In 1962, on the Isle of Man, just 50 P-50s were produced, a vehicle which almost fifty years later, still holds the record for the smallest car ever produced.

The wheelbases on the P-50 measure 50 inches, it’s total length is 52.8 inches, with a width of 39 inches, a height of 47.2 inches, and a weight of just 130 pounds. It’s one and only door on the left side leads to one seat and room for one shopping bag.

Now Peel Engineering, the original manufacturers, have decided to start a small production run of 50 new cars, split between the blue P-50 and the bubble-roofed red Trident. These tiny three-wheelers will be going for £12,499, and will use an electric powertrain in lieu of a scooter engine. They have most recently been seen  being driven around London by six-foot-five Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear.

Kia motors are set to reveal a new all-electric concept car at the Paris Motor Show on 30 September.

The car, known as the ‘Pop’ will produce zero emissions whilst in use. Among the few details Kia have released is that the vehicle is under three metres long and will have a three-seat layout. It will have a bench with the driver on the left, rather than a central driver layout.

There’s a passage in Nick Hornby’s “About A Boy” in which Will, the protagonist, concedes that one of the benefits of motoring is the opportunity to listen to music at such volumes which, were they indulged at home, might have had him arrested.

However, a survey as conducted by SEAT has revealed that it’s not volume that’s the issue when it comes to motoring and music. Rather, a lot of drivers appear to view solitary driving as an opportunity to listen to such songs which might otherwise have seen them ostracised by their peers. The research revealed that 14% of men and 11% of women admit to harbouring embarrassing “closet” musical tastes which only ever manifest themselves in the car.

For the men, it’s such music which might be viewed as “a bit girly”, with 12% admitting a fondness to show tunes, 25% as possessing a fondness for Take That and 26% opting for a bit of Abba. Aha.

Some 17% of women, on the other hand, have a fancying for that which SEAT have unfortunately labelled as “macho classics” from the likes of The Clash, Thin Lizzy, AC/DC and Motorhead.

Am I not the only one who finds this incredibly patronising and sexist? Why shouldn’t men have a fondness for that which might be more the remit of their female contemporaries? And since when has it been at all remarkable for women to profess a liking for metal?

The research was commissioned to coincide with the even more alarmingly sexist “SEAT Sex Drive” reality show which “aims once and for all to settle the debate over which of the sexes is better behind the wheel”. Well. That’s not so much the women’s rights movement as being set back by a few decades but, I fear, humanity itself.

Get over your gender-based hang-ups, people. If you enjoy it, why should it make you feel in any way ashamed? If it makes you happy, then go ahead and enjoy it. If your friends think less of you on account of your taste in music, well then. They can’t be very good friends anyway, can they? And the notion that one gender’s “better behind the wheel” than the other? What’s the need? What’s the need.

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The new Alfa Romeo Giulietta ad campaign – currently airing in the UK – features Kill Bill star Uma Thurman and Shakespeare’s famous verse from The Tempest, ‘Such stuff as dreams are made of’.

The decision to have Uma Thurman in the ads was to represent the ‘various souls’ of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta – ‘aggression, bravery, dynamism and beauty’. The campaign aims to play on the similarities between the Hollywood actress and the Giulietta.

The original Alfa Romeo Giulietta was released in the 1950s, and was most probably named after Juliet from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The new ad gives a modern-day interpretation of his line ‘Such stuff as dreams are made of’, showcasing the Giulietta as a dream car.

As well as being a classic car, Alfa Romeo are appealing to a new market by highlighting the fact that the Giulietta has a five star crash safety rating and a Euro 5 compliant engine, fitted with Start&Stop.

The new Citroën C3 comes with quite the expansive Zenith windscreen. In order to draw attention to the sheer size of the thing, Citroën have unleashed a fresh digital campaign. However, rather than drawing attention to the majestic field of vision offered through, say, demonstrating a series of panoramic vistas, Citroën are instead highlighting the expanse through showing just how much of an event is even washing the beast.

A new microsite as developed by the Parisian H Agency allows visitors to choose from five wacky characters who’re all itching to unleash their “unique washing talents”. Oo-er!

Visitors can choose from:

Jose Taco – a masked Mexican wrester.
Tania Bing – an American cheerleader.
Diva Brown – boasts and afro and an apparent fondness for funk.
Chick’n – a giant, unimaginatively-named chicken.
The Master – dressed in black suit and sunglasses, in terms of car-washing he’s a force to be reckoned with.

All of the above variously sponge, wipe and spray the windscreen with you – the viewer – watching from the perspective of the driving seat. It is, then, the first ever traffic-jam harassment simulator.

The microsite also allows visitors to explore the new C3 range, book a test drive, view the online brochure and take a 360 degree tour around the car.

“It’s distinctive, fun, memorable and brings a smile to your face” says Marc Raven, Communications Director at Citroën UK. “A fitting campaign to introduce yet more potential customers to the New Citroën C3.”

For details on Nationwide’s latest Citroën leasing offers, click here.

Following the success of the Fiat 500 Pink, Fiat have launched a new limited edition Fiat 500 – the BlackJack. Just 200 of these matt black superminis will go on sale this week, and will initially only be available on the Fiat website.

The BlackJack – a name chosen to connote irreverence and mystery – will be the first vehicle in this segment to offer the unique matt black paint. Fiat have said that it will be one of several limited edition Fiat 500s being released this year.

