Bigger, heavier Scion xB

Scion debuted in 2003 as Toyota's bid for the hoodies-and-Vans set. From the beginning it was clear Scion's brand mandarins had taken a big screwdriver to the collective heads of Gen Y, a demographic so savagely targeted from the moment of birth as to make it intensely allergic to anything like conventional advertising. Scion generated its own owner culture, with Scion concerts, ring tones, car shows, clothing, sponsored exhibitions, Second Life environments and other insidious bits of affinity marketing.

To help deepen a sense of ownership, Scion sells its cars monospec, which is to say, with almost no factory options. Buyers can customize their rides with dealer-installed accessories (I'm partial to LED-lighted foot wells and cup holders, myself), sound systems and performance mods, such as lowering springs, sway bars and cold-air intakes. Not custom enough? There are vast warehouses of Scion-specific aftermarket chintziness available. To avoid freaking out inexperienced car buyers, Scion dealerships practice "pure pricing," which is basically no-haggle pricing, except it's pronounced, "Don't, like, haggle me, bro." The original Scion lineup comprised the xA subcompact, xB space van (a retread of a Japan-market Toyota bB) and the tC sport coupe, all of them well equipped and aggressively priced. The underperforming xA has since been discontinued, to be replaced this summer by the xD, a new five-door subcompact hatch. The beautifully styled tC quickly established itself as the price-performance bogie in the subcompact coupe segment.

The surprise was the xB, for which Totoya/Scion initially had low expectations -- and why not? It looked like Frankenstein's head on four wheels. But the xB caught on, and not just with tatted-up kids but with their elders. Why? The practical reasons, surely. The car was cheap, economical (powered by a thrift-intensive 1.5-liter, 108-hp inline four), and tremendously useful, with loads of cargo space inside that great rectilinear mess of a cabin. Meanwhile, the sheer strangeness of the shape -- the bumper jutted out like Alfred Hitchcock's lower lip -- seemed playful, a bit of inspired anti-snobbery that foiled the sleek-equals-cool expectation. As for the twentysomething buyers, I don't doubt that they vibed to the Pacific Rim hip of the xB, which emerged out of the Japanese industrial aesthetic of cubistic cuteness (also on display in the Honda Element and the coming-soon Nissan Cube). This is design that puts the funk in function.

The second-generation xB is, by the finely calibrated scales of postmodern design, less winsome and ironic, less a thumb in the eye than a finger in the wind of the marketplace. The new xB is softer and more aero-sophisticated. The front bumper has been integrated into the front clip. Most prominent, the cabin glass is narrower, squeezed to a tapering, tinted, gun-slot aperture between the higher beltline and the lower roof. This makes the xB look lower, even though the overall height is the same.

That's the only dimension that remains the same. The vehicle is up a full foot in length (167.3 inches) and 2.8 inches in width, over a wheelbase stretched 4.0 inches. The measurement that has provoked the most misery in version 1.0 partisans is weight: The new xB weighs a whopping 600 pounds more.

To compensate for the additional mass, Scion has borrowed the family's 2.4-liter, 158-hp inline four, the same as appears in the tC, and paired it with a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. Tuners, take note: This engine has been turned in the engine bay so that all the stuff you might want to modify (like the induction system) is squeezed against the firewall.

So then, what's to celebrate?

Just about everything, starting with the fact that xB feels a hundred times more substantial than before. The booming hollowness is gone, as are the unpleasant droning notes that seeped into the cabin at speed. The first xB drove like a bad case of tinnitus. The 600 pounds are not wasted ballast. This car comes comprehensively equipped for its class, including front and rear disc brakes; ABS, traction control and stability control; 16-inch tires; front-side and side-curtain air bags; keyless entry; power doors and windows. Our test car, priced at $18,339, left me wanting nothing in equipment.

The new xB has 28 additional cubic feet of cargo space (with the rear seats folded) and what feels like miles more shoulder and hip room in the front. The centrally located instrument panel, with its bank of overlapped rotary displays, syncs up visually with the round air outlets.

I lament the decline in fuel economy (about 15 percent, I figure), though the new xB 22/28 city/highway miles per gallon isn't awful. Flat-out merging-lane acceleration is better, and all-around liveliness and maneuverability is improved with the engine's 162 pound-feet of torque, up 57 pound-feet from the previous engine.

