Autoesque

June marks fifty years since production of the Falcon began, and to celebrate Ford Australia has announced a range of anniversary models. Available across both saloon and Ute body styles, the six variants on offer are based on the G6E, G6E Turbo, Falcon XR6, Falcon XR6 Turbo, Falcon XR6 Ute and Falcon XR6 Turbo Ute. Conspicuous by its absence is an anniversary edition of the range-topping XR8, with its 389 bhp V8 engine. G Series 50th Anniversary models feature ‘Medium Stealth’ (whatever that means) accents on its front grilles and rear bumper insert, while the fog lamp bezels and 19” 10-spoke alloy wheels benefit from ‘Light Stealth’ accents. On the inside, there’s new leather seat upholstery with embroidered ‘50th Anniversary’ logos, a 50th Anniversary badge, carpet floor mats, special interior trim and a satellite navigation system. All Falcon XR 50th Anniversary models get ‘Dark Stealth’ accents on the grilles, fog lamp bezels and rear bumper insert, along with ‘Medium Stea...

The FIA has announced the event calendar for the 2011 World Rally Championship season: 13 Feb - Sweden 06 Mar - Mexico 27 Mar - Portugal 17 Apr - Jordan 08 May - Italy 29 May - Argentina 19 Jun - Greece 31 Jul - Finland 21 Aug - Germany 11 Sep - Australia 02 Oct - France 23 Oct - Spain 13 Nov - Great Britain Compared to 2010, the rounds in Turkey, New Zealand, Bulgaria and Japan have been dropped. Italy, Argentina, Greece and Australia replace them. Still missing from the calendar is Monaco, although the FIA is saying an as yet unnamed 14th event could be added later. The World Motor Sport Council will have to decide on that by 23 June 2010 at the latest.

When was the last time you saw a Renault Laguna Coupé? Probably a long time ago, if at all. The problem for the French firm is that most coupé buyers are image conscious, and so they must have a prestigious badge on their stylish car. Therefore, they invariably just follow the herd and head straight to their nearest BMW, Audi or Volkswagen dealer. Which is a shame, because the Laguna Coupé is a very good looking car. Nevertheless, Renault is fighting back with its Monaco GP limited edition. Available only in Pearlescent White metallic paint with a contrasting Pearl Black roof, the car comes equipped with black 18" Interlagos alloy wheels and matching folding door mirrors. Handily, there are front and rear parking sensors to help prevent that paintwork getting scraped or scratched. The inside features dark grey leather upholstery with Monaco GP logos, together with gloss white inserts for the dash, centre console and door panels. Bluetooth, a BOSE sound system, electric / h...

Italian design house Zagato has unveiled the Alfa Romeo TZ3 Corsa at the XII Villa D’Este Concours d’Elegance. A one-off, it was commissioned by collector Martin Kapp to celebrate the racing history of Alfa Romeo and Zagato. Built around a carbon fibre and space frame chassis with a body made from aluminium, the TZ3 Corsa weighs only 850 kg. Power comes from a 420 bhp 4.2 litre V8, which drives the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential gearbox. The car will do the 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint in under 3.5 seconds, while the quoted top speed is ‘over 300 km/h’ (185 mph). Although there can be no doubt that the TZ3 Corsa is a stunning design, is it better looking than Alfa Romeo’s own 8C Competizione?

At the Thruxton round of the British Touring Car Championship three weeks ago, the races were won by the independent entries of Fabrizio Giovanardi and Steven Kane. This weekend at Rockingham, it was the turn of the factory teams. Matt Neal, who received a reprimand from stewards following his ambitious overtaking attempt at the Thruxton chicane, managed to keep out of trouble and won races 1 and 3 in his Honda Racing Civic. Jason Plato secured victory in race 2, which was the first win in the BTCC for the Chevrolet Cruze . It was a close result though, with the WSR BMW 320si of Rob Collard that challenged Plato’s lead in the closing stages finishing less than half a second behind. Rockingham, however, was perhaps notable for its absences. Neither Giovanardi nor Philip Glew competed, both of the Triple Eight Vauxhall Vectra drivers sidelined by sponsorship issues at the team. There was still no sign of reigning champion Colin Turkington either, despite hopes he would be drivin...

First of all, Lancia had intended a return to the UK market in Summer 2008, spearheaded by the then new Delta. That plan was delayed for a year because the dealer network wasn’t ready, and the company recognised it also needed a second model for those dealers to sell. Then the brand’s re-launch was postponed indefinitely, a victim of the prevailing tough economic conditions. Now, following the presentation of Fiat Group Automobile’s 2010-2014 Business Plan , it seems almost certain that Lancia will never return to the UK. That’s because the Chrysler and Lancia ranges are to be fully integrated in Europe, a consequence of Fiat taking a 20% stake in Chrysler back in June 2009. It has also been decided that all of the unified range will be branded Lancia in continental Europe, while the Chrysler badge will be used for the UK and Ireland. As well as the Delta, the Lancia line-up currently consists of the Ypsilon supermini, Musa small MPV and Phedra MPV (part of the Citroen C8, Fia...

