While we anxiously await more details regarding Gordon Murray's upcoming Type-25 city car, we have another proposition from the man who brought the McLaren F1 and the Rocket to fruition: a green supercar. What could be green about a supercar, you ask? Well, it depends on how you look at it. For instance, oftentimes, a car is considered green for its low fuel consumption and low emissions... but in comparison to what? If a vehicle scores significantly better in these two key ares than its competition, that's a step in the right direction. What's more, the sales of exotic machinery often makes it possible to continue developing new technologies which will eventually make all our cars more efficient. Unlike the Type-25 city car, designs of which will be sold to other companies to manufacture, Murray's company may actually produce the supercar itself.

According to Autocar, Murray's new machine will use a similar construction technique to his city car. Considering Caparo's involvement, we would bet that carbon fiber and other composites are on the menu. According to Murray, "This car will give the driver all the driving feedback and pleasure that a good power-to-weight ratio and vehicle dynamics can deliver, but from light weight and modest power. The result will be a more affordable and a more environmentally friendly supercar." We look forward to finding out more.

[Source: Autocar, Channel 4]

Since first hearing that ex-McLaren F1 supercar designer Gordon Murray had left the famous racing company to create his own design house and that its first product was to be a revolutionary city car, we've been anxiously awaiting more details to come to the surface. Lucky for us, they just have. Murray promises that his low-cost car will cut emissions in half and be cheap to purchase and manufacturer. In fact, twenty-percent fewer parts are said to be necessary for the assembly of the vehicle. So far, no real details on what will power the vehicle are available.

We do know that Caparo, makers of the extremely impressive T1 supercar, are heavily involved in the project. This leads us to believe that some major use of composites is in order as carbon fiber is a specialty of Caparo. Murray has no plans to actually produce the vehicle; instead he will sell the plans to other automakers for them to offer to the public. Interestingly, Murray also claims that shipping expenses will also be reduced as the vehicle can be flat packed Ikea-style.

[Source: Autocar]

Two updates on the Tata Nano, aka the world's cheapest car.

First, the Indian minicar will have its body structure built by the Caparo Group at a plant in Singur that is next to the manufacturing plant that will build the Nano. Caparo will make 60 percent of the assemblies, and Tata will take care of the rest. The contract was finalized Friday and production will start in six months, an awfully quick turnaround.

Second, Reuters is reporting that the Nano will be coming to European market in four years. That model will be an updated version that "will meet the Euro 5 emission regulations and the crash standards in Europe," Girish Wagh, the head of Tata's compact car business to the German magazine Focus. One incredible upgrade: reducing gasoline usage from the current five liters per 100 km (47 mpg U.S.) to three (78 mpg).

Related:

• If successful, the Tata Nano will likely push up gas prices
• Videos: Ratan Tata responds to ctiticisms of the Nano's safety, emissions
• Here's the $2,500 Tata Nano, the Indian peoples car

[Source: Hindu.com, Reuters]