Thanks to strut fronts and torsion-beam rear suspension, the car's handling is more deliberate than before -- a consequence of the increased curb weight -- but it's still a minor hoot to drive.

To be sure, the new xB is not as much a cult object as before. It's bigger, heavier, unquestionably more mainstream, with a kind of American hot-rod conventionalism (the chop-top roof) supplanting the Asian preciousness.

Peugeot 4007 2.2 HDi

Peugeot 4007 2.2 HDi is the production under the cooporation between Mitsubishi and PSA. Three is the magic number - at least, that's what Peugeot is hoping. Its new 4007 is the third and final product of a collaboration which has already given us the Citroen C-Crosser and Mitsubishi Outlander.

As with Citroen, this is the Lion's first attempt at an SUV, and the firm is hoping to cash in on a booming 'soft-roader' market when the model goes on sale later this month.

But the newcomer is set to plunge into an extremely competitive sector. Even if you ignore its two sister cars, the 4007 is facing up to contenders such as the Hyundai Santa Fe, Honda CR-V and the latest Land Rover Freelander, not to mention the Vauxhall Antara.

Similarities with the Outlander and C-Crosser are immediately obvious. From the base of the windscreen back, the bodywork is identical, although Peugeot has added all-red rear light lenses. As with its cousins, however, the 4007 does get its own distinctive nose treatment - yet it's the least attractive of the trio.

The gaping grille, heavy-handed badge and long overhang provide it with an ungainly appearance. Unlike the Citroen and Mitsubishi, the Peugeot's front end looks as though it's been tacked on as an afterthought.

There are no nasty surprises waiting once you climb into the cabin, as the layout is exactly the same as in the other models. That means a commanding driving position, good build and decent materials.

Specify the optional sat-nav unit and you'll also be treated to a powerful Rockford Fosgate sound system - although the large bass speaker is mounted in the boot, and takes up valuable luggage space.

On the whole, practicality is a real strength. Unlike most offerings in the sector, the 4007 features a five-plus-two seating layout. The third row is only really suitable for occasional use, and the folding mechanism for these rearmost chairs is fiddly. Helpfully, though, once you have mastered the set-up, the seats drop flush into the floor when they're not needed.

Out on the road, the strong similarities between the Peugeot and its cousins continue. Under the skin, the car features identical chassis settings, and that translates into a polished performance. Precise steering, strong grip and a surprisingly supple ride all add up to a driving experience which is very saloon-like.

Its agility is aided by a complex four-wheel-drive system. The set-up is electronically controlled, so drivers can switch between front and all-wheel-drive modes simply by twirling a knob between the front seats.

You'll find it's best to direct power to all four corners. The 156bhp 2.2-litre HDi engine delivers a healthy 380Nm of torque at only 2,000rpm, and so torque steer is an issue when accelerating hard in two-wheel-drive mode. Otherwise, the turbodiesel com-bines decent pace with impressive smoothness and refinement.

It's reasonably green as well. With CO2 emissions of only 191g/km and fuel consumption of 39.2mpg on the combined cycle, the 4007 is one of the most environmentally friendly off-roaders you can buy.

In the UK, buyers get a choice of only two trim levels: SE and GT, costing £22,790 and £25,490 respectively. The Citroen carries an identical price, but the Mitsubishi undercuts both, and also offers a wider range.

So if you want an easy-to-drive SUV with seven-seat practicality and a refined, frugal diesel powerplant, this could be the car for you. All you have to decide is which badge you want on the bootlid.

2007 BMW 335i Coupe

BMW has been in the 3 Series game since Gerald Ford was cracking his knuckles in the Oval Office. It's getting pretty good at the game, as evidenced by the outstanding latest version of the 3 Series, which debuted as a 2006 model in "E90" sedan form only. As in previous generations, the coupe version is released just when the panting over the sedan has subsided.

With the 2007 BMW 335i Coupe, the second-stage booster of the 3 Series family is alight, hurtling the 3 Series along its intended path with renewed thrust. Really, though — does anyone need a coupe version of the newest 3 Series? The coupe would only be gilding the lily if it didn't offer up anything other than sheet-metal revisions.It does, and you do.

