European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 15, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday november 15, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 13gm pushes new electric Cor research by Jan a. Zverina Detroit up a Early this year i general motors corp. Unveiled a sleek i two seat electric car dubbed the Impact boldly predicting it would be the first automaker to mass produce such a vehicle. Pm insists that its driving full Speed toward production of the Impact but now i comes word of project Freedom a highly secret program within the company a research labs that May at last solve the i problems of driving Range weight and Battery life that have plagued the Success of All electrically powered vehicles. Those concerns must be addressed be i fore the Impact car can come to Market a fact conceded by former pm chairman Roger Smith who unveiled the Impact in smog choked los Angeles last january. Said its Impact prototype which has two alternate current motors can accelerate from 0 to 60 Mph in about eight seconds and reach a top Speed of 75 Mph. But its 32 batteries weigh 870 pounds nearly 40 percent of its 2,200-Pound curb weight a and last Only about 120 Miles Between charges. The batteries also have to be replaced every two years at a Cost of about $1,500. Sources close to Gmys project Freedom say it involves the development of a Small hybrid Gas electric vehicle commuter car with Small direct current electric motors at each wheel a in other words a four wheel drive electric car. Working much on the same principles As an electric locomotive a Small Gaso j 16-valve engine features More punch line powered motor a possibly a two stroke design a could be used As Generator to recharge its Battery packs. The motor might even run at a constant Speed to better control emissions. A this seems to have a lot More potential than a fully electric car a said one researcher familiar with the program because it would give a vehicle a much longer driving Range than a pure electric car. A such a hybrid vehicle takes the Best from a Gas engine and the Best from electric vehicle technology and puts it at the Pinnacle of what a been achieved today a e said adding that project Freedom is Well funded As pm braces for stiffer environmental regulations. I done to see this As a High school project a he said. A this is  pm has yet to disclose precisely when where or How Many Impact electric cars it will build. But the Impact will most Likely be sold in polluted regions of the country by 1995 to Nelp pm meet future emission standards and could be built at its Van Guys Plant near los Angeles. And pm is not the Only firm working on electric car technology. Some of the most promising advances could come from an unexpected player a japanese car maker Isuzu motors Ltd. Isuzu in which pm has a 38.2 percent stake has reportedly been Able to dramatically shrink the size and weight of the batteries while extending their lives and making recharge times almost non existent. Corolla its quicker and better going into 1991, Toyota a popular Corolla cars enter their 23rd year on the worlds roads. During this time the Corolla models have achieved a Strong reputation for Quality and reliability factors which recently pushed sales past the 15 million figure. It is the first japanese manufactured car to top this Mark Toyota says. Since its debut on the world Market in 1968, the Corolla Model line has evolved into an entire family of cars with sedans and station wagons As Well As sports coupes and four wheel drive models. C today Well take a look at one of the 1 sports coupes a the its twin Cam 16 a this car the top of the line Model in the Corolla Range. We first drove a its sports Coupe in the autumn of 1983 when the car made its German debut on the curb urging racing circuit and we be enjoyed several opportunities to Check out subsequent its models. There have been some big changes made on the its since that first �?T83 sports Coupe Model the main one involving the switch from pure sports car rear wheel drive design to front wheel drive. The original car was quite successful in european racing during its Day so the its has always enjoyed a Strong racing we recently had a 1990 its on test a Ere Are no changes for 1991, Toyota officials at the Cologne Headquarters say. The current its has a More powerful engine than its 1989 predecessor with the 16-valve, 1.6-liter twin Cam engine now pushing out 130 horsepower compared to 115 he for the old Model. It c an incr9ase of 15 horsepower the go a is a quicker and better car All a or us. It is especially Strong on Long autobahn hauls a cruising