Zenvo ST1

Madly styled supercar boasts a Veyron-besting 1089bhp and 1055lb ft

Clearly the world doesn't have enough mad hypercars, with the Bugatti Veyron, Ruf CTR3 and TVR Speed 12 clamouring for more competition. It has come in the shape of this, the Zenvo ST1, quite probably the world's first all-Danish car.

It's a rear-wheel-drive coupe, propelled by a mid-mounted 7-litre V8 which boasts a supercharger and turbocharger - making it good for 1089bhp at 6900rpm and a fairly frightening 1055lb ft, which is available from 4500rpm. Whether all of that can be transferred to the tarmac without repercussions is an entirely different matter.

Claimed performance for the 1376kg coupe is 0-62mph in around 3sec, 0-124 in under 9 and an electronically-limited 233mph. That allows it to drive the length of Denmark in 18 minutes, apparently. Mated to that monster engine is a six-speed manual gearbox and a hydraulic limited-slip differential.

The brakes are ventilated discs, covered up by 19in alloys at the front and 20in at the rear, wrapped in Michelin rubber. Ceramic brakes are on the options list, and quite possibly a wise buy to rein in all that grunt. Also on the options list is a roll cage and four-point harnesses, turning this into a pretty extreme trackday car, no doubt.

Development on the ST1 has been ongoing since 2004, with deliveries penned to start in 2009. Just 15 are set to be made, with no price tag quoted. It'll be at least six figures, if not seven we'd imagine.

GM will equip Chevy Equinox with fuel-saving technology

General Motors' revamped Chevrolet Equinoxcrossover will carry direct-injection engine technology across the line, boosting fuel economy in the base model while delivering the same amount of horsepower.

The move will contribute to GM's goal of equipping most of its North American vehicles with direct injection. In the 2010 model year, GM says it will have 18 vehicles with the technology, including the Equinox, which goes on sale next summer.

The feature increases performance while curbing fuel consumption and emissions. GM plans to show the 2010 Equinox next month at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit

The base version will be powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that develops 180 hp, about the same as the current V-6, GM said in a statement. The automaker expects that vehicle to deliver 30 mpg in highway driving. There is no four-cylinder 2009 model. The current Equinox has an EPA fuel-economy rating of 17 mpg city/24 mpg highway.

A 3.0-liter, direct-injected V-6 will be optional. That engine is rated at 255 hp. It will replace a 185-hp, 3.4-liter V-6 built in China that dates to the 1970s.

GM Powertrain spokesman Tom Read said the new V-6 will be built at GM's St. Catharines,Ontario, plant. The four-cylinder engine will be made at the former Saturn plant in Spring Hill, Tenn.

Ford has 2 finalists for car, truck of the year

Ford Motor Co. placed two candidates on the short list of finalists for the 2009 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards.

Ford's Flex car and the F-150 pickup are among the six vehicles to make it through the latest round of voting by 50 automotive journalists in the United States and Canada.

The other cars were the diesel-powered Volkswagen Jetta TDI and Hyundai's Genesis luxury sedan. No Korean automaker has made the cut before.

The Mercedes-Benz ML320 Bluetec and the Dodge Ram pickup round out the truck field.

The VW and Mercedes models are the first vehicles with diesel engines to qualify as finalists in the 16-year history of the awards. The winners will be announced Jan. 11 at the Detroit auto show.

Last year, the Chevrolet Malibu won car of the year, and the Mazda CX-9 was honored as the top truck.

Domestic automakers have won the car trophy eight times, the Europeans four times and the Japanese three times.

In trucks, domestics have won nine times, followed by the Japanese four times and the Europeans twice.

Additionally, hybrids have won four times.

More than 50 vehicles were considered this year; 14 cars and 11 trucks made the initial ballot.