With its combination of cut-price Bentley Continental technology and elegantly discrete looks, perhaps the Volkswagen Phaeton should be attracting more buyers than it does? Things certainly didn’t go well in North America, where the car was withdrawn after only a few years on sale. European retails continue at a trickle, but China is now the biggest remaining market for the Phaeton. That no doubt influenced Volkswagen’s decision to reveal the 2011 facelift at the Beijing Auto Show. The changes are fairly mild, and have been concentrated around the front to bring the Phaeton’s look in line with the latest Polo, Golf and Sharan. So that means redesigned lights, a new grille and a revised bumper which even uses the now ubiquitous LEDs for the fog lights. Around the back, the only significant change is new light clusters. On the inside, the centre console has an 8” touchscreen which on some versions can now incorporate Google Maps into the satellite navigation. The other ‘enhancemen...

The revitalisation of MG slowly continues, with the firm unveiling its attractive Zero concept at the Beijing Automotive Show. Developed by MG Global Design at its UK base in Longbridge, the Zero is around four metres in length, making it roughly the same size as a Ford Fiesta or Volkswagen Polo. Although just a concept for now, it seems highly likely that a toned-down version will make it into production. A replacement is certainly needed for the aged MG 3SW (an MG-badged version of the ancient Rover 25 Streetwise) which is still offered in the Chinese market. No other technical details have been confirmed yet, and it’s unknown whether MG is planning to assemble the Zero at Longbridge or import it into Europe from China.

The 345 bhp Ford Focus RS500 and similarly-engineered Mountune Focus RS MP350 have been getting a lot of attention in recent weeks. But now the Fords might have serious competition in the form of the Volvo C30 Performance Concept Prototype, developed by Polestar Performance . The Swedish tuner has a history with Volvo. Not only does it offer performance upgrades for Volvo road cars, but it has also run Volvo’s factory entries in the Swedish Touring Car Championship for many years, winning the 2009 title with a C30. It’s not hard to directly compare the C30 PCP to the Focus RS500, especially as the Ford shares its platform and 2.5 litre engine with the Volvo. Thanks to a larger intercooler and modified pistons, conrods and inlet camshaft, Polestar has managed to give the C30 PCP 405 bhp and 510 Nm of torque. That’s considerably more than the RS500, but the C30 PCP is arguably better equipped to handle the extra power. Unlike the front-wheel drive Focus, it features a Haldex...

Another week, another manufacturer announces its electric car. This time it’s Renault’s turn with the unveiling of a finalised version of the Fluence Z.E. As per usual, the production model isn’t quite as dramatic as the original concept unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. In fact, the Fluence Z.E. is essentially a saloon derivative of the third generation Mégane, albeit with some styling tweaks around the front end to distinguish the electric version. Another noticeable difference is the extra length behind the rear seats, needed to accommodate the battery. It gives the Fluence Z.E. rather odd proportions, resulting in an arse-heavy look. Nevertheless, as Renault points out, this is the first proper electric saloon car in its class. As with the Leaf , to be built by Renault’s alliance partner Nissan, power comes from a lithium-ion battery. What’s interesting about the Fluence though is that as well as the ability to charge the battery via the household mains or at fast ...

The Mazda RX-8 has been forced out of production, killed off by the car’s inability to meet Euro 5 emissions regulations. Euro 5 further reduces the permitted amounts of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter in car and light commercial exhaust gasses. The stricter standards came into force across the European Union for newly-launched models in September 2009, and will apply to all cars on sale (regardless of their original introduction dates) from January 2011. The problem for the RX-8 was its rotary engine. Although powerful, generating 228 bhp in its final guise, it was awfully inefficient. For example, combined cycle fuel consumption was a fairly pathetic 24.6 mpg, while CO2 emissions were 299 g/km. By comparison, a BMW 330i Coupe with 272 bhp manages 38.9 mpg and 173 g/km. Mazda could have modified the RX-8 to be Euro 5 compliant, but the company soon realised the cost and effort involved didn’t make that option worthwhile. But this does...

PSA Peugeot Citroën is planning to invest €175 million in a new 3-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine. To be built at the Douvrin factory in northern France, which is jointly owned by PSA and Renault, production is scheduled to begin in 2013. Anticipated output is 320,000 units annually, although there’s no word yet on which vehicles will use the 1.2 litre engine. Given its capacity, Peugeot’s 107 /207 and Citroen’s C1 / C3 ranges would probably be prime candidates. A normally aspirated version of the new engine is already under development, and that will be manufactured at PSA’s Trémery plant in eastern France from early 2012. Does this mean there’s now the possibility of a future Mini (or even BMW) with 3-cylinder power? It seems unlikely for the time being, because the existing PSA - BMW development agreement only covers four-cylinder petrol engines.

