Free Republic

Americans who buy the smallest cars on the market are twice as likely to have fatal accidents as drivers of midsize and larger vehicles, according to a report being released today by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The data and increased sales of the fuel-efficient "minicars" prompted the institute to test, for the first time, eight models to determine which are safest. Minicars typically weigh about 2,500 pounds or less, half the weight of large pickup trucks or SUVs such as the 4,500-pound Ford Explorer... In the testing, only the Nissan Versa received "good" ratings in front, side, and...

A British engineering firm has put together a high-performance hybrid version of BMW's Mini Cooper. The PML Mini QED has a top speed of 150 mph, a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds. The car uses a small gasoline engine with four 160 horsepower electric motors — one on each wheel. The car has been designed to run for four hours of combined urban/extra urban driving, powered only by a battery and bank of ultra capacitors. The QED supports an all-electric range of 200-250 miles and has a total range of about 932 miles (1,500 km). For longer journeys at...

Small cars driving through a safari park in Merseyside have been chased by confused lions who think they are prey. Staff at Knowsley Safari Park are monitoring smaller vehicles, including Smart cars and Mini Coopers, after the lions started paying special interest. David Ross, park manager, told the BBC News website that a group of lionesses chased after one Smart car after being confused by its compact appearance. He said staff were stationed near the enclosure to keep visitors safe. 'Raise an eyebrow' Unusual features on cars can also spark interest by the 12 lions at the park, which are...

UCSF Police Chief Pam Roskowski has taken a Mini to the max, shunning the big SUVs that chiefs often favor for a Mini Cooper. A $31,000 silver metallic, glass moon-roofed, chrome-trimmed, alloy- wheeled wonder complete with portable lights and siren. The vehicle is raising a few eyebrows on campus, but the fully loaded car met Roskowski's criteria: "mobility, enough power to be driven on the freeway to do our business and ... easy to park.'' Roskowski, who joined UC in 2003, gets to pick her wheels as part of her university contract, and has handed off her not-so-old Honda Accord...

The Prime Minister Tony Blair will make his debut in 'The Simpsons' on Sunday. Mr Blair, who is said to be a big fan of the show, recorded his dialogue in April for an episode in which Homer Simpson meets him in London. The episode reportedly sees Homer crash a Mini Cooper through the gates of Buckingham Palace catapulting the Queen out of her horse-drawn carriage. Actor Sir Ian McKellen and Harry Potter author JK Rowling appear alongside him in the show, called 'The Regina Monologues'. The episode will be on TV in January in the UK.