Dart GTS 210 Tribute

February’s Chicago Auto Show will see the unveiling of the GTS 210 Tribute, Mopar’s take on the 2013 Dodge Dart.

Making the most of the Dart’s Alfa Romeo underpinnings, it features two modification packages to create an overtly sporty version of the new compact.

The first focuses on extracting more power from the 2.4 litre, four-cylinder Tigershark MultiAir engine. Recalibration of the engine management system, a low back-pressure exhaust and a high-flow air intake have all been employed, and the result is an increase from 184 bhp (137 kW / 186 PS) to 210 bhp (156 kW / 212 PS).

To go with the extra performance, the second package is all about appearance. For the exterior, the most obvious change is the carbon fibre bonnet that incorporates a prominent air scoop. It’s complemented by 18” ten-spoke forged alloy wheels, plus a matte black rear spoiler, front splitter, rear diffuser and side skirts.

On the inside, Ruby Red Katzkin leather has been chosen for the seats and door panels, with various Piano Black trim pieces and black suede on the dashboard top providing visual contrast.

Mopar isn’t planning to produce the GTS 210 Tribute as a standalone model, but the components used will be available either separately or as stage kits towards the end of this year.

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Castrol Edge M3 DTM

BMW Motorsport has revealed that one of the six cars it’ll be campaigning in the 2012 DTM will carry sponsorship from Castrol Edge and Aral Ultimate.

The result is a striking green and blue paintjob that’s certainly a departure from BMW’s traditional ‘white with M stripes’ racing livery.

Commenting on the move, BMW Motorsport Director Jens Marquardt said: “For many years we have put our faith in high-performance Castrol lubricants, and have celebrated countless successes together on the racetrack. For that reason, everyone here at BMW Motorsport is delighted that we are able to build on this established partnership in the DTM. Castrol EDGE and Aral Ultimate are high-performance brands, which suit our DTM project perfectly.”

All of BMW’s DTM drivers for this season have now been confirmed, and the squad comprises Augusto Farfus (Brazil), Joey Hand (United States), Andy Priaulx (Great Britain), Bruno Spengler (Canada), Dirk Werner (Germany) and reigning DTM champion Martin Tomczyk (Germany).

An announcement on how they will be allocated to the three outfits that’ll be running the M3 DTM race cars (BMW Team RBM, BMW Team RMG and BMW Team Schnitzer) is expected soon.

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Five-door Škoda Citigo

Just a week after Volkswagen announced its five-door Up!, Škoda has done likewise and revealed a five-door version of the closely-related Citigo.

Compared to the three-door, the overall dimensions are unchanged, as is the engine line-up. That means buyers will be offered a 1.0 litre, three-cylinder petrol motor that’s available with either 59 bhp (44 kW / 60 PS) or 73 bhp (55 kW / 75 PS).

Although Citigo sales have already begun in the Czech Republic, other European markets aren’t due to get the car until mid-May.

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Honda RC213V unveiled

Repsol Honda’s challenger for the 2012 MotoGP season, the RC213V, has been revealed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The new bike, which has a 1,000 cc engine in line with the increased capacity limit being introduced this year, will be ridden by Dani Pedrosa and reigning champion Casey Stoner.

Stoner is being realistic about the team’s prospects, an understandable stance given that such a significant change to the technical regulations could potentially rewrite the formbook.

Speaking at the unveiling, the Australian said: “After such a strong season in 2011, we remain focused and don’t expect to be in top form immediately. I am sure Honda have done a fantastic job with the new 1,000 cc machine over the winter break and I’m really looking forward to getting back on the bike and seeing what we can do, hoping to start strong again.

“We know there will be a lot of serious competition out there, Ducati have been putting a lot of effort in as have Yamaha so it will be interesting to get out on track and see what everyone’s got. However, it’s early days and I think we’ll have to wait until the race in Qatar before we really know our competitors’ true pace and the package they have for 2012, but we’re ready for it.”

Shuhei Nakamoto, HRC Executive Vice President, added: “The RC213V is an evolution of the last version of the RC212V based on the same concept.

“The machines we have brought here to Sepang are basically the same machines we tested in Valencia back in November with only a few differences. In fact, Casey and Dani will have one machine the same as Valencia, and the other one with a slightly different chassis, based on their own requests.”

