Autoesque

The first Suzuki to bear the GSX-R name was the 750F, launched back in 1985. Twenty-five years later, Suzuki has created special editions based on the current GSX-R range to celebrate the anniversary. Earlier this year saw the arrival of the GSX-R600 and GSX-R750 Limited Editions. Both had blue and white paintwork inspired by earlier versions of the bikes, Yoshimura exhausts and commemorative plaques. Now it’s the turn of the GSX-R1000 to get the Limited Edition treatment. Like its smaller siblings, it gets engraved Yoshimura exhaust end cans and a numbered plaque, but it also features laser etched wheel rim graphics and a unique colour scheme. Perhaps confusing 25th and 50th anniversaries, Suzuki has gone for gold and white paint (surely silver would’ve been more appropriate?). Fair enough, except that the gold colour looks suspiciously like brown from the pictures. That probably won’t put off buyers of the twenty-five examples that’ll be available in the UK, out of a total w

London Mayor Boris Johnson has proposed changes to the Congestion Charge. Good news for drivers is that the Western Extension zone would be abolished, effective from 24 December 2010. Perhaps not so good is the cost of driving in the remaining Congestion Charge area, which is set to increase. Currently the daily fee is £8 if paid in advance or on the day, or £10 if paid the day after, but both these amounts would increase by £2 under the Mayor’s plans. To help those who make a habit of forgetting to pay the charge (and consequently earn themselves Penalty Charge Notices, i.e. fines), they’ll be able to register with a proposed new Congestion Charging Auto Pay scheme. Basically it does as the name implies - register a credit or debit card, and it’ll automatically be billed each time the Congestion Charge zone is entered. Under the system the daily charge is reduced to £9, but users will have to pay £10 annually to participate. A major change that’s being planned - and one which

The new Volkswagen Polo GTI, Skoda Fabia vRS and Seat Ibiza SC Cupra. All have a 176 bhp (180 PS / 132 kW) 1.4 litre petrol engine that’s both turbocharged and supercharged, all come with a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch gearbox, all will accelerate from 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in about seven seconds, all have a top speed of around 140 mph (225 km/h), and all are based on the same platform. So then, essentially the same cars. Except when it comes to price. Perhaps unsurprisingly the Skoda is the cheapest, with a UK on the road price of £15,700 for the five-door hatch or £16,495 for the estate. Next up is the Seat, available only as a three-door at £16,545. Then comes the Volkswagen, which costs £18,275 for the three-door or £18,875 for the five-door. Now, the Fabia may only have manual air conditioning, as opposed to the climate control that’s fitted as standard to the Ibiza and Polo, and its rear windows must be manually wound up and down. But otherwise all three cars have pretty m

It has been a while since the Cosworth name was last seen on a road car but now it’s back, albeit on a Subaru rather than a Ford. The STi CS400 is designed to be the ultimate Impreza and, at a fiver under £50,000, it’ll need to be. Unsurprisingly, the 2.5-litre boxer engine has been the focus of Cosworth’s attention. It receives a modified turbo and remapped ECU, as well as reworked internal components. As a result, the STi CS400 has 395bhp (400PS / 295kW), and 540Nm of torque. Those are significant improvements over the Impreza STi Type UK which, with the 330R pack (currently being offered to UK buyers as a free upgrade until the end of June), produces 325bhp (330PS / 243kW) and 470Nm. Almost a second is knocked off the 330R’s 0-62mph (100km/h) time, with the STi CS400 achieving the benchmark sprint in just 3.7 seconds. That’s up there with supercars like the Porsche 911 GT2 RS (3.5 seconds) and Audi R8 GT (3.6 seconds), and it makes the Ford Focus RS500 (5.6 seconds) look dis

