While major U.S. automakers are focusing on hybrid and fuel cell vehicles, Volvo took a different route, unveiling a sports car powered entirely with lithium-ion batteries. Volvo's 3CC concept car, won "Best Design" and five Gold Standards at the recent Michelin Challenge Bibendum environmental competition in Shanghai, China.

"Not only does the 3CC combine classic Volvo styling cues with exotic gull-wing doors and a tapered, 2+1 seating configuration, but it does so with a highly advanced lithium-ion battery electric drive train. That's a step apart from the crowd, which these days is largely focused on hybrid and fuel cell concepts," says Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of the Green Car Journal.

"Just as the earlier ECC forwarded new thought in hybrid propulsion with its high-speed turbine-generator design," adds Cogan, "today's lithium-ion 3CC innovates with its thousands of smallish laptop computer-style batteries, which power this zero emission vehicle to impressive levels of efficiency and performance basketball throwbacks."

Advanced research into sustainable mobility and Volvo engineers have placed particular focus on the conditions regulating safety in small cars and their ability to handle incoming forces in a frontal collision.

The unique aerodynamic styling of Volvo's 3CC concept car allows room for a third seat in back. The unique ducktail design creates room for a third seat in the back, while the batteries are sandwiched into the floor panels.

The 3CC concept car features an 80-kilowatt motor that delivers up to 107 horsepower, it has a potential driving range of 300 km (approx 180 miles) the 3CC has a top speed of over 135 km per hour.

The carbon-fiber body is mounted on a steel space frame and composite floor panels, giving the lightweight vehicle the ability to leap to 60 miles per hour in less than 10 seconds. Volvo says the 3CC can travel 180 miles on one charge under ideal driving conditions

The Volvo 3 CC's safety features include Volvo Safety Ride Down Concept, a unique solution with a seat system that moves forward, a bit like a sled, at the same time as the front is deformed. This movement is slowed with the help of adaptive shock absorbers that tailor the damping effect to suit the collision force and the occupants� number and weight. The interior can be moved between 0 and 200 mm forward, which has the same overall effect as extending the crumple zone by a corresponding length. It has seats that slide forward at the moment of deformation, the intention being to compensate for the small car�s traditional lack of space in the crumple zone.

Virtual tests showed that the most important part of a ride-down system is the energy absorber and that it needs to be adaptive in order to be a viable concept, by responding to differences in occupant load and crash severity�.

An environmentally efficient car that also has to be comfortable, enjoyable to drive, attractive to look at and safe to ride is an entirely new approach. The result is the Volvo 3CC, a sporty and appealing, extremely aerodynamic and compact car equipped with an energy-efficient electric motor.

Like Volvo, Parts Train never compromise satisfaction when serving customers. Its proven reliability for genuine and quality Volvo auto parts keep customers coming back at their online shop http://www.partstrain.com/ShopByVehicle/VOLVO for years. Dependable, long lasting Volvo replacement parts, performance parts make up its over a million stock. Browse through Parts train's online store to gain access to its most affordable Volvo car parts. Their friendly sales staffs are on hand to give valuable assistance for confidence that you are getting first class quality Volvo car parts.

About the Author: Jenny McLane is a 36 year old native of Iowa and has a knack for research on cars and anything and everything about it. She works full time as a Market Analyst for one of the leading car parts suppliers in the country today.

First released 15 years ago, the Mitsubishi Eclipse has been the franchise model of the Mitsubishi but has not always generated enough sales. The previews generation �geo-mechanical� styling receives less attention as compared to other coupe in its class. Today, all hopes to take the dominance of Mitsubishi in sports compact coupe division with the launch of the all-new 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse are anticipated. Now in its fourth generation, the 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse rides of the Galant chassis platform in a coupe version. Set to hit the road in late spring this year, the 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse will be available in two trims and two new powertrain.

The new Eclipse feature a state of the art design, very unique to other vehicle of its kind basketball throwbacks. The exterior profile of the Eclipse presents a lot of tension inherent on the surface. �The designers who was developing it spoke a lot about a bow (like a bow and arrow� so even thought the car is standing still, it feels like it is just about to spring,� said Dan Sims, the General Manager for Design Center. Another good this about the design is the �teardrop-shape� the Eclipse posses. The body starts wide moving the hip-like rear. The lean and mean exterior feature of the eclipse personifies the sporty, athletic, and well-crafted vehicle.

Under the hood lies the 3.8l V-6 engine also used by the Galant sedan, the most powerful in its class. The 6-speed manual transmission or Sportronic automatic transmission, traction control, and 18� alloy wheels adds to the power and beauty of the Eclipse. The 3.8l MIVEC V6 produces 262hp at 5,750 rpm as a result of variable valve timing and lift. Torque can reach as high as 260 pound-feet at 4,500 rpm. It can zoom from 0-60 in 6.8 seconds.

The interior is amazing. The two-seater cockpit provides comfort in its leather cover. The uniquely beautiful, motorcycle adopted speedometer gives a different look in the dashboard. The Eclipse GT offers a 650-watt Rockford Fosgate audio system, complete with a 6-disc in-dash CD changer with MP3 playback. The Digital Signal Processing (DSP) surrounds you with an array of customizable sound settings served up by eight speakers with a 10-inch subwoofer.

The 2006 Mitsubishi Eclipse is fun to drive, extremely balanced, fast, beautiful, and cool vehicle. For more information about the Eclipse, or to shop for parts for other Mitsubishi vehicles, visit http://www.partstrain.com/ShopByVehicle/MITSUBISHI .

About the Author: Jenny McLane is a 36 year old native of Iowa and has a knack for research on cars and anything and everything about it. She works full time as a Market Analyst for one of the leading car parts suppliers in the country today.