With the exception of some special editions of Gran Turismo, the Monte Carlo Rally for Alternative Energy Vehicles might be your only chance to see a Ford Fiesta race a Tesla Roadster. Luckily for Ford, the cars compete in different categories.

The Tesla, a trio of Ford diesels and a Toyota Prius cleaned up at the third annual alt fuel rally, which sees some of the most innovative eco-friendlier vehicles go head to head on city streets and country roads. The race kicks off the Alternative Energies Cup, a series of 18 races the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile holds in Europe, Japan and Canada.

"The Monte Carlo Rally for Alternative Energy Vehicles is a unique opportunity to test in real conditions and on the road the latest innovations," Michel Boeri, president of the Automobile Club de Monte Carlo, said in a statement.

While the celebrity guests at most events hosted by the club are a who's-who of the glitterati, aside from the Tesla, an ethanol-burning Ferrari F430 and the Econetic Fiestas we really like, a good part of the grid was a who's-huh? of diesel and E85 subcompacts.

A Subaru Justy rounding La Rascasse curve? A diesel Dacia clattering past Casino Square? Quel horror!

Continue reading "Ford and Tesla Are Big Winners In Alt-Fuel Rally" »

When you build a 3-ton car powered by steam, make sure your water filter works.

That's the lesson learned by British gearheads hoping to break a 103-year-old record for the fastest speed achieved by a steam-powered vehicle. The British Steam Car team was perplexed by a glitch that forced them to abort last week's test run. They've since determined the problem was a was flawed filter. That's not a big deal in your Brita pitcher, but it's enough to stop the whole shebang when you're talking steam power.

"We can now report that the problem was a water filter in the rig which has been letting impurities into the water system, the resulting buildup leading to a blockage," team spokeswoman Rebecca Nicholls said in an e-mail. "This is a problem we had not encountered before, and we're glad it arose at a test session now rather than later in the year before a record attempt in the USA."

The car didn't go anywhere during the March 24 run, but the team still considers the test a success.

Continue reading "British Steam Car Loses Steam But Keeps Going" »

Peugeot and Audi have gone blow-for-blow for diesel dominance of endurance racing, and the French automaker hopes to do the Germans one better in the alt-fuel game by bringing a diesel-electric hybrid to Le Mans in 2011.

Audi has held the upper hand when it comes to diesels, and Peugeot fell to the R-15 at last weekend's Sebring 12-hour enduro. But whatever gauntlet the Germans might have thrown down with their TDI racers has been well and truly picked up by the French.

Continue reading "Peugeot Promises A Diesel Hybrid For 2011 Le Mans" »