As the launch event was the first time that HRC had returned to Malaysia since Marco Simoncelli’s fatal accident in October, the team took the opportunity to visit the Sepang circuit to lay a wreath and hold a minute’s silence in honour of the Italian rider.

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2012 Punto prices revealed

The 2009 metamorphosis of the Fiat Grande Punto into the Punto Evo has to be one of the nastiest facelifts seen in recent years.

Out went the neat Maserati-inspired front end, replaced by an incongruous chrome bar and ugly thick black bumpers.

But now, just two years later, Fiat has wisely decided to repair the damage. For 2012, the styling has been successfully tidied up and the ‘Evo’ suffix has been dropped.

Buyers will be able to choose from Pop, Easy or Lounge trim levels, plus the special edition GBT, while the engine line-up comprises six engines (with the two-cylinder TwinAir arriving in April).

UK on the road prices for the 2012 Fiat Punto range from £9,990 to £15,600.

2012 Fiat Punto - UK OTR Prices
3-Door Petrol
1.2 8V 69 Pop	£9,990
1.4 8V 77 Easy	£11,300
1.4 8V Dualogic Easy	£11,800
1.4 8V 77 GBT	£11,800
1.4 8V 77 Lounge	£12,900
1.4 MultiAir 16V 105 Lounge	£13,900
1.4 MultiAir Turbo 135 Lounge	£15,200
3-Door Diesel
1.3 MultiJet 75 Pop	£11,900
1.3 MultiJet 85 Easy	£13,400
1.3 MultiJet 85 GBT	£13,900
1.3 MultiJet 85 Lounge	£15,000
5-Door Petrol
1.2 8V 69 Pop	£10,500
1.4 8V 77 Easy	£11,900
1.4 8V Dualogic Easy	£12,400
1.4 8V 77 GBT	£12,400
1.4 8V 77 Lounge	£13,500
1.4 MultiAir 16V 105 Lounge	£14,500
5-Door Diesel
1.3 MultiJet 75 Pop	£12,500
1.3 MultiJet 85 Easy	£14,000
1.3 MultiJet 85 GBT	£14,500
1.3 MultiJet 85 Lounge	£15,600

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Bike of the Year 2011-2012

The results of the International Bike of the Year 2011-2012 award followed a similar pattern to last year’s verdict: a BMW won, beating a Ducati into second place.

This time around it was the turn of the K 1600 GT to take top spot, with the jurors (representing 25 motorcycle publications from around the globe) being particularly impressed by its six-cylinder engine, handling and technology.

International Bike of the Year 2011-2012: The BMW K 1600 GT.

Furthermore, the GTL version - which is essentially the same bike apart from some extra equipment - earned enough votes on its own to secure fourth spot, while the out-going title holder, the BMW S 1000 RR, was joint fifth.

International Bike of the Year 2011-2012
Position	Motorcycle	Points
1	BMW K 1600 GT	41
2	Ducati Diavel	32
3	Aprilia Tuono V4 R APRC	22
4	BMW K 1600 GTL	18
5=	BMW S 1000 RR	16
5=	Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R	16

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MG returns to the BTCC

Nine years have passed since a works MG team last entered the British Touring Car Championship, but now the marque has announced its return to the series.

Of course, MG has been through an awful lot since 2003, going into administration before eventually ending up being owned by the Chinese SAIC Group.

Production has even restarted at the Longbridge plant, albeit from kits imported from China. But the model involved - the MG6 - lacks two important things: firstly, a diesel engine; secondly, customer awareness that MG still exists.

While the new BTCC team isn’t going to solve the former, it’s an excellent way of addressing the latter.

And, on paper at least, it looks to be a strong effort. The outfit, to be known as MG KX Momentum Racing, will be run by Triple Eight Race Engineering, a company that has won numerous BTCC drivers’ and teams’ titles in the past.

Equally impressive is the driver line-up for the pair of MG6 GT race cars. Leading the team is two-time champion Jason Plato, who has spent the last three seasons at Chevrolet, and he’s joined by ex-Ford Focus driver Andy Neate.

The opening round of the 2012 British Touring Car Championship is at Brands Hatch on the 1st of April.

