cadillac Converj concept, a luxury coupe version of the Volt as well as the Opel Ampera, a European counterpart to the Volt. Together, these three cars will play a prime role in distinguishing the direction General Motors will be going for the next decade or longer.Each of the three models will be "powered" by an electric lithium-ion battery, a rechargeable powerplant with an all-electric range of forty miles. Beyond that, a small gas engine will kick in and, in the case of the Chevrolet Volt, that engine will be the same 1.4L I4 motor as the one that will move the upcoming Chevrolet Cruze, a gasoline model. GM hasn't said which engines will be in the Ampera or the Converj, but the 1.4L may provide just enough power to move those two models as well.

OK - so you heard all the up sides to plug-in hybrids but what are the downsides (apart from mainly not being available yet)? Well here are some that I see: * They have a lot of unproven technology as they have never really been tried in mass production yet so it could take a while to iron out the kinks. * Some people could have a problem trying to find a place to charge them - which could mean they take the "lazy" option of mostly using the engine all the time. * Obviously another one is the price! - at the moment they look a lot more expensive than even the usual hybrids which are already more expensive than a regular car. The Prius had a problem with price for a long time. * And finally Are they too little, too late - to save the environment, because that's what they're all about aren't they?So in summary: It looks like out of all the options for Electric Cars for me - the Plug-in Hybrid seems like the best one - especially compared with the All-Electric Cars around at the moment. But we'll also have to wait a year or two first. Right now though I have to get my hands on some of those electric scooters and electric bicycles around at the moment!

A key aspect to General Motor's survival is what is now being called its Voltec platform - cars which are built on the same platform underpinning the Chevrolet Volt, an electric car scheduled to be introduced before the end of 2010. Besides the Chevrolet Volt, GM has been showcasing the Cadillac Converj concept, a luxury coupe version of the Volt as well as the Opel Ampera, a European counterpart to the Volt. Together, these three cars will play a prime role in distinguishing the direction General Motors will be going for the next decade or longer.Each of the three models will be "powered" by an electric lithium-ion battery, a rechargeable powerplant with an all-electric range of forty miles. Beyond that, a small gas engine will kick in and, in the case of the Chevrolet Volt, that engine will be the same 1.4L I4 motor as the one that will move the upcoming Chevrolet Cruze, a gasoline model. GM hasn't said which engines will be in the Ampera or the Converj, but the 1.4L may provide just enough power to move those two models as well.

OK - so you heard all the up sides to plug-in hybrids but what are the downsides (apart from mainly not being available yet)? Well here are some that I see: * They have a lot of unproven technology as they have never really been tried in mass production yet so it could take a while to iron out the kinks. * Some people could have a problem trying to find a place to charge them - which could mean they take the "lazy" option of mostly using the engine all the time. * Obviously another one is the price! - at the moment they look a lot more expensive than even the usual hybrids which are already more expensive than a regular car. The Prius had a problem with price for a long time. * And finally Are they too little, too late - to save the environment, because that's what they're all about aren't they?So in summary: It looks like out of all the options for Electric Cars for me - the Plug-in Hybrid seems like the best one - especially compared with the All-Electric Cars around at the moment. But we'll also have to wait a year or two first. Right now though I have to get my hands on some of those electric scooters and electric bicycles around at the moment!

