First flying car wins permit in US

A light aircraft that can convert into an automobile has been allowed into US skies to help a long dreamed-of "flying car" come true.

Whether it is to avoid a traffic jam or just get to a destination faster, the idea of combining a car and plane or having a flying gear has always been appealing.

A private aircraft manufacturing company based in Woburn, Massachusetts, has blended the two modes of transport quite well in its roadable Terrafugia Transition.

According to Terrafugia Inc., the vehicle can fly a distance of up to 640 kilometers (around 398 mile) on a single tank of gas at a cruising speed of 185 km/h. Upon landing and with its wings folded up, it can also drive highway speeds on the road.

It is also permitted to take off a maximum weight of about 650 kilograms, which is 50 kilograms above the limit for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) light sport aircraft category.

Terrafugia won a key federal approval for its flying car which has already completed flight tests to become the latest manifestation of a long-running fantasy.

The significant innovation now fills a blank in humans' life which existed almost as long as there have been automobiles.

The company will begin production later this year with about 20 vehicles.

Terrafugia said it has collected $10,000 deposits from more than 70 potential buyers for the $194,000 craft with the first flying car expected off the production line in 18 months.

18 year old Tunisian designer gives shape to new BMW X 9 concept

It looks more like a ‘batmobile’ than a standard BMW, yet the drawings of the new BMW X 9 concept which have recently been released on the internet, will certainly launch its 18 year old Tunisian designer, Oussama Khalfi and the car, on top of the world.

So far, little has been revealed about the car’s technical details.

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Morocco: Automotive industry experiences strong growth

The Moroccan automotive industry experienced strong growth over the last decade, with regard to several indicators :
· A dynamic market for new cars which, in view of its evolution over the last decade, witnessed substantial growth. The annual sales volume reached 120000 cars, which portends a bright future in favor of the industrialization of the sector.

· The redeployment of Renault in Morocco through the acquisition of State shares in SOMACA and the implementation of an industrial complex in Tangier with a production capacity of 400 000 vehicles per year, 90% of which to be oriented to exportation.

The overflow of business opportunities and partnership incoming from:
- Original Equipment Manufacturers interested in the competitiveness of Morocco, reinforced by the government's offer to investors.
- Prime contractors wishing to develop their purchases in Morocco.
These are tangible data that challenge the professionals on the promising development of the Moroccan automotive industry, as shown by the figures below:

Today, stakeholders at different levels must act to ensure that this sector’s dynamism is not undermined by the automotive crisis in the world. This dynamism should be perpetuated in a way to enable Morocco to establish a ''chain'', and meet the requirements of global markets.

Analysis of operators:
The main players in the Moroccan automotive sector are the following:
· Assembly lines: referring to SOMACA which assembles vehicles like Dacia, Renault, Peugeot and Citroen. The annual production volume will reach 100 000 vehicles in 2012 for both local market and export. Moreover, the Moroccan government and Renault signed in 2007, an agreement to set up an assembly line to produce 400 000 vehicles per year, eventually for exportation. It is a large-scale project likely to push forwards the automotive industry in Morocco.
· Equipment Manufacturers: This category constitutes the core sector in which it distinguishes:

- Foreign capital companies : 46%
- Moroccan capital companies : 38 %
- Mixed capital companies : 16%

· Spare parts distributors and automobile reparation:
This sector comprises:
- Hundreds of importers/distributers.
- Over a thousand retailers
- Over 4000 mechanics and repairers.
- Two reparation trademarks MIDDAS and SPEEDY

The rapid evolution on the national park is a lever for the development of these activities.

Half-owned by Bahrain, the supercar offshoot of Formula One giant McLaren is gearing up for the launch of a spectacular new model

IN MARCH, when Formula One world champions Lewis Hamilton and Jensen Button unveiled the supercar (picture above) which the McLaren Group hopes will see them take their motoring success off of the circuit and on to the road it was hailed as a display of the best of British.

But the McLaren MP4-12C, the high-performance road car that the new McLaren Automotive marque will begin to produce in 2011, has been put together with strong support from within the Gulf.