Nano: World's Cheapest Car: Nano Specs Cost: $2,500 Five-door hatchback Two-cylinder engine Speeds of up to 65 miles per hour Avg. MPG: 50 No: radio, air conditioning, power steering, or power windows The newest Nano has four wheels and runs on two cylinders. No, Apple Computer did not introduce a self-propelled MP3 player (not yet, anyway). The Tata Nano is a tiny, five-door hatchback that was unveiled at a car show in early January 2008 in New Delhi, India. A two-cylinder engine, which is located in the back, powers the car. The Nano, nicknamed the "People's Car," can reach speeds of up to 65 miles per hour and gets about 50 miles per gallon of gasoline, which is on par with most hybrids. The five-seat mini car, which looks a lot like a bubble on wheels, is about 11 feet long and 5 feet wide. Cheap but Spare At only $2,500, the Nano lacks many of the accessories and luxuries of other, more expensive cars. Indeed, it doesn't have a radio, air conditioning, power steering, or power windows, and the dashboard is adorned with only a speedometer, an oil light, and a fuel gauge. Ratan Tata, the chairman of the Tata Group, which developed the Nano, said he hopes to sell about one million of the cars in India. "We indeed have a People's Car, which is affordable and yet built to meet safety requirements and emission norms, to be fuel efficient and low on emissions," Tata said. He chose the name "Nano" because the word "connotes high-tech and small size," he said. Environmental Impact While some auto enthusiasts hailed the Nano for its fuel efficiency and low price, which will provide mobility to a much wider population in India, many environmentalists are concerned that a million new cars in India, the world's second-most-populous country, with a population of more than 1.1 billion, will contribute further to global warming. Indeed, India's emissions of carbon dioxide are the fourth highest in the world, and New Delhi, the capital of India, is the fourth-most-polluted city in the world. Some suggested that Tata should have used his significant resources to work toward improving India's mass transportation system rather than further clog India's already intolerably congested roads. "In my view, this represents a bankruptcy of policy as far as transport options are concerned," said chief U.N. climate scientist Rajendra Pachauri, who shared the 2007 Nobel Peace Prizewith Al Gore. "If our roads are going to be flooded with these cars by a few million each year, what is that going to do? Every car that goes on the road is going to use road space. Congestion and air pollutionare twin problems," he said. "Why not improve the quality and reliability of buses?"

Most Expensive Cars, 2007 RankMake, modelPrice 1.Bugatti Veyron 16.4$1.4 million 2.Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition482,750 3.Maybach 62S SSC Ultimate Aero428,750 4.Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe412,000 5.Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Roadster362,400 6.Bentley Azure337,085 7.Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano F1280,295 8.Aston Martin DB9 Volante convertible175,550 9.Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet (2008 model)136,500 10.Maserati Quattroporte Automatic Executive GT126,500 NOTE: All base prices are for 2007 models, unless noted otherwise. Includes only vehicles currently sold in the U.S. Source: Forbes.com.

Top AAA Cars, 2006 AAA evaluates more than 200 vehicles each year and selects the top-rated vehicle in each category, based on cost and type. Cars are rated according to value, fuel economy, braking, ride, handling, passenger environment, cargo space, and other criteria. CategoryMake/model $50,000 or moreJaguar XJ8L $40,000–$50,000Infiniti M35/M45 $35,000–$40,000Volvo S80 $30,000–$35,000BMW 3 Series $25,000–$30,000Toyota Avalon $20,000–$25,000Dodge Charger $15,000–$20,000Honda Accord Sedan Under $15,000Mazda 3 SUV over $30,000Mercedes-Benz M-Class SUV under $30,000Ford Escape Hybrid MinivanHonda Odyssey Pickup TruckHonda Ridgeline Cool CarChevrolet Corvette Z06 Source:AAA. Web: www.aaa.com.

Most Stolen Cars, 2007 RankYear, make, model 1.1995 Honda Civic 2.1991 Honda Accord 3.1989 Toyota Camry 4.1997 Ford F150 Series 5.1994 Chevrolet C/K 1500 Pickup 6.1994 Acura Integra 7.2004 Dodge Ram Pickup 8.1994 Nissan Sentra 9.1988 Toyota Pickup 10.2007 Toyota Corolla Source:National Insurance Crime Bureau

Most and Least Knowledgeable U.S. Drivers, 2010 Based on the average scores on a 20-question driving test commissioned by the GMAC Insurance Company, the most knowledgeable drivers in the U.S. are from Kansas and the least knowledgeable are from New York. RankState 1. Kansas 2. Oregon 3. South Dakota 4. Minnesota 5. Iowa 6. Nebraska 7. Indiana 8. Idaho 9. Montana 10. Alaska 11. Washington 12. Wisconsin 13. Oklahoma 14. North Dakota 15. Michigan 16. Missouri 17. Arizona 18. Wyoming 19. Tennessee 20. Maryland 21. Nevada 22. Vermont 23. Utah 24. Colorado 25. Delaware 26. Maine 27. Ohio 28. Virginia 29. New Mexico 30. South Carolina 31. Alabama 32. Georgia 33. Illinois 34. Connecticut 35. Texas 36. Arkansas 37. North Carolina 38. Massachusetts 39. Pennsylvania 40. Mississippi 41. Florida 42. Kentucky 43. New Hampshire 44. Hawaii 45. West Virginia 46. Louisiana 47. Rhode Island 48. California 49. District of Columbia 50. New Jersey 51. New York Source:General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) Insurance National Drivers Test administered to 5,000 licensed drivers nationwide. Widespread Bad Driving Habits According to the GMAC survey: 50% report that they do not know how to merge into heavy traffic. 60% say that they change lanes on a highway without using their blinker. 17% percent of Americans have driven without a rear view or driver's side mirror. 20% do not know that a pedestrian has the right of way at a marked or unmarked crosswalk. 25% drivers would roll through a stop sign rather than come to a complete stop. One-third admit they speed up to make a yellow light even when pedestrians are in the crosswalk.