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Toyota TS030 Hybrid

Following the emergence of a couple of leaked images last week, Toyota Racing has officially unveiled its all-new TS030 Hybrid race car.

It couples a 3.4 litre, normally-aspirated, V8 petrol engine with THS-R (Toyota Hybrid System - Racing) that powers an electric motor. The benefit of such a configuration is that energy can be recovered under braking and then released to help acceleration out of corners, thereby reducing both lap times and fuel consumption. As the regulations dictate that only two wheels can be driven by the hybrid components, part of the test programme will evaluate whether the motor should be front- or rear-mounted.

Run by Toyota Motorsport from its base in Cologne, the team will be competing in the LMP1 class of the inaugural FIA World Endurance Championship.

A debut appearance is scheduled for the second round of the series, which is the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in May. Just one car will be entered in that event, with a confirmed driver line-up of Alex Wurz, Nicolas Lapierre and Kazuki Nakajima.

The following month sees the main race of the championship, the Le Mans 24 Hours. Toyota Racing will be competing with two TS030 Hybrids in the French classic, although the drivers for the second car have yet to be announced.

Given that it’s a new set-up and a new car, Yoshiaki Kinoshita, Toyota Racing Team President, is being suitably pragmatic about what can be achieved this season. He commented: “Of course we would love to win Le Mans; that is the dream for all competitors in this race. But we are realistic and we know we need to develop and to learn in order to compete with some very strong competition.

“Our target this year is to show the performance level of our car and particularly the THS-R powertrain. Hybrid is a core technology of Toyota so it is important to demonstrate this in a motorsport arena and we want to prove it can bring a performance advantage, both in terms of lap time and fuel efficiency.

“Everyone involved in designing, developing and preparing the car - both at TMG and at Motor Sport Division in Japan - has worked incredibly hard to reach this point and we are all very excited to be back on the race track again.”

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XT1200Z Worldcrosser

Having appeared at various bike shows in concept form, the Yamaha XT1200Z Worldcrosser has now been confirmed for production.

Based on the existing Super Ténéré, the Worldcrosser version gets extra protection in the form of a drive-shaft shield, skid plate and rear brake protector, all of which are made from black anodised aluminium.

To help offset the weight of the new components, the fork protectors, frame guards and side panels are carbon fibre, while options for the graphics comprise either a black speedblock motif with yellow-gold accents or a red speedblock with red accents.

The UK retail price (which excludes road fund licence or first registration fee) for the Worldcrosser is £12,999. That’s a hefty £1,000 more than the regular Super Ténéré.

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New 2013 Victory Judge

The new 2013 Judge from Victory Motorcycles is part cruiser and part muscle bike, and potentially it could be an interesting alternative to models such as the Harley-Davidson V-Rod.

With blacked-out components, five-spoke cast wheels, drag handlebars and a redesigned headlight nacelle, the overall look works pretty well. Colour choice comprises Gloss Black, Sunset Red and Suede Nuclear Sunset (or orange, in other words).

Power comes from Victory’s 106 cubic inch (1,731 cc) Freedom V-twin that develops a healthy 153 Nm (113 lb/ft of torque). It has a lot of bulk to lug about though, as the Judge’s dry weight is 300 kg (660 lbs).

Prices in the United States start at $13,999, and sales are due to begin in April.

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Five-door Volkswagen Up!

Volkswagen has revealed the five-door version of its Up! city car.

In Germany, the order books open on the 6th of March, ahead of the first deliveries in May. The rest of Europe has to wait a little longer though, as sales in other markets aren’t due to start until early in the summer.

While the engine line-up, equipment levels and overall dimensions are all identical to the three-door range, the premium for the extra doors is €475. That means the five-door will be available from €10,325.

UK prices have yet to be confirmed but, as the entry-level three-door Start Up! is £7,995, it’d be reasonable to expect the five-door range to cost from around £8,400.

With Volkswagen anticipating that the more practical version will account for over half of Up! sales, it shouldn’t be too long before five-door versions of the closely-related Škoda Citigo and Seat Mii appear.

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More Mini special editions

The new Bayswater and Baker Street continue the trend for London-themed Mini special editions. On sale from the beginning of March, both are based on the Mini Hatch and will available in 100 markets worldwide.