at 110 Miles an hour and higher is no problem. The Ann Especial by impressive in the 5,000 o 7,000 rpm Range redline is 7,200and Tais 3 of about 130 Mph on p in ipe Zero-to-60-Mph department we recorded 7.9 seconds. Because of the somewhat Long but Gas-,18 gearing the Uphill pickup is a bit the no a eco hiring a gear change now and in a. Rut other than that no complaints. Of Gas saving the its re Rny Miles to the gallon quite Good considering Many runs in the 90 to 130 inoienc63. Epa Miles per gallon rat the lclty/31 Highway drive to sports Coupe is always fun to Ere 0ilce you g�4 used to the Over pow it to Racic and Pinion Power steering and Hac u we the suspension of course the use property beefed up to handle both s extra 15 horsepower with Well Reyl sed Spring and Shock rates As the a parser and stiffer anti Sway bars test car was equipped with Dunlop Low lines in front and a big spoiler atop the trunk lid give the its sports Coupe a Sharp appearance. A amps 185/60 radials on 14-Inch Alloy wheels. The brakes disc All around with vented fronts Are first rate and the ride is comfortable. Even after several hours behind the wheel there is no a Driver fatigue despite some engine noise at High speeds. The its Corners clean while going quickly into tight turns and it is always predictable. If you re into a turn a bit too fast just lift off slightly and the agile its will find its Way. The five Speed manual Gearbox no automatic is offered is a Delight to use All shifts Crisp and easy to make. And you la be using the Gearbox often As its necessary to push full revs to exploit the engines performance potential. Along with its Road attributes the its is an attractive sports Coupe. The aerodynamics Are evident with retractable headlights a plus Here. And when zipping Down the autobahn other Drivers move Over. Its obviously a car that does no to go unnoticed. A lot of thought has gone into the Interior design As Well and there is not one Inch of wasted space. Storage sections for maps and other items Are found both front and rear and there a a dual cup Holder that emerges from beneath the radio stereo unit. You can store up to six tapes in the Center console and there a also a Section for change with a dual overhead map Light to help you find the coins in the dark. Unlike the Interior design an area that did no to receive much thought involves a Oil Check  getting the dipstick Back into the Oil pan orifice is a difficult task one that we doubt would Ever come easy no matter How Long you owned the car. Its strictly a diabolical exercise. Custom world car show set custom cars and motorcycles from 11 european nations and the United states will be featured at the International a custom world �?T90�?� exhibition which opens saturday and runs through wednesday at the Congress Center in Karlsruhe Germany. More than 150 customized vehicles will be on display at the annual show with a few top ones including the 2,000-hp a spirit of Texas land Speed record car a 765-hp Ford Model a pickup truck and a 1,000-hp dragster. Other trucks and dragsters plus customized vans hot rods and chopper cycles will also be featured along with exhibits on customizing painting and custom accessories. The five Day show will be open daily from 10 . To 6 . Musical entertainment is also planned. A . On More pleasant matters however the Driver has a Good View of the Road and the seating is comfortable. The front buckets recline and the Drivers seat is adjustable five ways. The rear seats which two adults will find Okay for Short trips have 60/40 split setbacks. The setbacks fold Down and open to the trunk for storage of additional cargo. This wont be necessary too often As the trunk itself is quite Large for a Coupe design with nearly 12 cubic feet of space available. The test Corolla its was Well equipped a few features including Sun roof Power adjust rear View mirrors Power door and window locks plus Central Locking stereo radio tape deck cruise control tilt steering wheel and air conditioning. The Bright red test cards exterior exuded Good fit and finish and the paint was perfect. The outside mirrors featured holes near the mount area for aerodynamic purposes As Well As Good looks and the rear Wing atop the trunk carried the third Brake Light in the Middle. A dual exhaust outlet also provided a Nice sporty touch. The. Fully equipped Corolla its sports Coupe As described in this report costs $16,895, while the base Price is $15,195. The car is available at the various Toyota car world locations in Germany and is also available in Belgium Iceland Italy the Netherlands Spain and the United  Randy Barnett Auto columnist