New metal, familiar face

Longer, lower and completely restyled, the coupe shares critical chassis and suspension hard points with the sedan. To our eyes, the coupe is the more attractive of the two, especially from the rear. BMW's design team was shooting for elegance in the exterior styling, and it is indeed handsome without resorting to tiresome retro design cues.

It's a little puffy-looking in the midsection, but that's hard to avoid considering the 3 Series has grown the way it has. Remember the 8 Series Coupe? Well, the 335i rides on a wheelbase 3 inches longer than that car. Fortunately, the 335i avoids the perpetual weight gain of modern cars, squeaking in at 22 pounds lighter than its sedan stablemate, despite besting the sedan's chassis stiffness by 25 percent.

Inside, the coupe's cabin looks familiar, but those are redesigned front seats mounted a little more than half an inch lower than in the sedan. Like a robotized butler, new automatically deploying "feeders" shove the belts to within easy reach of front-seat occupants, and disappear from view when not needed. A neat touch.

The rear seat is divided by an extension of the center console, making the coupe a 2+2 only. Usually this is a proclamation of useless packaging, but in reality the rear seats are still sensibly sized, accommodating the extremities of 6-footers in relative comfort.

The turbo engine for those who don't like turbo engines

Powered by a twin-turbocharged, intercooled 3.0-liter inline six loosely based on the engine currently found in the 3 Series, the 335i's engine is the first turbocharged gasoline BMW engine in decades. The turbo engine forgoes the aluminum-magnesium block found in the normally aspirated variants in lieu of an all-aluminum block. Direct injection, whereby the fuel is introduced into the combustion chambers rather than into the intake manifold, improves efficiency and performance by cooling the intake charge, allowing a high 10.2:1 compression ratio.

BMW pegs the 335i's 0-62-mph acceleration at 5.5 and 5.7 seconds for the manual and automatic, respectively, courtesy of the new turbo mill's 300 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 295 pound-feet of torque from 1,300-5,000 rpm.

Turbo lag, the period of time between throttle application and the turbo's ability to provide meaningful boost, is essentially nonexistent for all practical purposes. Only in higher gears when modulating the throttle to adjust the handling balance can the engine's artificially aspirated nature be detected. Other than that, this new turbo engine simply feels like a larger-displacement, normally aspirated engine.

Equally surprising is that there is no audible indication of turbocharging, either — the characteristic intake whoosh and turbo whine are completely absent, and there's no bypass valve chuffle, either. The only clue that there's something else going on other than normal aspiration is a slightly bassier exhaust note. That, and the wallop of the torque plateau, giving the 335i a linear thrust that pulls eagerly to the 7,000-rpm redline. Expect to see this turbocharged engine in other BMW models currently housing a straight six — 5 Series, X3 and the M Roadster/Coupe are the most likely candidates.

Reduced-slush 'box

Equipped with the six-speed manual gearbox, the 335i shifts smoothly, much the same as the sedan, though throws are still not Mazda MX-5 short. There's also a new six-speed automatic transmission, which drives impressively (did we just say that about a slushbox?), its manual mode shifting rapidly and holding gears as long as the driver pleases. There's still the impression of a torque converter soaking up some power, but its operation has a delicacy not normally associated with such wretched devices.

Two wheel-mounted shift paddles are set up the way God intended, with thumb-presses to downshift and paddle-pulls to upshift. Works great if you always keep your hands at 9 and 3. Thing is, wheel-mounted controls are never in the same place once the wheel is cranked over, so drivers who continually shift hand position will still pine for column-mounted paddles.

Uprated chassis

Suspension changes relative to the sedan consist of a little more than a half-inch lower ride height, revalved dampers, larger-diameter stabilizer bars, slightly higher spring rates, polyurethane shock bushings and reworked bumpstops. This "sport" suspension, optional on lesser 3 Series coupes, is standard equipment on the 335i Coupe, and although a softer "base" suspension will be available for the 335i, skip it.

Offering an impressive ride/handling trade-off, the sport suspension also never beats you up; its damping is firm, yet compliant. Get really bombing along a bumpy road and you'll become intimately familiar with those new bumpstops, but they're progressive and friendly. In nearly every other situation the handling remains collected and connected, with plenty of steering feel and intuitive, eager turn-in. The steering ratio feels quicker off-center than the sedan, but is actually the same ratio at 16:1. Feeling as natural and reassuring as ever, the 335i's brake hardware is carried over from the sedan.

