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Well hello, Carice, you Porsche-aping EV cutie

Ah, the joy that comes open-air motoring with the in your hair and the roar of the exhaust behind you. Well, maybe not as much anymore. In recent years, vehicles like the Tesla Roadster have made the concept of the electric sports car palatable. Now, Dutch automaker Carice is following suit with a classically inspired EV speedster called the MK1. The MK1 clearly wears its design inspiration on its sleeve. It would be difficult to look at this styling and not immediately see a Porsche 356 Speedster; It has the same upside-down bathtub shape with big round headlights and likely the tiniest taillights on a production car in years. The Carice is also clearly meant for fair weather motoring because there's no top, just a tonneau cover to protect the interior from the rain while it's sitting. One thing that the Dutch company is definitely getting right is the weight. It claims that the MK1 weighs a dainty 772 pounds, including the battery pack. The low weight doesn't mean the MK1 is going to be lighting quick, though. It's being offered with a choice of three electric motors with 5 horsepower (for 16-year-old drivers in the Netherlands), 20 hp or 53 hp, and there are two sizes of battery pack. Buyers can also opt for a range-extending internal combustion engine. The 53-hp motor allows for a top speed of 62 miles per hour and a 124-mile range with the larger battery. Carice says its also willing to fit larger batteries or more power motors, at the buyer's expense, of course. Carice plans to build an initial production run of 10 cars with prices starting at 22,000 euros, before Dutch taxes (about $30,000). The company hasn't released a press release about the MK1, but you can learn more about speedster on its website; it's in Dutch, though. Featured Gallery Carice MK1 View 9 Photos News Source: Carice Cars Porsche Convertible Electric Performance electric sports car porsche speedster

These three automotive Lego kits deserve your suppoort

Lego has been quite good to car enthusiasts over the past few years. We've seen traditional kits for the classic VW Microbus, Mini Cooper, and the Caterham 620R, as well as an elaborate Technic kit for the 911 GT3 RS. But why stop there? The Lego Ideas page, which allows users to submit ideas with the chance to see their kits reach production, has many more cool car kits we'd love to see. Check them out below, and be sure to log on to vote for them. If a submission hits 10,000 votes, it is considered for production. That's how we got that Caterham kit, so it's worth your time to show your support. Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 This is a submission aimed at becoming one of Lego's Speed Champions kits. These are very small mini-figure scale car models, and the series has included the Ford GT, Audi R18 Le Mans racer, and more. This kit features a tiny version of the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16, a Group B rally racer that gave Peugeot World Rally Championship titles two years in a row. The kit has a well-executed version of the car and its massive rear spoiler on the hatch. It also comes with a big dirt crest for it to fly over, along with amazed spectators on the sidelines. Porsche 911 Turbo 930 We love the GT3 RS Lego kit, but we think it's a little lonely as the only Porsche kit available. Such an impressive Porsche deserves an impressive companion, like this 911 Turbo. It's the 930 version, which is arguably the most famous classic 911 with its turbocharged power, whale-tail wing, and scary driving dynamics thanks to considerable turbo lag and rear-engine handling characteristics. This model is quite large at 1:10 scale, and comes with a detailed interior and exterior. The best part is the remote-control components underneath that allow the car to be driven. Jeep Wrangler JK Moving off the beaten path again, we have this highly detailed Wrangler kit. Actually, we have two kits, as the creator designed both two-door and four-door versions. They both feature removable hard tops, detailed interiors, and big tires. They also come with an assortment of off-road accessories such as auxiliary lights, an off-road jack, winch, gas can, roof rack, and off-road bumper. You can also find various fluid reservoirs and engine details under the opening hood. Related Video: Image Credit: AbFab1974 / Lego Ideas, brickmasterno1 / Lego Ideas, RREYES77 / Lego Ideas Auto News Toys/Games Jeep Porsche Peugeot Lego

Translogic 166: Porsche 918 Spyder

In the same month that Porsche announced that its 918 Spyder is sold out, Translogic is getting its first (and likely last) shot at the plug-in hybrid hypercar. Our drive starts off in a very civilized fashion as we tour the 918 Spyder's e-power and hybrid modes, but the fun really starts when the naturally aspirated 4.6-liter V8 engine roars to life in sport and race hybrid modes, augmenting the electric motors with an additional 608 horsepower for a total of 887. We even attempt an impromptu 0-60 test to see if we can match Porsche's gobsmacking official time of 2.5 seconds, but sadly we don't have the room to make a run on its 214-mph top speed. Watch as Translogic host Jonathon Buckley pilots this Porsche around an airstrip in Irvine, CA, with a focus on the many driving modes that set the 918 Spyder apart from anything else in the storied automaker's history. Follow Translogic on Twitter and Facebook. Click here to subscribe to Translogic in iTunes. Click here to learn more about our host, Jonathon Buckley.