The Telsa, when plugged into the electrical grid, creates at least 30% more CO2 emmissions than a comparable gasoline powered vehicle.

Sweep the emmisions under the carpet and it becomes green? Get off the blinders. Coal fired power generaters are much dirtier than gasoline engines, and are no where near as efficient.

We at Winding Road are big fans of the idea of performance-oriented green cars, and the folks at Banks Power have teamed up with the Robert Bosch Corporation to create something really cool. This "Sidewinder Jetta" takes a standard Jetta TDI sedan and boosts the level of driver involvement by adding better front and rear stabilizer bars, sport springs, a ram-air intake, and an in-car computer where the driver can control different levels of performance. Oh, and there's an oh-so-subtle graphics package, too.

We named it "Bruce." And like Mr. Springsteen, one could say that this is The Boss of Jetta TDIs.

We'll have the hotted-up Jetta TDI in our Ypsilanti office for the next week, so head over to our Ask It forum and post whatever questions you have about the Sidewinder. We'll do our best to respond, and be sure to stay tuned for the full review coming in the not-so-distant future.

+ NextAutos Forums: Ask It: 2009 Banks Power Sidewinder VW Jetta TDI

The evolution of  the Honda CR-Z hybrid sports car concept is taking a nice shape. We first saw the concept at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show, and for 2009, Honda is bringing an almost-production-ready version to the Tokyo stage. (Honda still insists on calling it a concept when, obviously, this thing looks ready to roll out onto the streets.)

Details are slim right now, but expect to see Honda's Integrated Motor Assist technology under the hood, mated to a 1.5-liter four. And since Honda is trumpeting this as a sportier car than the Insight hatch, a six-speed manual transmission will be available. Sounds good, since the current Insight's driving dynamics are incredibly uninspiring. We're hoping the CR-Z will be more like a modern-day version of the original Insight that debuted in 1999.

Stay tuned for the full onslaught of details, but for now, scroll through our gallery above to see the Tokyo-bound CR-Z.

The Volkswagen E-Up! Concept is only a few days old now, but VW is already making a big statement and calling it the "Beetle of the 21st Century." No, it's not a homage back to any sort of retro vehicle, and instead uses Volkswagen's latest design language that we've seen in production form on the Golf and Scirocco. The automaker hopes that the E-Up! will be its small car of the future, better serving the needs of buyers who would originally shop the New Beetle.

As the big capital E in its name would suggest, the E-Up! is powered by a completely electric motor, producing 54 horsepower and 155 pound-feet of torque, all running to the front wheels. Not that any eco-drivers will be worried about this, but 0-60 sprints should happen in 11.3 seconds and the E-Up! will top out at a maximum speed of 84 miles per hour.

Inside, the E-Up! benefits from a unique three-plus-one seating concept derived from the original Up! concept shown a few years back. This layout means that the driver and two side passengers will have optimum seating positions with the extra space behind the driver used for cargo capacity. Interesting stuff, no?

Will the E-Up! make it to production? We hope so. And if VW wants this to be the Beetle for our future, they'd better get moving. Click through the post for all of the nitty gritty details.

Audi, like other German automakers, has long trumpeted that diesel power is the way of the future, and we've seen examples like the R8 V-12 TDI concept to prove this point.

Not anymore. The first images of Audi's all-electric e-Tron concept have leaked onto the web, and the car will make its official debut at the Frankfurt show this week. It's no secret that this car shares most of its construction with the R8 supercar, though overall aerodynamics have been improved -- fitting of a MPG-happy electricity sipper.

We'll have the full details later this week, but in the meantime, scroll through our gallery of images above to see the e-Tron from all angles.

+ Autoblog: Frankfurt Preview: Audi e-Tron electric supercar gets early web unveil

It seemed a bit strange when luxury marque Lincoln entered into the subcompact segment with the C Concept at this year's Detroit Auto Show, but now Lexus is throwing their hand into the ring in the form of the LF-Ch Concept. This hybrid five-door will officially debut to the world next week in Frankfurt and will make its North American debut later this year in Los Angeles.

The design of the LF-Ch may lead you to believe that it's an athletic little performer, but there's an honest-to-goodness hybrid powertrain under that hood. While Lexus hasn't released the exact details, only saying that this concept is "powered by the latest generation of Lexus Hybrid Drive technology. A drive mode-switch allows the driver to select between four modes: Normal, Eco, and EV plus a Sport mode that amplifies throttle response for the most enthusiastic drivers." Sounds like the new HS250h to us.

And even if it is just a funky new body on the HS drivetrain, that's okay with us. It's sharp, has a sleek interior, and we really hope it comes to production. The world could stand to have more small hybrids in the automotive fleet. Click through the post to read Lexus' full press release.

Audi has announced pricing for its upcoming A3 TDI model, starting the pint-sized derv-burner at an MSRP of  $30,750 with destination, tax, and fees. The car will begin arriving at dealerships in the last part of November.

That not insignificant sum will buy what we’re expecting to be a tidy luxury small car, and a frugal one, at that. EPA estimated fuel economy for the A3 TDI is 30 miles per gallon in the city and a whopping 42 mpg on the highway. It’s worth noting that EPA estimates for diesels have often proved pretty low for diesels in the real world, and we wouldn’t be overly surprised if the Audi managed mid to high forties on the freeway. Time will tell.

The Volkswagen family 2.0-liter diesel will be in service for the A3, providing 140 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque for the five-door hatch. Audi specifies only the S tronic transmission and front-drive in its press release, but don’t be surprised if a six-speed manual and Quattro find their way to the U.S. A3 TDI in later editions.

Maybe James May was right—maybe hydrogen power really is the answer. We've seen Honda's FCX Clarity snow that fuel cell vehicles can exist in simple forms, and now Mercedes-Benz is joining in with the B-Class F-CELL—the automaker's first series-produced fuel cell car which is actually coming to the United States next year. No joke.

The F-CELL should actually be quite a spirited little hydrogen car, powered by a 136-horsepower electric motor which produces 214 pound-feet of torque, as well. Mercedes-Benz claims that the F-Cell will reach a top speed of 170 kilometers per hour (about 106 miles per hour) and because it's a hydrogen-powered car, it will have no emissions other than harmless water vapor.

We're sure that this car will only have limited availability when it comes to our shores next year, but still, it's nice to see hydrogen on the rise. Click through the post to read the full press release.

Our Austin team just received Volkswagen's latest clean diesel offering, the 2009 Touareg 2 V-6 TDI. And while there's a lot to like already about Volkswagen's trusty Touareg, the addition of a diesel engine can only add to the car's goodness.

Click over to our Ask It forum and post whatever questions you have about the Touareg TDI. We'll do our best to respond over the next week, as well as post driving impressions.

+ NextAutos Forums: Ask It: 2009 Volkswagen Touareg 2 V-6 TDI

Editor's Note: All of us in the Detroit-based office are a bit jealous that our Austin team received such a nice-looking Touareg. The one we drove recently was, well, significantly more noticeable.