Autoesque is go...

The event that literally nobody has been anticipating.
Nevertheless, hopefully there'll be posts on a fairly regular basis.

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Electric BMW 1 Series

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Following 2009’s Mini E, BMW has announced its second all-electric car. Based on the 1 Series Coupé, the BMW ActiveE is powered by an electric motor that produces 165 bhp (123 kW / 168 PS) and maximum torque of 250 Nm (184 lb/ft). That’s sufficient to get the ActiveE from rest to 62 mph (100 km/h) in nine seconds - surprisingly sluggish for an electric car, given the instant torque that’s usually available. Top speed is limited to 90 mph (144 km/h), undoubtedly in the interests of preserving battery charge. Whereas the Mini E lost its rear seats and a big chunk of boot space to its battery pack, the ActiveE retains the same four-seat accommodation as a ‘normal’ 1 Series Coupé. Luggage capacity shrinks from 370 to 200 litres though, thanks to a rear-mounted electric motor and control unit. The liquid cooled lithium-ion batteries meanwhile take the spaces previously occupied by the fuel tank, transmission and engine. BMW has said that the ActiveE will have a range of 100 miles (1...
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New Suzuki Swift Sport

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Suzuki has previewed the new Swift Sport, ahead of a debut at next month’s Frankfurt International Motor Show. Like its popular predecessor, it uses a 1.6 litre engine although - according to Suzuki’s provisional data - output is up slightly to 134 bhp (100 kW / 135 PS) with 160 Nm (118 lb/ft) of torque. In terms of power, that’s enough to put the Swift on a par with rivals such as the Alfa Romeo Mito 1.4 MultiAir Distinctive and Ford Fiesta S1600, while it surpasses models such as the Mini Cooper and Peugeot 207 1.6 VTi Allure. Any direct comparisons against the competition will have to wait though, as no performance, economy or emissions figures have been released. All that Suzuki is saying for now is an improvement in fuel consumption is promised, thanks partly to a new six-speed gearbox. There are very few details about equipment levels either, apart from confirmation that the Swift Sport will come with an electronic stability program, seven airbags and a unique rear suspe...
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2012 Triumph Street Triple

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Updated versions of the Triumph Street Triple and Street Triple R are on their way. Changes to the middleweight streetfighter are purely cosmetic, with the most obvious being the new headlights. Aping those already seen on the larger Speed Triple , the move away from circular units is bound to divide opinion. To go with the new lighting are new handlebar clamps and revised instruments, while various components are now finished in brushed steel to add to a de-chromed look. Both versions will feature aluminium handlebars, which previously were only standard on the R spec bike. Mechanically things remain unaltered, which means the same 675 cc three-cylinder engine as before producing 105 bhp (78 kW / 106PS) and 68 Nm (50 lb/ft) of torque. The standard model will be available in white, black or - for the more daring - purple, with a price tag in the UK of £6,649. Alternatively, the higher specification R is going to cost £7,349, and buyers will get a choice of white, black or r...
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Kawasaki W800 revealed

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19 January 2011 Update: For confirmed Kawasaki W800 pricing, please click here . Kawasaki has unveiled its retro W800 at the Cologne Intermot motorcycle show. There are a few differences between this production-ready version and first image of the W800 , which was released last month. The most obvious is that the limey-green paint has been ditched, replaced by a much more attractive dark green and silver metallic colour scheme. Other changes include the seat unit, which looks a bit plusher but loses its contrast piping around the edge. There are now knee pads on each side of the fuel tank, too, that sit just behind very large chrome ‘W’ emblems. No surprises in the engine department - it’s an air-cooled twin with a capacity of 773 cc, driving through a five-speed gearbox. Unfortunately Kawasaki hasn’t released any power or torque figures yet, but given that its W650 predecessor managed to get 49 bhp (37 kW / 50 PS) from its 675 cc, somewhere approaching 60 bhp (44 kW / 60...
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Toyota GT 86 finally here

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It has been a long wait, but the Toyota FT-86 sports car is finally here. The original name hasn’t survived though, and in Europe it’s now known as the GT 86. For North America it’ll be called the FR-S and marketed under the Scion brand. Developed in partnership with Subaru, the GT 86 is a 2+2 coupé that’s built on an all-new rear-wheel drive platform. Power comes from a typically Subaru 2.0 litre flat-four boxer engine, albeit fitted with Toyota’s D-4S fuel injection technology. Featuring twin injectors per cylinder and running a high compression ratio, it develops 197 bhp (147 kW / 200 PS) at 7,000 rpm and 205 Nm (151 lb/ft) of peak torque at 6,600 rpm. Those outputs might not sound like an awful lot, but then the GT 86 weighs just 1,180 kg. Buyers will have a choice of manual or automatic transmissions, both of which have six speeds. However, performance and efficiency figures have yet to be released. At only 4,240 mm (13’ 10”) long, the GT 86 is slightly shorter than th...
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