On the absurdly scenic roads outside Innsbruck, Austria, moderate understeer was the primary handling mode, though controllable power oversteer could easily be induced in lower-gear turns. One surprise was the seeming lack of grip. At first, we assumed the chassis was being pantsed by lame tires, but its 225/45R17 front and 255/40R17 rear Bridgestone Potenza RE050As aren't known for being grip-averse. Previous experience with the RE050As, a summer tire, has been positive, so maybe the 335i's lack of drama on the limit fooled our butt-skid pad. We'll see how the 335i fares on U.S. roads and our non-gluteal skid pad when we do a proper full test. For those who prefer even less grip, all-season tires will be standard. Eighteen-inch wheels, Active Steering and the RE050As are optional.

Everything in its place

With the 335i Coupe's additional slug of power, BMW had to take care not to tread into M territory while still adequately distinguishing it from lesser 3 Series. It succeeded. In contrast to the M-cars' high-revving, normally aspirated intense character, the turbocharged 335i has a more docile, relaxed manner. It feels confidently capable but doesn't tug at the leash like an M3, which will seriously out-power the 335i anyway.

Each approach has its place, though the boosted 335i may ultimately prove to be more attractive as a tuning platform once aftermarket tuners learn the subtleties of direct injection and crack the labyrinthine engine control system.

Packing good looks, a friendly chassis and enough engine to make it entertaining, the 2007 BMW 335i Coupe delivers on the promise hinted at with the debut of the E90 sedan. Consider us all geared up for the M3.

All-new 2008 Cadillac CTS

The dramatically designed new 2008 Cadillac CTS will launch in late-August with a higher level of technology, luxury and performance. With many new standard features and a long list of new options, the all-new 2008 CTS, Cadillac's most affordable product, also delivers compelling value.

"Cadillac's recent renaissance and the breakout success of the original CTS provided a springboard for our team to reach higher with the all-new 2008 CTS," said Jim Taylor, Cadillac General Manager. "The result is a car we feel is more desirable in every way, including the value it offers to luxury sport sedan buyers."

The 2008 CTS launches in the U.S. in late-August at a base MSRP of $32,990, including $745 Dealer Freight Charge. (The 2007 CTS with the 3.6-liter V6 engine carried a base MSRP of $33,530, $540 more than the new 08 model with the same engine.)

The all-new 2008 CTS includes the following standard features that represent significant upgrades from the prior model, including:

263-hp, 3.6-liter engine (previously 258-hp, and optional) All-new redesigned cabin with handcrafted accents (previously unavailable) 17-inch wheels and tires (previously optional) BOSE 8-speaker sound system (previously optional) The acclaimed Stabilitrak stability enhancement system (previously optional) Tire pressure monitoring (previously optional) Underhood strut tower brace for improved structural rigidity (previously unavailable) Polished aluminum exhaust tips (previously unavailable.) In terms of optional equipment, the all-new 2008 CTS includes a level of new features and technologies more commonly found on more expensive luxury vehicles. These new options include electronic features at the forefront of the industry and performance and luxury equipment that compete at the highest level, including:

3.6-liter Direct Injection engine with 304-hp and a 25% reduction in hydrocarbon emissions.
6-speed Automatic Transmission with Driver Shift Control All-Wheel Drive, with active torque transfer 40 gigabyte Hard Disc Drive that can store audio tracks "ripped" from CDs or flash drives, and enables a "Time-Shift" feature that can pause and replay live radio content Navigation system with 3D mapping of major US landmarks and real-time traffic and weather data USB and Auxiliary ports for the seamless integration (and battery charging) of MP3 players such as iPods. High Intensity Discharge headlamps with Adaptive Forward Lighting that follows vehicle steering, with LED light pipes. Keyless Access BOSE 5.1 Digital Surround Sound Authentic Sapele wood trim UltraView sun roof with power sunshade.

Conspicuous Consumption With Green Illusions

IN “North Dallas Forty,” the shaggy 1979 gridiron film starring Nick Nolte, a lineman played by John Matuszak ranted memorably to a coach about the hypocrisy of pro football: “Every time I call it a game, you call it a business. And every time I call it a business, you call it a game.”