Did you know that it basically took Audi 126.5 million years to finally agree with everyone alive that having a tall 4,6 or 8 cylinder engine set up high and way in front of the front axle does not do wonders to the handling of their front wheel drive sedans? Having driven the current A6, the previous generation A4 (B7 series) as well as the earlier ones too, I have to say that massive understeer is the preferred way for these front wheel drive Audis to corner.On the B7 A4 I remember driving it hard and it felt so nose heavy that even with a pointy nose it felt as if the steering was the one end of the stick and the other end was the large elephant hanging off of it. That A4 was a pretty good car and in 2.0TFSI form was a fast ride but the high speed handling on a twisty road was really bad. I would assume this trait would be lessened in the Quattro or All wheel drive version of the cars, but in the front wheel drive A4, it basically was awful.Now this brings us to the current B8 Audi A4 1.8 TFSI launched around two years ago. The car I tried is owned by a friend of mine and it is a car that is very familiar to me. His ride pictured above is the 1.8TFSI 160bhp spec that comes with the larger 18inch tires and rims. It looks so much better than the stock 17inch rims that the standard car is specced with.I suppose it was because of nearly universal criticism of mega understeer that Audi had finally decided to re-engineer the engine and gearbox placement of the A4. The wheels are now at least 8cm forward compared to the earlier setup and this equates to better handling as well steering feel. The car does not drive like you were sitting just slightly behind an arrow's head in flight. You actually have a car in which does not fight the laws of physics all the time unlike the earlier versions.This time it feels like you're driving a front wheel drive car with a normal transverse engine instead of a longitudinally placed one (even though it is still longitudinally placed). Imagine driving a slightly larger Honda Civic (in terms of nippiness). This is the first 4 door front wheel drive Audi ever that behaves decently well.There is very little sign of it being nose heavy like its predecessors. It is a car which you can fling into corners, of course there's none of the tail out antics being a front wheel drive and it will only show mild understeer at speeds in excess of 150km/h on high speed sweeping corners. On tighter corners, it is poised and predictable, with the A4 managing to turn accurately and without much of the artificial steering sensation of the previous variable assist steering wheel. It still lacks feel, but it is better than the previous A4.

Audi's convention of internal numbering go behind a logical series from the 80 to the A4 with the first release selected as the B5-series, followed by the B6, B7, and the present B8. In an auto show in Frankfurt, B8 series of the Audi A4 was launched in 2007 and the Geneva auto show in 2008. At present, B8 engines include both petrol and diesel engines. The petrol engines offer 1.8 liter, 2.0 liter and 3.2 liter as well as 2.0 liter, 2.7 liter and 3.0 liter diesel engines. If you buy second hand Audi A4, check out different classified websites online.

Did you know that it basically took Audi 126.5 million years to finally agree with everyone alive that having a tall 4,6 or 8 cylinder engine set up high and way in front of the front axle does not do wonders to the handling of their front wheel drive sedans? Having driven the current A6, the previous generation A4 (B7 series) as well as the earlier ones too, I have to say that massive understeer is the preferred way for these front wheel drive Audis to corner.On the B7 A4 I remember driving it hard and it felt so nose heavy that even with a pointy nose it felt as if the steering was the one end of the stick and the other end was the large elephant hanging off of it. That A4 was a pretty good car and in 2.0TFSI form was a fast ride but the high speed handling on a twisty road was really bad. I would assume this trait would be lessened in the Quattro or All wheel drive version of the cars, but in the front wheel drive A4, it basically was awful.Now this brings us to the current B8 Audi A4 1.8 TFSI launched around two years ago. The car I tried is owned by a friend of mine and it is a car that is very familiar to me. His ride pictured above is the 1.8TFSI 160bhp spec that comes with the larger 18inch tires and rims. It looks so much better than the stock 17inch rims that the standard car is specced with.I suppose it was because of nearly universal criticism of mega understeer that Audi had finally decided to re-engineer the engine and gearbox placement of the A4. The wheels are now at least 8cm forward compared to the earlier setup and this equates to better handling as well steering feel. The car does not drive like you were sitting just slightly behind an arrow's head in flight. You actually have a car in which does not fight the laws of physics all the time unlike the earlier versions.This time it feels like you're driving a front wheel drive car with a normal transverse engine instead of a longitudinally placed one (even though it is still longitudinally placed). Imagine driving a slightly larger Honda Civic (in terms of nippiness). This is the first 4 door front wheel drive Audi ever that behaves decently well.There is very little sign of it being nose heavy like its predecessors. It is a car which you can fling into corners, of course there's none of the tail out antics being a front wheel drive and it will only show mild understeer at speeds in excess of 150km/h on high speed sweeping corners. On tighter corners, it is poised and predictable, with the A4 managing to turn accurately and without much of the artificial steering sensation of the previous variable assist steering wheel. It still lacks feel, but it is better than the previous A4.

Audi's convention of internal numbering go behind a logical series from the 80 to the A4 with the first release selected as the B5-series, followed by the B6, B7, and the present B8. In an auto show in Frankfurt, B8 series of the Audi A4 was launched in 2007 and the Geneva auto show in 2008. At present, B8 engines include both petrol and diesel engines. The petrol engines offer 1.8 liter, 2.0 liter and 3.2 liter as well as 2.0 liter, 2.7 liter and 3.0 liter diesel engines. If you buy second hand Audi A4, check out different classified websites online.