FASTER THAN A SPEEDING BULLET BUT...

There are some interesting machines on display at the Tokyo Motor Show:

Researchers from Tokyo's Keio University also displayed an eight-wheeled electricity-powered sedan capable of a top speed of 370 kilometres (230 miles) per hour and 0-100 kph (60 mph) in 4.2 seconds. The fastest non-racing electric car ever made, it was constructed in cooperation with the Japanese government and several automobile companies.

The Eliica, which looks like an older Citroen gone very wrong, comes in two variants:

Powered by eight 55kW electric motors and a huge bank of lithium-ion batteries, the five-passenger vehicle is designed around two basic models: Type A with a top speed of 400 kph and a range of 200 km between charges; Type B with a top speed of 190 kph but a range of 320 km.

In addition to the short range there are a couple of other minor problems:

The only downside, apart from the tiny cockpit, is that it takes 10 hours to fully recharge, and costs around $400,000 in prototype form.

Let's see, it's ugly, expensive, has a small passenger compartment, has a short range and requires overnight recharge. Rich lefty boneheads would queue up for them.