Renault's Quirky Pure-Electric Twizy

Renault has never been the one to shy away from eccentric creations (remember the Avantime?) but the new Twizy certainly takes quirkiness one-step further as it looks like the odd pairing of a golf kart with a motorcycle offering seating for two in a tandem layout while riding on four wheels. Revealed as a concept for the first time at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, Renault surprised us a year later with the presentation of the production model in Paris. Now, the Twizy is available in European showrooms including Britain where it went on sale today. 
 
The 2.34 metres long by 1.24 metres wide two-seater model is available in three trim levels (Urban, Colour and Technic) and two power variants.
The lower powered Twizy 45 (5hp) with a top speed of 28mph (45km/h) was not originally planned for the UK market, however, the company said that due to recent confirmation that a new category of European licence for 16 year olds and over comes into effect in Britain from January 2013, it is now "studying its sales potential". 
 
The regular Twizy is motivated by a 13kW (17hp) electric motor with a limited top speed of around 50 mph (80km/h). Its battery can be recharged using a standard three-pin plug in three and a half hours, which costs around £1 (depending on the energy supplier) and provides a driving range of around 60 miles (close to 100 kilometers).
Pricing for the 17hp Urban model starts at £6,690 (€8,100 or US$10,700), however, that does not including the battery which Renault leases for a monthly fee of £45 (€54 or US$72) including VAT for a 36 month/4,500 miles (7,240 kilometers) per year agreement.

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Girls of the 2012 New York Auto Show

As far as the media is concerned, the 2012 New York International Auto Show ended on Thursday, which was the last press day of the event. The show, of course, continues for the public until April 15. Now, before we close our coverage of the event, we'd like to point you to our gallery after the jump where you'll find the customary photos of some of the beautiful faces from the show. Hope you enjoy.

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One-Off Pininfarina Hyperion Found for Sale

As impossible as it may seem for us mere mortals, even one-off special creations can quickly become mundane for extremely wealthy individuals. Rolls-Royce collector Roland Hall from Britain, custom ordered the Hyperion from Pininfarina back in 2008 only to put the car up for sale a year later for €4.5 million (roughly US$6 million at today's exchange rates).
We're not aware if the car was actually sold at the time, but we re-discovered the Rolls Royce Hyperion listed for sale for an undisclosed price at an Abu Dhabi dealership.
Named after Hyperion, one of the Titans of Greek mythology, the convertible model was designed by Jason Castriota of former Saab fame and built by the Special Projects division of Pininfarina.
It is based on the running gear of the Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe with power coming from the British model's 6.75-liter V12 engine.
Among other changes, the rear seats were removed and the driving position was pushed back 400mm back. With the exception of the doors that were crafted out of solid wood, the rest of the body is made of carbon fiber.

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Daihatsu finishing Copen Production with Special 10th Anniversary Edition

One of the smallest convertible models available in the market will soon be part of history, as Daihatsu has decided to cease production of its Copen roadster in August, 10 years after its introduction. Daihatsu says it has sold more than 56,000 examples of the tiny roadster model with the retractable aluminum hardtop.
To mark the approaching end, Daihatsu has revealed the Copen 10th Anniversary Edition that will be available in Japan in limited numbers.
Along with the dedicated badges inside and out, the 10th Anniversary model is finished in white and comes equipped with 15-inch BBS alloy wheels, a chrome front grille, black leather seats with contrasting red stiches and chrome trim details on the handbrake and inner door handles.
Unlike most export market Copens that were equipped with a 1.3-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine producing 86hp, the JDM model is offered with a 63hp (64ps) 660cc turbocharged engine in order to meet Japanese kei car regulations.
The Copen 10th Anniversary Edition is offered with both a 5-speed manual and a 4-speed automatic, with pricing set at 1.82 million (US$22,100 or €16,700) and 1.8 million yen respectively (the manual gearbox model is more expensive).

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