The marketing director of Fiat Group Automobiles said that the paint finish on the BlackJack was its most striking feature. Other design features of the BlackJack, based on the 1.2 and 1.4 Sport specification, include metallic effect mouldings, door handles, door mirrors and plate holders, matt black 16-inch alloy wheels with a red coach line and red brake callipers.

Standard on all the 500 models now is Fiat’s Start&Stop system which allows the engine to stop automatically when the vehicle comes to a complete halt in traffic. It then restarts the engine when the driver wants to start moving again

In a bid to stimulate demand for low carbon vehicles, transport secretary Philip Hammond today confirmed that, from January 2011, motorists will be entitled to a “Plug-In Car Grant” of up to £5000 when buying an electric, plug-in hybrid or hydrogen fuel cell car on the proviso that the vehicle meets safety, reliability, performance and warranty standards as set by the Office for Low Emissions Vehicles (OLEV).

This £5000 grant, however, will not be a “grant” as such. Rather, it will come in the form of a 25% discount from the list price of all eligible vehicles up to the value of £5000. To coincide, a “Plugged-In Places” initiative will be put into place which will allow for cities to bid for funding for the installation of appropriate infrastructures. So far, over 11,000 charging posts are to be installed in London, Milton Keynes and the North East with such areas as the West Midlands, Cornwall, Sheffield, Greater Manchester and Northern Ireland already confirmed as intending to bid.

Car manufacturers have been quick to voice their support for the scheme. Renault UK’s new Managing Director  Thierry Sybord says: “We’re convinced that our range of 100% electric cars and vans are going to appeal to a wide cross-section of private individual and business customers in their own right, with an exciting combination of innovation, style and technology. Now, with this financial incentive in place, their affordability and lower running costs make the financial argument for electric vehicles, compared to conventional fossil-fuelled vehicles, as compelling as their environmental one.

“As a result of this morning’s news, we are even more excited about encouraging as many people as possible to consider using electric vehicles to drive down vehicle emissions, or as we say here at Renault, ‘Drive the Change’.”

Meanwhile, Nissan have issued a gentle reminder that their zero emission Leaf model will go on sale in the UK in March 2011 and, taking into consideration the new government incentive, will be priced at around £23,990 (plus VAT). No tailpipe, they stress, means no emissions.

The Ibiza ST made its showroom debut in the UK this month. To coincide, SEAT have released the full price and specification details for the latest model to join the Ibiza line alongside the sporty SC and the practical 5dr.

The Ibiza ST was designed with a view to offering additional carrying capacity with zero compromise made on the trademark sporty style for which the Ibiza range of superminis is famed. In terms of boot space, the Ibiza ST boasts an impressive 430 litres with the seats up – a full 138 litres over that of the 5dr model.

A range of motors will be available at launch to suit every need, from sporty  turbocharged petrols through to the latest in efficient turbodiesels. In addition,  the optional five-speed manual or hi-tech seven-speed DSG gearbox entails that the new SEAT is even available to order in super-frugal Ecomotive form for reduced CO2 emissions.

So far, so sporty. However, SEAT have also detailed such features that ensure that the new Ibiza ST model will be viewed, as they put it, as “sensible” as it is “chic”. These include split folding rear sears with a 60/40 bias, sleek roof rails in either black or chrome finish, a low load height and wide rear hatch, a flat boot floor and innovative storage options throughout the ST’s  interior.

Such features as air conditioning, four-speaker stereo radio with MP3-compatible CD and AUX-in, steering column-mounted audio controls, electric front windows; roof rails, speed sensitive electro-hydraulic power steering and volumetric alarm and remote central locking with deadlocks will come as standard in all models.

The entry-level 1.4-litre 16V S A/C model will come with an RRP of £12,070. Of course, the price will rise depending upon the engine and equipment levels, but SEAT have announced the current ceiling to stand at £14,910 for the Ibiza ST 1.2 TDI CR Ecomotive in luxurious SE spec.

Nissan has chosen Bonita Norris – the youngest woman ever to climb Everest – to help them launch the new Nissan Juke compact crossover.

The 22-year-old was selected by Nissan due to her incredible personal achievements and natural sense of adventure. Nissan believe Everest adventurer Bonita perfectly demonstrates the quirky, outgoing nature that typifies the new innovative Juke crossover.

“I’m delighted to back the launch of Nissan Juke because I believe in backing British, and anything that creates jobs and pride for this country has my support.” comments Bonita Norris.

“Juke defies the stereotypes and breaks the mould, I can relate to that. I’m unconventional and I’ve got a spirit of adventure that drives me to do different things and this is what Juke represents”.

The new Nissan Juke officially goes on sale from 24th September but already more than 15,000 orders have been taken across Europe with 2,000 of them in the UK alone.

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In response to a number of queries, BMW UK has released further details on the new BMW X3.

The update comes after numerous publications speculated on the introduction of a new petrol and M Sport model to the line-up of the compact crossover SUV.    

Petrol Engines:

BMW has confirmed that there are currently no plans to offer a petrol engine for the BMW X3 in the UK. Despite the powertrain being available in other markets, BMW say this strategy is based on the historic sales of the X3 and also follows the diesel-only range offered in the smaller BMW X1.

M Sport:

From 2011, BMW will be introducing a new X3 M Sport model. Full specification details and release date are yet to be confirmed but BMW anticipate that the model will be available from April and further details are expected on the new model in early 2011.

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Nationwide Vehicle Contracts has some fantastic leasing deals available on the new BMW X3 with prices starting from £329.95 + VAT.