The Toyota Prius is loved and loathed in equal measure. To some, it is a mere gimmick that does as much to harm the environment as it does to protect it. Others believe it represents the future of motoring, boldly forging a path that other cars simply aren't equipped to follow. Whatever your opinion, it's difficult to deny the Prius has always been a technological tour de force, but has the latest iteration evolved sufficiently to silence the brand's critics? We think so.

The Web has gone hybrid nuts today with rumours of a new hybrid Toyota sports car and a hybrid BMW sedan. Spy photos show the BMW 755ih, a hybrid version of the 7-series, driving the streets of Munich. The car uses the 750i's twin turbo 4.4-litre V-8 complemented by a small 20hp electric motor. BMWBlog says the hybrid system reduces the V-8's fuel consumption by 15 per cent. The 755ih should be unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show.

Electric-speedster manufacturer Tesla is heading for Europe this summer. The company is planning a batch of new showrooms, three of which will be in Europe.

Tesla's three existing Californian showrooms will be joined by ones in New York, Seattle, Chicago and Miami, with Washington DC and Toronto also on the cards. This side of the Atlantic, millionaire's playground Monaco and autobahn heaven Munich will be getting showrooms. And here's the good news: you'll be able to surf the Web, take a test drive and see the Roadster in the flesh in London, home of CNET Towers, the Queen and the congestion charge.

Hang on -- what congestion charge? Snap yourself up a Tesla and you'll be able to hit 60mph in less than 4 seconds, without paying Boris a penny. Actually, the only way you'll hit 60mph on a London street is if you're dropped from a plane, but you know what we mean.

CNET UK's award-winning Car Tech series goes way back with the Tesla Roadster: we test drove it in Geneva, and this could be our chance to get gearhead-in-chief Rory 'Roadhog' Reid behind the wheel of the new Tesla S sedan.

People tell us the Porsche Boxster isn't a very manly car -- that it's designed for hairdressers, those of a metrosexual disposition and people with ovaries. Well if that's the case, fire up the hairdryer, apply the crack wax and pass us a thong, because we've driven one and we think it's sensational.

The Boxster is more fun to drive than its big brother, the 911. There -- we said it. Okay, it's not as brutally quick as the 911, but on a twisty track, in the hands of a skilled driver, the Boxster S will give the 911 plenty to worry about. Car enthusiasts will already be aware that the Boxster's mid-engined layout gives it unrivalled balance -- it's as agile as a 12-year-old Russian gymnast -- but these new cars now have the grunt to match the exquisite handling.

Crossover vehicles -- aka mini SUVs -- get a pretty bad rap. Common opinion says they pollute the environment, they're horrible to drive, they take up three parking spaces and they'll impregnate your teenage daughter while you're not looking.

The Lexus RX450h promises to be different. It uses a hybrid propulsion system that -- despite using three separate engines -- spits out less CO2 and returns more miles per gallon than your average four-door saloon.

The Lexus RX450h makes absolutely no sense. It's the size and shape of a small barn, yet it's more fuel-efficient than a Ford Mondeo. It's a so-called Chelsea Tractor, yet it can be as kind to the environment as an all-electric G-Wiz. It's a road car, yet it mixes technology from fighter jets. Oh, and you control it using a mouse. WTF?

Apprehending perps on a hot day can be a sweaty business, especially when you're wearing a bullet-proof vest. But law-enforcement officers can now get some relief, thanks to the $50 (£33) CoolCop. It's essentially a flex hose, similar to those found on vacuum cleaners, that makes it easy to redirect your car's air conditioning into your shirt, keeping you cool and dry, and enabling you to gorge on doughnuts in comfort.

The Alfa Romeo MiTo is a gorgeous supermini with the 'DNA' of Alfa's 8C sports car. Clearly it's a distant cousin to the £160,000 beauty, but there's a hint of its style and a dash of its performance -- just enough for a charitable eye to note the family resemblance. We climbed in for a closer look at the MiTo's impressive performance and gadgetry in our video.

We've given a whole bunch of pixels to electric cars recently, especially the red-hot Tesla Roadster. But there's one electric car that can dust the Tesla -- and all the others -- off the line. It's a 1972 Datsun.

Meet the White Zombie from Plasma Boy Racing. John Wayland of Portland, Oregon, made the unassuming small car in his garage as a project, and now the custom-made electric powerhouse is taking the drag strips by storm. In the video after the jump, it toasts a bad-ass-looking Corvette, much to the 'vette owner's chagrin.

Remember the Alfa Romeo 8C supercar? We've just spent a week testing its little brother, a cute supermini called the MiTo. How can a supermini be related to a supercar, you ask? According to Alfa, it's all about having the right DNA. We have no idea what that means. But is it fast enough to terrify passengers? Does it have tech befitting a £170,000 motor? Does it pull the birds? Let's sort this out.

Attention, rubbish drivers: scientists at Toyota have developed a new type of airbag that could reduce the severity of injuries suffered by passenger in the rear seat. Or it could smash their frickin' skulls open.

The Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) airbag -- or rearbag, as we're calling it -- lives in a fixed centre console above passengers' heads. When the vehicle is hit side-on, the rearbag deploys to form a cushion between the occupants, reducing the likelihood of passengers injuring one another.

We like the idea, but we're concerned it might be a tad dangerous. If it were to deploy when a passenger is sitting directly beneath the centre console, or leaning across the divide, the results might be a little painful, to say the least.