Hybrid drop top

German roof specialist creates 'hard' soft top for convertibles.

It’s a cabrio, but not as we know it! Drop-top specialist Webasto has lifted the lid on its latest roofless concept: the LigHT (Light Hybrid Top).
The German firm – which made the sliding soft-top on the original Mini – claims to have created a ‘new category of roof’ by combining the best bits from a retractable hard-top with the flexibility of a more traditional fabric hood.
The roof on this concept (right) weighs only 14kg – made possible by combining polyurethane with a paper honeycomb structure to create a rigid but lightweight material.And the innovations don’t stop there. When the roof is folded, it lies flat on the rear deck of the car, sitting flush with the surrounding surfaces. This sidesteps one of the major drawbacks for convertibles – it doesn’t take up any boot space when retracted. Webasto says the LigHT concept offers a glimpse into the future, so expect car manufacturers to adopt elements of it soon.Source

2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid

Hot on the heels of the redesigned Altima comes Nissan's first foray into the hybrid market. The greenie version of the Altima uses Nissan's 158-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder connected to a planetary type CVT and two electric motors—technology licensed from Toyota—for a combined output of 198 hp. That's up 11 hp on Toyota's own Camry hybrid.Nissan estimates EPA fuel economy numbers of 41 city and 36 highway (Camry hybrid gets 40 city/38 highway) for the Altima hybrid when it goes on sale in early 2007. Nissan's hybrid will initially only be sold in California and the seven Northeastern states that have adopted California emissions regulations. No official word on price yet, but it will likely be significantly more than a base Altima, which starts around $20,000. Close to the $26,520 starting point on the Camry hybrid is probably a good guess.Source