Toyota and Lexus would disagree, but their recent hybrid models, including the Toyota Highlander and Lexus RX 400h utility wagons, the Lexus GS 450h sedan and now the Lexus LS 600h L, similarly seem to be trying to have it both ways.

In recent advertisements, including one in the “green issue” of Vanity Fair, Lexus uses one hand to present the 400-plus horsepower of the LS 600h L and the other to pat its own back for saving fuel and planet alike.

The ads and the cars have convinced many, including some credulous journalists, of Lexus’s pitch: that a hybrid car or S.U.V. can drive like a Porsche and sip fuel like a Prius. But a closer examination proves once again that there’s no free lunch, even at the drive-through.

For more than a year, Lexus has suggested that the LS 600h L — as tested, a $121,000 hybrid version of its LS 460 L flagship sedan — would set a new standard for four-door luxury automobiles. Its pitch was that the car would perform like a V-12 supersedan while whipping V-8 rivals on fuel economy. Instead, the hybrid may have set a new standard for automotive hyperbole.

Behind its green Teflon shield, the Lexus proved to be just another overstuffed sedan that can barely top 20 miles a gallon — less, if you actually tap into all that power. If that’s saving the planet, Jor-El had better prepare the escape pod before it’s too late.

Before the enviro-brigade readies the guillotine, I hasten to add that this isn’t about hating hybrids. Electric propulsion is looking more and more like a winning technology. Companies from Toyota to General Motors are working to develop affordable lithium-ion batteries, which could deliver clean, efficient, renewable power in plug-in hybrids or purely electric vehicles.

I can’t believe that adding a cupful of electric juice to a fat barrel of V-8 muscle is what environmentalists have in mind.

On the performance front, forget about the Lexus hanging with V-12 sedans like the Mercedes S600. Turns out that the Lexus can’t even outrun its own nonhybrid version, the LS 460 L. Nor is it appreciably quicker than V-8 competitors that cost $20,000 to $30,000 less, like the Mercedes S550, the Audi A8 and the BMW 7 Series, or the similarly priced Maserati Quattroporte.

It must be noted that such decadent sedans are about more than straight-line speed. Park those high-wattage rivals beside the Lexus, and the modestly styled LS virtually disappears; challenge them on a twisty road and they all disappear from the Lexus by virtue of their sportier handling.

Spurred from a stop to 60 miles an hour, the LS 600h L clocks a swift 5.5 seconds, according to Lexus’s own testing. Yet the gas-only LS 460 L, with a mere 380 horsepower from a smaller V-8, reaches 60 in 5.4 seconds, nosing out the more powerful hybrid.

How is that possible? Check the scales, where the Lexus hybrid weighs in like Jared before his Subway diet.

The hybrid does add all-wheel drive, not available on the LS 460 L. But together, the heavy batteries and all-wheel-drive system burden the hybrid with more than 700 additional pounds, for a total of 5,049. Forced to motivate the added weight, the hybrid’s larger 5-liter V-8 — another environmental oxymoron — and dual electric motors makes acceleration a wash. (One motor drives the four wheels. The other starts the gas engine and recharges the batteries.)

Excess weight takes its toll on mileage as well. The hybrid got 21 m.p.g. — amazingly, 1 m.p.g. less than the nonhybrid version that I tested on the same urban roads and highways in and around New York City. That perfectly wonderful LS 460 L is blessed with one of the most fuel-efficient V-8s I’ve driven, a 4.6-liter smoothie.

But the Lexus hybrid’s biggest jolt comes from sticker shock: the LS 600h L starts at $104,715, about $32,000 above the LS 460 L. Laden with options for $121,000, the hybrid costs about $30,000 more than the comparable gas-only version.

Driven gently, the Lexus will indeed beat the mileage of its apples-to-apples V-8 rivals, but only by 1 m.p.g. to 3 m.p.g. A Mercedes S550 isn’t an egregious guzzler at an E.P.A.-rated 16/24 m.p.g., and I managed 19 m.p.g. during a recent test. And when I drove the Lexus in mildly spirited fashion, its mileage dropped to 19 m.p.g. It’s hard to see why such minuscule mileage gains would dazzle the type of person who’s ready to drop $100,000 on a car.

The E.P.A. rates the hybrid’s mileage at 20 m.p.g. in town and 22 on the highway. The nonhybrid is rated 16/24 under the same revised formula, which takes effect for 2008 and is intended to present lower, more realistic mileage estimates for most cars.