Unique Kite Blue paintwork identifies the Bayswater, which is complemented by black high-gloss 17” Sandblast wheels, blue and grey stripes and the obligatory badges.

It comes in Cooper, Cooper D, Cooper S and Cooper SD guises, and the interior features the Chili Pack and Chrome Line as standard. Other touches include anthracite Punch Leather upholstery, Piano Black trim and special floor mats.

Mini Bayswater - UK OTR Prices
Model	Price
Cooper Bayswater	£18,565
Cooper Bayswater Auto	£19,780
Cooper D Bayswater	£19,845
Cooper D Bayswater Auto	£21,045
Cooper S Bayswater	£21,420
Cooper S Bayswater Auto	£22,580
Cooper SD Bayswater	£22,115
Cooper SD Bayswater Auto	£23,375

Alternatively, the Baker Street is available in One, One D, Cooper and Cooper D versions. Its bodywork is finished in Rooftop Grey metallic paint with black bonnet stripes and - for the Cooper and Cooper D at least - a black roof.

High-gloss 16” ‘6-Star’ alloys, badges and black mirror caps complete the exterior look, while the interior gets the Pepper Pack and a distinctive diamond-pattern design for the cloth and leather seats.

Mini Baker Street - UK OTR Prices
Model	Price
One Baker Street	£16,365
One Baker Street Auto	£17,580
One D Baker Street	£17,445
Cooper Baker Street	£17,465
Cooper Baker Street Auto	£18,680
Cooper D Baker Street	£18,745
Cooper D Baker Street Auto	£19,945

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2012 Toyota hybrid LMP1

24 January 2012 update:
Toyota TS030 Hybrid

The day after Peugeot announced its withdrawal from the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship, the first (grainy) images of Toyota’s hybrid LMP1 racer have emerged.

A timing coincidence maybe, or did the Japanese manufacturer sense a good PR opportunity to remind us that it’ll soon be returning to top-flight sportscar competition?

As revealed last October, the Cologne-based Toyota Motorsport team will be contesting selected rounds of the inaugural World Endurance Championship this season, including an entry to the Le Mans 24 Hours race for the first time since 1999.

Virtually nothing is known about the car - it doesn’t even have an official name yet - except that a petrol-hybrid powertrain will feature.

With Peugeot out of the way, Toyota’s task might have been made a little easier. However, it’ll still have to beat Audi, which has dominated Le Mans with ten wins over the past twelve years.

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Octavia Green E Line trials

Škoda looks set to join the growing number of manufacturers offering an electric-powered model. Development of its Octavia Combi Green E Line continues apace, with the latest phase seeing a fleet of ten cars being put to everyday use to help gauge suitability for series production.

Power comes from a 180-cell lithium-ion battery pack which is housed beneath the cabin floor and within the boot. Rated at 26.5 kWh, it’s connected to an electric motor that produces 80 bhp (60 kW / 81 PS), although this can be boosted to 113 bhp (85 kW / 115 PS) in sixty-second bursts.

With 270 Nm of torque available, acceleration from rest to 62 mph (100 km/h) takes a respectable twelve seconds, and the electric Octavia will reach a top speed of 83 mph (135 km/h).

Claimed range is 93 miles (150 km), which is a little less than potential rivals such as the Nissan Leaf (109 miles / 175 km) or the Renault Fluence Z.E. (99 miles / 160 km).

A recharge time of 8 hours using a 230V supply is par for the course, although that can be slashed to just two hours using a three-phase socket and 400V.

The Octavia Green E Line isn’t a solo effort by the Czech firm, though.

Indeed, the collaborative nature of the project was emphasised by Dr. Eckhard Scholz, board member in charge of research and development: “Škoda and the entire Volkswagen Group have a long-time aim, and that is sustainable mobility based on renewable energy sources.

“There is no doubt electric propulsion is becoming more and more important for mobility with as low emissions as possible. Working as we are with our Group partners, we think we are making very good progress.”

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Plug-in Van Grant coming

Following the introduction of the Plug-in Car Grant at the end of 2010, the UK Department for Transport has announced a similar allowance for vans.