After a brief absence, the SV650S is returning to Suzuki GB’s line-up. Priced at £4,999 on the road, it seems rather a bargain - so much so that maybe Suzuki has shot itself in the foot. That’s because spending an extra £725 on an SV650 Sport, which is the same bike except for its pillion seat cover and fairing lowers, just got much harder to justify. The S even manages to be cheaper than the similarly-engined naked Gladius, which costs £5,274 OTR. Of course list price and actual price are two very different things. For example, there’s currently a Scottish dealer offering the Sport at £4,595, but that could be an indication that Suzuki dealers are very willing to haggle right now. The all-rounder middleweight / ‘first big bike’ market is very crowded, with well-established models such as the Kawasaki ER-6f, Yamaha XJ6 and Honda CBF600, as well as less obvious choices such as the Ducati Monster 696 or Aprilia Shiver 750. Nevertheless, the SV650S should be able to poach sales fro

Considering getting a BMW M3? Well, there’s now an alternative: the B3 S Bi-Turbo from Alpina . Unlike the M3, with its normally aspirated 4.0 litre V8 producing 414 bhp (309 kW / 420 PS), the Alpina uses a modified six cylinder turbo engine. Although the B3 S Bi-Turbo has slightly less power (394 bhp / 294 kW / 400 PS), its maximum 540 Nm of torque eclipses the 400 Nm of the M3. Consequently the Alpina, which is only available with a six-speed automatic gearbox, is able to accelerate from 0-62 mph (100km/h) in 4.7 seconds. That’s pretty much the same as the 4.8 seconds a manual M3 takes, though the M3’s time falls by 0.2 seconds if the M Double Clutch Transmission - a £2,590 option - is specified. Unless they’re frequent users of limit-free (and traffic-free) autobahns, top speed will be largely irrelevant to most prospective buyers. Nevertheless, it appears Alpina has dumped the electronic speed limiter, because the B3 S Bi-Turbo will go on to 186 mph (300 km/h), whereas the

Triumph has announced a more powerful, more practical version of the Sprint ST sports tourer. Called Sprint GT, its 1050 cc triple-cylinder engine boasts 130 bhp, 5 bhp up on the ST. However, what really defines the new bike’s character is the maximum 108 Nm of torque, produced at 6300 rpm. That’s 1200 rpm lower down the rev range compared to the ST, which should help make the GT better suited to all-day riding. In line with its touring role, the GT features 31 litre panniers and anti-lock brakes as standard. There’s also an optional top box, which will take two full-face helmets and incorporates a 12 volt power supply for recharging gadgets such as mobile phones. Any serious touring bike needs a decent range, and Triumph reckons that the enlarged 20 litre fuel tank will allow 200 miles (320 km) between refuelling stops. Although the aluminium beam frame is carried over from the ST, the rest of the chassis is unique to the GT. For example, the 43 mm front forks have revised int

Electric scooters are nothing new, and on the face of it they’re an environmentally friendly way of getting around. But they’re not much use if you live in an upper storey apartment and don’t fancy dangling extension cables out of the window to recharge it, or the commute to and from work is just that bit further than the battery’s range. There’s now a solution for UK buyers: The Econogo Yogo . Its makers claim it’s the first production scooter to feature a removable lithium battery, which means users can simply lift it out and take it indoors to recharge. In standard specification, the Yogo manages 30 mph, although the slightly more powerful ‘S’ version will reach 40 mph. Both have a range of 22 miles, with recharging taking just one hour. That range can easily be doubled, because the Yogo has space on board for a second battery - the rider just needs to remember to flick a switch to transfer between batteries when one is getting low on charge. Arguably, the environmental benef

The production green light has been given for the BMW M3 GTS. A quicker, lighter, more expensive development of the M3 Coupe, the GTS is in essence a road-legal track car. Power is up by 30 bhp compared to the standard car, thanks to an increase in engine capacity from 4 litres to 4.4 litres. Coupled to a specially calibrated seven-speed M Dual Clutch Transmission gearbox, and with a bespoke exhaust system, the improved V8 gets the GTS from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.4 seconds. That sounds impressive, but it’s not much quicker than a normal M3 Coupe. That car will do the same sprint in 4.8 seconds, or 4.6 seconds when fitted with DCT. Any increase in top speed is harder to quantify because the M3 Coupe is electronically limited to 155 mph (250 km/h), whereas the unrestricted GTS is allowed to go on to 189 mph (305 km/h). As always though, those raw performance figures don’t tell the whole story. The point of the GTS is to be quick on both the road and circuit, and that means it ne

