Aptera All- Electric Car

The Dakar Rally comes to an end in a unique location, the Aptera, all-electric car may be ready for the prime-time, and some more electric fun may be coming from McLarens ex designer Jim Dowle, and could a new Alfa Romeo Junior model be coming?

Announcer: Always Fresh. Everyday. You're watching Fast Lane Daily. Derek DeAngelis: It may not be in Dakar, but the Dakar Rally was long and punishing. Now it's over. One German car maker is uncorking the champagne, we'll have more. Also, Radical Electric car nears production, a former McLaren designer goes electric, and Alfa Romeo could be planning a sports car Vivo. All of that, commenter of the week, and pick my car. Male Speaker: I Derek D. Derek DeAngelis: I Derek D. Male speaker: Do solemnly swear. Derek DeAngelis: Do solemnly swear. Male speaker: Do faithfully execute. Derek DeAngelis: Do faithfully execute. Male speaker: Today's hosting. Derek DeAngelis: Today's hosting. Male speaker: Of Fast Lane Daily. Derek DeAngelis: Of Fast Lane Daily execution. Is that Harry Potter book? [Video Playing 00:00:36 - 00:00:45] Derek DeAngelis: When blisters, road rash and dehydration are good news, you know you're talking about the Dakar Rally. The 5600 mile off-road Blitz wrapped up this week, North America as the name might suggest. Terrorism fears push the Dakar Race deep into the Southern hemisphere, where drivers took on sand dunes, water passage and a little straits called the Andes Mountains, on a course that began and ended in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The big winner was Volkswagen, which took first and second place in the company's diesel powered Touareg 2 TDI. Those are powered by a five cylinder turbo diesel producing 280 horsepower and 440 pounds feet of torque. South African driver Giniel de Villiers led to 1-2 finish which made history by giving VW the first diesel victory in the automotive category in the Dakar history. Congrats VW! If you don't know the name Aptera, you will soon. Two years ago, the California startup revealed plans to build an affordable Plugin Hybrid with the profile of assassinate airplane, and the price tag of around 30 grand. This week the company says, an all-electric is nearly ready for prime time. The front-wheel drive Aptera two liters is powered by lithium based battery, and will portably get from 0-60 in 110 seconds, topped out at 90 miles per hour, and score the equivalent of more than 200 miles per gallon. Aptera says, the 2V will have a range of more than 100 miles on a charge. Aptera says the 2V will cost between 25,000 and 45,000 bucks, with initial sales only in California. They plan to sell it in other states by late 2010. Aptera says the original Plugin Hybrid version will debut a year after, the 2e. The recent wave of electric super cars continues with new word on Ex-McLaren designer Jim Dowle's Project 001. That's the Lotus Exige competitor, and the works from Dowle's company JJAD Engineering. Now Dowle says the company is working up in all-electric version. It's called the P1-E. It's swapped out, it's amounted to be 200 horsepower gasoline engine for an electric motor at each axle. Those will sport a combined output of 390 horsepower with power combine from lithium-ion batteries. Like Project 001, the P1-E will get a Chassis of aluminum and carbon composite, along with 0-60 time, with just 2.9 seconds before topping out at 130. I guess today SSC Ultimate Aero EV. The P1-E will travel an estimated 200 miles on a charge. No idea on cost, but Dowle says, JJAD will build three prototypes over the next couple of years for the plan to build and sell 500 cars by 2012. Next up, commenter of the week, pick my car and a hot Italian models in the rumor mill. That's all coming up; all after this. [Video Playing -00:03:18 - 00:03:22] Alan K: You would call on Alan K for FLDetours where each week, we take a new car. We jump in, and we take it for ride and we let you know what we think about it. Male Speaker 2: With the turbo-diesel V6 bluetec engine. Alan K: Very snappy in third gear. Male Speaker3: It's powered by five liter V8. Derek DeAngelis: We got the Smart 42. Male speaker4: 2009 model C30. Alan K.: It's like a studio apartment. Derek De can live back here. [Video Playing 00:03:43 - 00:03:54] Derek DeAngelis: It's that time of the week. Again, it's commenter of the week time. [Video Playing- 00:03:55 - 00:04:00] Comments! Okay, there was actually a handful of very worthy cars this week, but this one jumped out of usm and we just can't stop laughing. It comes from viewer DavidMac2007. Evidently he wasn't a Mac in 2008, and still he is not a Mac in 2009. Well, anyway, he said, I can't believe we got Eugene Levy to interview Henri Fisker. First off, David Mac, it's Henrik Fisker with the K. He is referring to our good friend Leo Parente, who I never actually realized before, but does bear a striking resemblance to Eugene Levy. Can we get a picture of them side by side? Yes, that is great. Look at him. He is a little bit Italian. God, it's great. Keep the comments flowing? New Jersey saying it sucks. With all the talk of FIAT Chrysler alliance, the Internet's been buzzing with the prospect of new Italian models coming to the US, and a few new cars too. What a bing! You see what I did there? Anyway, one of those cars mentioned is the latest Alfa Romeo MiTo Hatchback. Now word is that MiTo could spawn a new model, that would revive the Alfa Junior name from the 1970s. UK sports car reports the new junior could be more of a sports coupe than a hot hatch. We're calling GTA 1300 junior of decades ago, while getting design queues from Alfa's latest 8C Competizione. 4-car says details are sketchy, but the new junior could get a new hydraulic manual transmission, as well as a new dual clutch kinematics. No word, yet from Alfa Romeo officials, but Alfa fans in the US are hoping that Junior would be part of the company's return to US Shores. Alright! Now FLDetours where I take a Smart car all around the city, and stick around for after, for pick my car. Alright, roll it. See everyone else when they get compress cars, they get really cool cars. Me Derek De, I get this, the Smart ForTwo, Bosch clean diesel Brabus Nightrun Edition. Yeah, this is the 60th one out of 50. What a bad ass. This is what they give Derek De. Let's go for a ride. I'll show you some of the malls. [Video Playing - 00:05:59 - 00:06:21] This is meant for the city. You don't go, ooh, I want to get a Smart car, and go drive in the highway for miles and miles, because that just wouldn't be that much fun. 51 miles per gallon in the city, 64 on the highway. That's an average of 56 all around, but it definitely sounds like diesel, 74 pounds feet of torque. It's got its 800 CC engine. See, I can pick up chics in this, probably. Now I'm in the fifth gear. I tell you this thing, once you open it up, it actually kind of moves, 40 horsepower, not that bad. This shifting isn't that smooth. It's got this thing. I guess, you can't e ever be totally covered. It's kind of weird, but it's cool. It's fun, until next time. [Video Playing - 00:07:07 - 00:07:26] That Smart car is a lot of fun to drive. Actually picked up like four hot chics in that thing. It's crazy. Anyway, if you want to see a Smart car in action, they are at garage419.com, you can watch it, race it, go car. [Video Playing - 00:07:38 - 00:07:41] Alright guys! Voting ends Friday the 13th. Yes, that's Friday, the 13th. Oh, scary. So if you haven't voted yet, go to the feed at fastlanedaily.com. Every week we'll be explaining each car, and why picked it. This week is the Cobalt SS. I picked the Cobalt, because I have one already. I've had it four years, no major problems, American car, no major problems. You hear that? Alright, so it's a step out from the LTZ engine wise. That's 260 horsepower turbo 4, eco-check engine with Brembo brakes. It has a lot of room, it's reliable, and it's in the price range, 30 grandish and lower. Alright, so that's why I picked that car. Next week, we'll be talking about another one of choices. Well, that's about Fast Lane Daily today. I'm Derrick De. You guys have a lovely weekend. I'm going to go and I don't know what I'm going to do this weekend guys? Top sales; that's what I'm going to do this weekend. Over and out. [Video Playing - 00:08:36 - 00:08:41] Female Speaker: What if I told you the future of your dreams can be found today, if you know where to look. Join me in the amazement as we discover incredible inventions brought to us by science and technology.