In its defense, the hybrid should save you a few bucks if you do a lot of city driving. But on the highway, the gas-only model was decidedly more efficient, and thus ended up doing 1 m.p.g. better over all. And in bumper-to-bumper traffic, where you expect a hybrid to excel, the LS 600h L mustered only 14 m.p.g., certainly nothing to marvel at.

The uneasy comparisons don’t end there. The gas-only version handled better and drove more smoothly.

The nonhybrid benefits from the world’s first eight-speed automatic transmission, which lifts mileage and operates with hushed aplomb. The hybrid’s continuously variable transmission, in contrast, has to busily calculate and divvy power from the gas and electric sources. It’s among the most seamless of its kind, but not as smooth or transparent as the Lexus eight-speed. And its manual-shift function is nearly useless. In trying to mimic the feel of sporty downshifts, it ladles on ever-higher levels of regenerative hybrid braking. To the driver, the sludgy effect feels like throwing anchors of various sizes out the window.

Lexus’s hybrid double-talk extends to emissions arguments. When the company says the Lexus hybrid is cleaner than average cars, people will assume that has something to do with global warming. But in this instance, that is not the case.

To its credit, the car’s super-ultra-low emissions vehicle rating (SULEV, if you will) is indeed cleaner than other V-8 models, but only if you are measuring the pollutants that form smog. (Even on the smog index, many gasoline models also achieve SULEV ratings or better).

But the critical earth issue today is conserving fuel and cutting carbon dioxide emissions. Those greenhouse gas levels are almost entirely a function of fuel economy: if you use more gas, you spew more carbon dioxide. So on that score, the 21 m.p.g. hybrid actually emits far more carbon dioxide than, say, a Mercedes-Benz diesel E-Class that can attain 30 m.p.g.

The LS 600h L also emits more greenhouse gases than the average new car that currently achieves 27.5 m.p.g. So a common Toyota Camry, among dozens of models, leaves a smaller carbon footprint than this hybrid land yacht.

One final ignominy: given the hybrid batteries and a separate air-conditioner for the back seat, the hybrid’s trunk measures a meager 11.7 cubic feet, smaller than that of a Kia Rio or other compact sedan. (Skip the rear air-conditioning in a Lexus LS 460 L, and you’ll enjoy a 50 percent larger trunk, at 18 cubic feet).

Jim Farley, general manager of Lexus, defended the car’s performance and green credentials. “If Lexus had to have a flagship, this is how it should be,” he said. “It’s the progressive person’s alternative. Hybrids are a huge platform for us at Lexus, and they’re only going to get bigger.”

Certainly, this hybrid Lexus is one of the quietest, most comfortable, best-built sedans around. It has every imaginable safety system and creature comfort. The navigation system is first-rate. The Mark Levinson audio system is amazing. And the optional ($12,675) Executive Package is the hands-down — or feet-up? — coolest feature. It includes rear seats that recline, heat and cool, along with a right-hand chair with a steeper recline, massage functions and a powered ottoman for the full mini-Maybach effect.

Yet every compliment you can lavish on this impressive ride, minus the all-wheel drive, applies equally to the nonhybrid version.

So why would anyone spend an extra $30,000 for this car? Certainly, the performance gains of 12-cylinder sedans aren’t always justified by their enormous premiums. Many people buy them for that V-12 badge on the fender, the exclusive message it sends. Ditto for the Lexus, but the roughly 2,000 people who’ll line up for the hybrid won’t be broadcasting their superior power, but their superior morals, however illusory.

If that’s not you, stick with the Lexus LS 460 L. Enjoy a back-seat massage and relax. You’ll know that you’ve got the better car — one that’s equally fast and frugal, but also weighs less and handles better.

You can actually park that terrific gas-only Lexus in the garage and have $30,000 to buy a Prius hybrid, with cash left over. Save the LS for special occasions and run errands in the Toyota at more than double the mileage. While Lexus plays the hybrid game, it’s the Prius that takes care of business.

How Natural-gas Vehicles Work

How many times we hear of the relationship between air pollution and the Vehicles. And also we know that people are doing research on clean energy. But how it works? What's its advantages and disadvantages? This article will tell you how it works with such kind of fuel.

