Autoesque

Details of the 2011 Mini range have been announced. Visually, the changes aren’t that radical, the main alterations being revised bumpers, LED lights at the rear, five new colours and five new alloy wheel designs. On the inside the centre console, steering wheel and air conditioning and audio controls have all been modified to improve the quality feel and work better ergonomically. Other changes include new upholstery and fascia trim choices. DAB radio is now standard on all models across the range, except for the entry-level Mini First. The big news though is under the bonnet. Following the introduction of new petrol engines back in March, it’s now the turn of the diesels. Available as either a Cooper D with 110 bhp (82 kW / 112 PS) or One D with 88 bhp (66 kW / 90 PS), the new diesel engines feature light weight aluminium construction, common rail direct injection and turbochargers with variable turbine geometry. Amazingly, both the Cooper D Hatch and One D Hatch both achieve ...

Is it time to ditch Valencia from the Formula 1 calendar? The only interesting incidents during this weekend’s race were Mark Webber’s frightening crash (which thankfully he emerged unscathed from), Lewis Hamilton’s passing of the Safety Car (after which Fernando Alonso spent the rest of the afternoon on the radio whinging to his team), Kamui Kobayashi’s performance in his Sauber, and a stray bottle on the track. Indeed, the excitement levels only mounted after the race, as everyone waited to see whether the race stewards would impose penalties on Jenson Button, Rubens Barrichello, Nico Hulkenberg, Robert Kubica, Vitaly Petrov, Adrian Sutil, Sebastien Buemi, Pedro de la Rosa and Vitantonio Liuzzi for going too quickly behind the Safety Car. In the end, they were all each given a five second penalty, which hardly affected the standings: the moaning Alonso got promoted one place to eighth, while Nico Rosberg was awarded tenth place and a single point. Yet again, the problem lies w...

The Environmental Transport Association (ETA), a UK-based ethical motoring organisation and sustainable travel lobby group, has announced its 2010 Green Car Awards winners. BMW took the honours in three of the nine categories. Toyota meanwhile won in two, plus its iQ was given the accolade of overall Green Car of the Year 2010. In deciding how the titles would be awarded, over 5,000 cars were assessed on their power, emissions, fuel efficiency and amount of noise produced. The worst cars in each category were also named, with the Lamborghini Murcielago being declared the least-green car overall. Perhaps the LP 640’s 495 g/km of carbon dioxide emissions and combined cycle fuel consumption of 13.3 mpg (21.3 l/100 km) had something to do with it? Some of the results seem a bit odd, though. For example, the winning Toyota iQ (presumably the entry level 1.0 VVT-i Manual) seems to be bettered in a number of key criteria by the car that (possibly) inspired it - the Smart fortwo. Acco...

To celebrate the marque’s 75th anniversary, Jaguar has announced a very special version of its XKR. Perhaps unsurprisingly named XKR 75 and limited to just (no prizes for guessing this) 75 examples, it will debut at next month’s Goodwood Festival of Speed . The changes compared to a standard XKR are wide-ranging. Power from the 5.0 litre supercharged V8 is up from 503 bhp (375 kW / 510 PS) to 523 bhp (390 kW / 530 PS), which reduces the 0-62 mph (100 km/h) acceleration time from 4.6 to 4.4 seconds. Top speed is limited to 174 mph (280 km/h), an increase of 19 mph (30 km/h). To make the most of the extra performance, the chassis has also been upgraded. Stiffer springs, increased damper rates, new aluminium uprights front and rear for increased camber stiffness, re-tuned Adaptive Dynamics damper control software and a reduced ride height (by 15 mm front / 10 mm rear) are all intended to give a more driver-focussed feel. Jaguar is claiming that refinement and ride comfort have not be...

Following today’s meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council , which took place in Geneva, several changes have been agreed for the 2011 Formula 1 season. Pirelli has been named as sole tyre supplier, following Bridgestone’s decision to withdraw after the 2010 championship. The contract will run for a term of three years, the Italian firm being chosen over rivals Michelin and Cooper Avon. Perhaps, though, it would give the series an extra competitive element if multiple tyre providers were represented? Of potential concern to Lotus Racing, HRT F1 Team and Virgin Racing (plus any more newcomers) is the reintroduction of the ‘107%’ rule for next year. Originally included in the regulations from 1996 to 2002, it seems the increasingly widening gap in pace between teams has prompted its return. It will mean that any driver whose first qualifying session performance exceeds 107% of the fastest time will not be allowed to take part in the race. However, sensibly, the WMSC has decided...

Visitors to next month’s Goodwood Festival of Speed will get to see the first steps towards the reintroduction of the Alvis 4.3 Litre, a model originally launched in 1937 and sold for just three years. 166 4.3 Litre chassis were originally made but Red Triangle - the firm that took over the complete stock of parts, nearly 22,000 Car Records, works drawings, correspondence files and data sheets after Alvis ceased all car manufacturing in 1967 - discovered there were 77 more chassis officially sanctioned. However, these were never built because the war halted production in 1940. The newly-formed Alvis Car Company has been set up to manufacture these ‘missing’ chassis and their accompanying 4.3 litre straight-six engines as a continuation series. Examples of both will be displayed for the first time at Goodwood. To ensue authenticity, the original technical drawings are being used as the basis for production, albeit allied to the benefits of CAD / CAM technology. The engine, whic...