Porsche has unveiled the most powerful road car in its history: the 911 GT2 RS. With a twin-turbo 3.6 litre flat six-cylinder engine producing 620 hp - 90 hp more than the old GT2 - it will accelerate from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in just 3.5 seconds, while 200 km/h (124 mph) is reached in under ten seconds. Top speed is 330 km/h (205 mph). Those performance figures are helped by a weight reduction of 70 kg for the RS versus the standard GT2. In pursuit of lightness, various components such as the bonnet, front and rear spoiler lips and bucket seats are now made of carbon fibre. To handle the additional power the springs, PASM (Porsche Adaptive Suspension Management), anti-roll bars and PSM (Porsche Stability Management) have been specially set-up for the RS. Stopping is taken care of by composite ceramic brakes. And all those driver aids should be very useful, because the GT2 RS is rear-wheel drive only. Nevertheless, for those with the talent to tame it, it is an exceptionally q

American tuner SpeedFactory already builds a 600 hp Dodge Challenger, the extra power coming courtesy of a Vortech V3 supercharger. But now it is also offering an alternative route to achieving that kind of output: the SF600R. The big difference is that its Hemi engine remains normally aspirated, but is bored and stroked to increase capacity from the stock 6.1 litres up to 7 litres. The cylinder heads are also reworked, and feature new valves and springs. Together with other modifications, including a high-volume air intake and Corsa stainless steel exhaust, SpeedFactory claims the engine produces a dyno-proven 595-605 hp. Transmission choices are a five-speed automatic or six-speed manual. To help control that increased power the suspension and anti-roll bars have been upgraded, and the SF600R runs on 20” BBS Black Edition CH-R wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tyres. Also part of the specification is the SpeedFactory Signature package, which features a serial numbered pl

In September 1980, BMW Motorrad presented an innovative 800cc all-terrain bike to the press. Called the R 80 G/S, it arguably established the now-popular adventure motorcycle class. Thirty years later, BMW is celebrating the anniversary by launching limited edition ‘30 years GS’ versions of the F 650 GS, F 800 GS, R 1200 GS and R 1200 GS Adventure. Changes from the standard models are mainly cosmetic, the most obvious being the white paint and decals that recall the R 80 G/S bikes which competed in numerous Paris-Dakar rallies. Other features include: F 650 GS ‘30 Years GS’ : Magnesium-coloured cast wheels, hand protectors, engine protector, tinted / higher windshield, white direction indicators and red seat with ‘GS’ stamp at the front. F 800 GS ‘30 Years GS’ : Hand protectors, aluminium sump guard, tinted windshield, white direction indicators and red seat with ‘GS’ stamp. R 1200 GS ‘30 Years GS’ : Cross-spoke wheels with black hubs, hand protectors, tinted windshield and re

Exciting, thrilling and breathtaking. All words that couldn’t really be used to describe this weekend’s Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix. Once again the Circuit de Catalunya served up a rather processional race, which Mark Webber effectively lead from start to finish in his Red Bull. For some reason F1 cars find it almost impossible to overtake at the track, with the main opportunity being the entry into turn one after the long start/finish straight. However, sometimes even that doesn’t work, as Jenson Button demonstrated in his numerous failed attempts to pass the Mercedes of an on-form Michael Schumacher. The main on-track interest came in the closing laps, when Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren suffered a puncture on its left front tyre, and Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull experienced brake issues. Hamilton had to retire from second place when his car ended up in the barrier, while Vettel managed to limp the Red Bull home to third. The beneficiary was Fernando Alonso in his Ferrari, who ended up

Things went a bit wrong when Volvo decided to show off its collision avoidance system on the new S60. Unfortunately, as this YouTube video shows, the car just smacked straight into the back of a stationary truck, instead of automatically stopping in time like it was supposed to. The large crowd watching just made an already embarrassing situation worse. Volvo claims the accident was caused by a fault with the car’s battery and, had a person been driving, they’d have realised something was wrong and done something about it. That might be the case, but then what’s the point of having the system in the first place?