Law enforcement officers across the Atlantic might be looking forward to driving the Ford Police Interceptor or Chevrolet Caprice PPV. In the UK, things are a little more prosaic. Chances are, cops here will get to drive around in an Astra, more than likely diesel-powered. But, to give them a bit of excitement, Vauxhall has now announced a police specification for the sixth generation Astra. During its development, the focus was on integrating the additional systems required for police duties. For example, a centre console will be available that houses switch panels for controlling communications and emergency lighting. Extra kit, such as mobile data terminals and video capture equipment, can also be incorporated into the car's interior without the need for custom trim installations. The work to modify an Astra to police specification is done by Vauxhall’s Special Vehicle Operations function at Millbrook, which receives cars directly from the Ellesmere Port factory.

The Ford Focus RS500 apparently sold out within hours. However, the good news for anyone who missed the opportunity to own a 345 bhp (350 PS) Focus RS is that they still can, courtesy of Mountune . The Essex-based tuner, part of Revolve Technologies, worked with Ford on the engine enhancements for the RS500. These comprised a larger air-to-air intercooler, a bigger air filter box, a wider diameter exhaust down pipe, an uprated fuel delivery module, and recalibrated engine software. Now all of those improvements are available as the just-announced Mountune MP350 upgrade package, which can be fitted to any new or used current-generation Focus RS. Parts fitted carry a minimum 12 months/12,000 mile warranty and, even better, the work won’t affect the manufacturer’s vehicle warranty. It will also be fully TUV-approved. The conversion will be available from May 2010 via Mountune directly, as well as seven selected UK RS Ford dealers. It’s expected that additional dealers across ma...

Audi already builds a rear-wheel drive version of the R8, the GT3. But, as the name suggests, it’s made solely for GT racing and therefore only available to race teams. All road-going editions of Audi’s flagship model, perhaps understandably, feature the company’s signature quattro all-wheel drive technology. But now German tuner MTM has announced its GT3-2. The clue to what differentiates it from a standard R8 is that final ‘2’. Yes, half the quattro system has been ditched in order to create the only street legal rear-wheel drive R8. However, MTM hasn’t stopped there. The 4.2 litre FSI V8 engine gets a supercharger, boosting power by 146 bhp to 560 bhp. Significantly, that’s more than the 518 bhp produced by Audi’s own R8 V10. That kind of power allows the GT3-2 to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.9 seconds, and achieve a top speed of 317 km/h (197 mph). Strangely enough, those figures are virtually identical to what the Audi R8 V10 and its close relative, the rea...

It may be just a few weeks since its launch, but the BMW Z4 GT3 is already being tested around the Nürburgring Nordschleife, as this YouTube video shows. Driven by Richard Göransson for the Schubert Motorsport Team, the in-car footage shows the circuit was rather wet for the car’s inaugural lap. Nevertheless, nothing managed to get by the Z4, and most other drivers sensibly headed for the edge of the track to let it pass.

An ordinary Camaro is never going to appeal to shy and retiring types, but for real extroverts Chevrolet has announced it’s going to produce the Camaro Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Limited Edition. As the name implies, this is a replica of the Camaro pace car that will be used at the 2010 Indy 500 on 30 May. Coming just after the Camaro was declared World Car Design of the Year , Chevrolet is saying ‘up to 200’ will be built, available exclusively through its 187 top performing dealers . The Limited Edition is based on the Camaro 2SS with RS appearance package, and will only be offered with an automatic gearbox. Unfortunately, that means it’ll get the 400 horsepower L99 version of the 6.2 litre V8, rather than the 426 hp LS3 that would have been fitted had manual transmission been specified instead. To make up for that slight power deficit, the car comes painted in lurid Inferno Orange with Pearl White stripes. Huge 2010 Indianapolis 500 decals feature on the doors and, in case a...

The recent history of the Dodge Viper SRT10 has been plagued by doubt. First of all, it seemed that Dodge was set to sell off the manufacturing assets for the car, only to eventually decide in summer 2009 that it would prefer to keep them. Next came confirmation in December 2009 that 2010 would be the final production year for the current generation Viper. There wasn’t any firm news about a replacement, though. Dodge did however promise various limited editions to celebrate the Viper’s run-out. First of these was the Viper ACR 1:33 Edition, named for the production class lap record that was set at the Laguna Seca circuit on 24 November 2009. Only 33 examples would be produced. Now Dodge has announced the Viper SRT10 Final Edition models, with production due to start this summer. Limited to a run of just 20 Coupes, 18 Roadsters and 12 ACRs, like the 1:33 any changes versus the standard car are purely cosmetic. On the outside, these include graphite paint and a black centre str...