Kermit the Frog once said, "It's not that easy bein' green." Although he wasn't referring to cars, his observation seems particularly appropriate for the auto industry today: Designing, developing and marketing "green" cars has not been an easy task, which is why gasoline-powered vehicles still rule the road and fossil fuels still account for almost 75 percent of the world's energy consumption.

As gasoline prices soar and concern over harmful emission mounts, however, cars that run on alternate fuel sources will become increasingly important. A natural-gas vehicle, or NGV, is the perfect example of such a car -- it's fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly and offers a relatively low cost of ownership.

Like gasoline, natural gas is combustible, which means it can be used in a combustion engine like gasoline. But cars that could burn natural gas didn't appear on the scene until the 1930s.

From Field to Ford
We extract natural gas trapped in underground reservoirs by drilling wells into the earth. A modern well, equipped with diamond-studded drill bits, can drill to depths approaching 25,000 feet.

Throughout the 19th century, the use of natural gas remained localized because there was no way to transport large quantities of gas over long distances. In 1890, the invention of a leak-proof pipeline coupling made it possible to transport gas miles from the source. Improvements in pipeline technology continued over the next two decades until long-distance gas transmission became practical. From 1927 to 1931, laborers constructed more than 10 major natural gas transmission systems in the United States, making natural gas a viable energy source for many applications. The oil shortages of the late 1960s and early 1970s brought renewed interest in natural gas as a fuel source, especially for automobiles.

Today, owners of natural-gas vehicles can fill up their cars at one of 1,300 fueling stations located in the United States. Honda also offers a personal natural gas pump to people who purchase its natural-gas-powered Civic. The pump uses a home's existing natural gas lines and can be installed for $500 to $1500.

Tips
The word "gas" is a confusing term because it is used to describe many different substances that are similar but not exactly the same. For example, the "gas" you put in your car is gasoline, one component of crude oil, or petroleum. Petroleum is a dark, sticky liquid mixture of compounds formed underground by the decay of ancient marine animals.

Natural gas also comes from the decay of ancient organisms, but it naturally takes a gaseous form instead of a liquid form. Natural gas commonly occurs in association with crude oil. It is derived from both land plants and aquatic organic matter and forms above or below oil deposits. It is often dissolved in crude oil at the high pressures existing in a reservoir. There are also reservoirs of natural gas, known as non-associated gas, that contain only gas and no oil.

Natural gas consists primarily of methane and other hydrocarbon gases. Hydrocarbons are organic compounds composed only of the elements carbon and hydrogen. The hydrocarbons in natural gas are called saturated hydrocarbons because they contain hydrogen and carbon bound together by single bonds. As the diagrams show, methane is the simplest saturated hydrocarbon.

How the Lotus Elise Works -- How Does the Elise Compare?

How does a car like the Elise stand up to its counterparts in the world of high-performance cars? By losing weight -- trimming away the extras and keeping the Elise under 2,000 pounds (900 kg).

If all this talk of being "light" and "fast" seems kind of vague, let's put it into perspective. The 2004 Porsche Carrera GT boasts over 600 hp, but it weighs in at about 3,200 lbs (1,450 kg). That's more than a half-ton heavier than the Elise. Even an Enzo Ferrari, with 650 hp, is a heavyweight at 3,200 lbs (Motor Trend, Oct. 2004). In a straight-line run, that horsepower would put the Elise to shame in terms of top speed. But on a tight, twisting road course, the $40,000 Elise could outperform cars that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars more.

The stock U.S. Elise has a curb weight of 1,984 lbs (900 kg), a few pounds more than the European Elise. This is due mainly to the addition of air bags and other features needed to pass U.S. federal safety standards. The Elise Sport package drops 20 lbs. (9 kg) from the stock weight, while the Touring package adds 15 pounds (7 kg).

Drivers who frequent racing courses can choose a Sport option package, which adds about $2,500 to the car's list price. This option stiffens the suspension and adds adjustable shocks, aluminum alloy wheels and soft-compound Yokohama tires that are wider than the stock variety.

Those who are looking for a more comfortable ride can choose the Touring package, which includes leather and carpet, sound-dampening in the car's interior, power windows, a better stereo and some storage netting. This costs about $1,300 more than a stock Elise.

The final option is a $1,475 hard top for those who want more than a bit of cloth between themselves and the weather.