An advertisement for Renault electric vehicles has been banned by the UK Advertising Standards Authority . The ad asserted that ‘…the well-to-wheel efficiency of a Renault Fluence Z.E. will help reduce CO2 emissions by at least 90% compared to a current Diesel model*…’, with the small print at the bottom stating ‘…*Comparison between a Renault Fluence Z.E. (basis: French average electric mix) and a model from an identical category: Renault Megane Hatch 1.5 dCi (85HP) emitting 133g CO2 well-to wheel’. There was only one complaint made about that claim, but it turned out to be a valid one: the advertisement was misleading because the 90% CO2 reduction figure had been based on France’s electricity generation mix, which is very different to that in the UK. Indeed, the energy policies of the two countries are poles apart. France uses nuclear power to generate almost 80% of its electricity, whereas in the UK it is only around 20%. Three quarters of the electricity used here comes fro

The Audi R8 family continues to grow. First of all there was the V8- powered car, which was soon joined by the R8 V10 and Spyder. And now there’s the R8 GT. Based on the V10, but more powerful and lighter, the GT is aimed directly at the likes of the Porsche 911 GT3 RS and Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera. The 5.2 litre engine has been up-rated to 553 bhp (412 kW / 560 PS), while a strict diet has dropped the weight by around 100 kg. As a result, the R8 GT accelerates from zero to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.6 seconds and reaches a top speed of 320 km/h (199 mph). That’s actually not much of an improvement on the standard V10, which does 0-100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and goes onto 196 mph. But it would have been embarrassing had the R8 ended up outpacing its very close cousin, the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera, which takes 3.4 seconds to do the 0-100 km/h sprint and tops out at 202 mph. Changes to the chassis should mean the R8 GT is able to use its enhanced power to bes

Tom Chilton, driving his Team Aon Ford Focus ST, won the first race of a rain-lashed British Touring Car Championship round at Brands Hatch this weekend. Amazingly, the last time a Ford was victorious in a BTCC race was ten years ago. That was during the 2000 season, which saw the top three championship positions ultimately taken by Alain Menu, Anthony Reid and Rickard Rydell in their Ford Mondeos. But the lean spell since wasn’t because the cars were uncompetitive, they just didn’t compete: between 2001 and 2008, there weren’t any Ford entries at all on the BTCC grid. Chilton should have made it two wins in succession but, despite being first across the line in the second race as well, he was later disqualified due to a ride height infringement. His demotion handed the win to team-mate Tom Onslow-Cole. It will be interesting to see if the pace of the LPG-powered Focus is a sign of things to come, or whether the car was simply suited to the circuit and conditions. The other tea

Alfa Romeo has revealed what it’ll be charging for its new Giulietta in the UK. Priced from £16,995 to £24,495, the range includes three petrol engines and two diesels across four trim levels. The petrol engines on offer are the 120 bhp 1.4 TB, the 170 bhp 1.4 TB with Alfa’s innovative MultiAir electro-hydraulic valve control, and the 235 bhp 1750 TBi which will be available exclusively in Cloverleaf specification. For diesel fans, the choice is between the 1.6 JTDM-2 and 2.0 JTDM-2, which produce 105 bhp and 170 bhp respectively. All models, with the exception of the 1750 TBi, include as standard a Start/Stop system for improved economy and reduced emissions. Buyers will be able to choose from Turismo, Lusso, Veloce and Cloverleaf trim levels. All get air conditioning, electric front and rear windows, VDC stability control, LED front and rear lights, electronic Q2 differential, six airbags and DNA technology, which allows the driver to select suspension, steering and drive set