Could you live with a tiny car?

If the thought of riding around town on a scooter scares you, or if you just could not imagine not having a roof over your head, perhaps you could use a microcar like one of these. Cars like these used to be rather common sights on the roads in Europe. In fact, we showed you a gallery some time ago which highlighted some of the very small cars that can be seen in Italy.

We would not really suggest driving across the country in a microcar, but for city driving and just running day-to-day errands, is there really a reason a vehicle like this would not work? Even if you are thinking no, remember that people have been using this kind of transportation for years, especially in Europe. The fact is that we are just used to driving two-tons of steel everywhere that we go, but it really is not necessary for a good portion of our needs. Commuting back and forth to work would likely be quite economical in a microcar with an engine less than 1 liter. How would it work for you?

Source: Treehugger

Avoid the 5 deadly pitfalls of car shopping

Last month on BloggingStocks, I wrote about a site that is an absolute must-read before you go and buy a car. Now CNN/Money has a list of their 5 mistakes to avoid when shopping for a car:

• Don't fall in love with a car.



• Avoid super-long car loans.



• Negotiate the price of the car you're buying first ... THEN negotiate the value of your trade-in.



• Avoid negotiating in person.



• Don't get hoodwinked by a sweet deal on the outgoing model year.

To these tips I would add one: Avoid getting a car loan if a loan is necessary. In other words, pick a car that you can afford to pay for with cash. If you can get a super-low interest rate deal, go for it. But pick out your car as though were paying in cash. If you can't afford to pay cash, that means you probably can't afford the car.

I realize that this may stick you in a '95 Pontiac rather than a '05 Porsche, but you'll thank me in the long run. If you ever watch the Can I afford it? segment on the Suze Orman Show, you've noticed that the people with car loans are always the ones in financial trouble.

The Greenest Race Car

If this guy looks happy, it's because he is. Ben Wood is speeding at 240 kph (149 mph) in Eco One - the world's greenest race car.

Wood is the student of Dr Kerry Kirwan, a bio-materials expert at Britain's Warwick University, who designed Eco One to be 95 percent biodegradable. "Our concept is simple - create a high-performance racing car that had a conscience," said Dr Kirwan.

Dr Kirwan and his student believe that their creation, now destined the Grand Prix circuit, is based on bio-technology that is perfectly suitable for the mainstream auto manufacturing: "If we can build a high-performance car that can virtually be grown from seed, just imagine what's possible for the average family car," said Wood.

Other than its steel chassis, the vehicle is made entirely of potatoes, cashew nut shells, rapeseed oil and other plants. It sounds so good, I don't know what I want to do more, drive it or eat it!

Source: The Star