The Plug-in Van Grant will cover 20% of the cost of an eligible vehicle, up to a maximum of £8,000. It’ll be available to both individuals and businesses in the form of a discount at the point of purchase, meaning customers won’t have to make any retrospective claims.

A list of vans that are entitled to the grant doesn’t exist yet, as manufacturers are going to have to formally apply to the DfT if they want their models included in the scheme. That process has only just begun, and the deadline for the first lot of submissions is the end of January.

To be eligible, a strict set of criteria will have to be met covering performance, emissions, safety and powertrain:

• Vehicles must be new fully electric or plug-in hybrid vans, including pre-registration conversions.
• Gross vehicle weight cannot exceed 3.5 tonnes.
• Plug-in hybrid vans have to have a minimum electric-only range of 10 miles (16 km).
• Fully electric vans must be able to travel at least 60 miles (97 km) between recharges.
• Vehicles are required to have a top speed of at least 50 mph (80 km/h).
• Carbon dioxide emissions cannot exceed 75 g/km.
• Vans must comply with UN-ECE Regulation 100.00 to show that they are electrically safe.
• To demonstrate adequate crash safety, vans have to have either EC whole vehicle type approval or comply with other internationally-recognised safety standards.
• A three-year / 60,000 miles (96,560 km) vehicle warranty is mandatory.
• The battery and electric drivetrain warranty must cover at least three years with the option for customers to extend the battery warranty for an extra two years.

Potential recipients of the Plug-in Van Grant:

The Ford Transit Connect Electric...

...and the Renault Kangoo Maxi Z.E.

Commenting on the new scheme, Under Secretary of State for Transport Norman Baker said:

“Electric vehicles are the arrowhead for a low carbon revolution in motoring and as more models come to market we’ll begin to see sales gather pace.

“Car buyers have had a year to take advantage of our grant and now it’s time for van buyers to get their chance to go electric. This is great news for businesses given the lower running costs of these vehicles - fleet buyers tell us that this is one of the most important factor influencing their decision on what to buy.

“It is radical initiatives like these which will allow us to create a transport system that both cuts carbon and is an engine for economic growth.”

Arguably the Plug-in Car Grant has not been a huge success, as only 1,052 eligible vehicles were registered during 2011. Whether van users will be more convinced by the incentive to switch to electric power remains to be seen.

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Yaris Hybrid for Geneva

Toyota has confirmed that a petrol-hybrid version of its Yaris supermini will be making its public debut at March’s Geneva Motor Show.

Combining a new 1.5 litre engine with a downsized Hybrid Synergy Drive system, the car’s drivetrain will deliver an output of 98 bhp (74 kW / 100 PS). No performance, range or efficiency figures have been released, but Toyota is claiming that the Yaris Hybrid will offer best-in-class CO2 emissions.

Importantly for what is a comparatively small bodyshell, all of the HSD components have been squeezed in without stealing any passenger space or reducing the luggage capacity.

Distinguishing the Yaris Hybrid from other less green variants is a redesigned front end that features unique treatments for the grille, lights and lower air intake.

No word on pricing yet, but European sales are due to begin sometime in 2012.

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Tata eMO EV in Detroit

Engineering services firm Tata Technologies has been displaying its Electric Mobility Electric Vehicle (or eMO EV for short) at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The project was a participant in the 2012 Michelin Challenge Design programme, which had the theme ‘City 2046: Art, Life and Ingenuity - Transforming Personal Mobility.’

Entrants were asked to develop a vehicle that could carry between two and ten people, giving consideration to what transport infrastructure and needs might be like in the future.

Tata’s solution has been designed to maximise internal space while keeping the exterior dimensions as small as possible. The eMO EV concept - which was engineered with input from teams in India, the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States - is a full four-seat car, although there’s no dedicated luggage compartment.

Drive to the front wheels is via a pair of electric motors that are fed by an 18.4 kW air-cooled, high density / high energy battery pack. Estimated range between recharges is 100 miles (161 km), and the eMO EV is capable of reaching a top speed of 65 mph (105 km/h). Not exactly quick then, but more than enough for congested city centres.

For the time being at least, the eMO EV will remain just a concept as there are no plans to put it into mass production.

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