It looks like the Lotus range in Europe could be decimated at the end of 2010. The reason is that the Toyota-sourced 1.8 litre engine, used in the Elise and Exige, is not compliant with Euro 5 emissions regulations. That may surprise some people because, despite being quick cars, they have fairly good fuel economy and their carbon dioxide levels aren’t too awful. For example, the normally aspirated Elise R will do 34.4 mpg (8.2 l/100 km) on the combined cycle while producing 196 g/km of CO2. But none of that matters, because Euro 5 focuses only on permitted amounts of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter in exhaust gasses. The Euro 5 standard 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. Consequently, production of the European versions of the Elise R, Elise SC, Exige S and Exige Cup 260 will have to e...

As reported on Russia Today , this is probably the first Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG to be written off. It was involved in a head-on collision in Moscow, being driven by a young woman at the time. The SLS AMG costs £157,500 in the UK.

Following this weekend’s round at Croft, the 2010 British Touring Car Championship season is already at its mid-point. Going into the seven-week summer break, the top five drivers are separated by only 27 points, which is great news for fans. Honda Racing’s Matt Neal heads the table, just ahead of archrival Jason Plato. Neal’s team mate, Gordon Shedden, has propelled himself into third slot, following victories in the first two Croft races - his first BTCC wins since Oulton Park way back in July 2008. Series organisers will have been pleased with the result in race three at Croft, because it saw the maiden victory of a car powered by TOCA’s Next Generation Touring Car turbocharged engine. Andrew Jordan lead from pole to flag in his Pirtek Racing Vauxhall Vectra, helped by a first corner slide by second-place Tom Onslow-Cole which backed the field up. Plato in his Chevrolet Cruze then mounted a challenge for the lead, but a puncture put paid to his efforts. Steven Kane, driving...

It used to be that 200 bhp was thought the limit for front-wheel drive cars. Any more would just mean the driver became too well acquainted with their local tyre supplier, before the inevitable torque-steer induced crash into a hedge. But trick suspension designs and traction control systems now mean that manufacturers are prepared to push ever increasing power levels through the front wheels, the 345 bhp (257 kW / 350 PS) Ford Focus RS500 demonstrating what’s possible. Seat must have confidence in the chassis of its Leon, because it has just announced that the 261 bhp (195 kW / 265 PS) Cupra R will be offered in the UK. Thanks to a modified ECU and increased maximum turbo pressure, its 2.0 litre TSI engine has 25 bhp (18 kW / 25 PS) more than the ‘standard’ Leon Cupra. The extra power means the 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time is reduced by 0.2 seconds to 6.2 seconds, while top speed has been limited to 155 mph (250 km/h). The Cupra R has been a while coming though, as it was first re...

Blimey, a Renault Clio for almost £20,000? That’s what Renault is charging for the new Clio Gordini 200. Limited to 500 examples for the UK, the exact price is £19,650 - a hefty premium over the £17,710 Clio Renaultsport 200, the car on which the Gordini is based. Except the Renaultsport 200 can be had for much less, with online brokers such as Broadspeed and Carfile knocking at least £2,000 off list, which indicates what kind of discounts are available. Whether such reductions will also apply to the limited edition Gordini remains to be seen. So, what do you get with the Gordini to justify the extra cost? There’s dark grey leather with blue details, a Bluetooth hands-free phone system, heated and electrically folding door mirrors, cornering lights and special paint (Malta Blue metallic, Pearl Black metallic or Glacier White). Tick all of those on the options list when specifying a Renaultsport 200 and the pre-discount price shoots up to £20,445, so perhaps the Gordini doesn’t l...

The slow resurgence of MG at its Birmingham site continues, with the opening of the MG Global Design Centre. Employing a team of twenty designers, the studio will sit alongside parent company SAIC’s European Technical Centre, where almost 300 engineers already work. But what of vehicle manufacture at the facility? Well, the TF (getting on a bit but great value with UK prices starting at £13,799) continues to be produced there, and assembly of the MG6 hatch is due to begin at the end of 2010. Meanwhile, MG has decided to rename the internal roads around the Birmingham works, following consultation with fans of the marque. The five names that will be used are Abingdon Avenue, Morris Garages Drive, Octagon Way, Austin Street and Issigonis Road. Funnily enough, BMW Boulevard and John Towers Terrace weren’t chosen.

The first generation Porsche Cayenne was an awkward looking thing, its ‘911 meets Volkswagen Touareg’ styling never really working from any angle. Thankfully the new model, which was unveiled earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show, hasn’t inherited the unfortunate appearance of its predecessor. Now Porsche is offering two entry level variants, both powered by six cylinder engines. The first, simply called Cayenne, has a 3.6 litre petrol V6 that produces 296 bhp (220 kW / 300 PS). Costing £41,404 in the UK, it comes with a six-speed manual gearbox, will accelerate from 0-62 mph (100 km/h) in 7.5 seconds and reach a maximum of 143 mph (230 km/h). For an extra £1,760 the eight-speed Tiptronic S automatic gearbox can be specified. While this slightly increases the 0-62 mph time to 7.8 seconds, it slashes in-gear acceleration: 50-75 mph (80-120 km/h) takes just 5.4 seconds, compared to 9.6 seconds for the manual car. Another benefit of the auto ’box is marginally reduced fuel con...

Hot on the heels of the Saleen S302 , Ford has announced a dealer-fit upgrade pack for the 2011 Mustang GT. Called RTR , the appearance and performance upgrades have been influenced by Vaughn Gittin Jr. That name probably won’t mean a lot to most people on this side of the Atlantic, but Gittin is currently leading the 2010 Formula DRIFT Professional Championship after three rounds. Naturally, he competes in a Mustang. The 412 bhp (307 kW / 418 PS) 5.0 V8 of the Mustang GT gets an extra 9 bhp (7 kW / 9 PS) in RTR specification thanks to a K&N air filter and revised ECU settings.  A louder exhaust system is also included, but it remains just about street legal. Chassis upgrades comprise 1.5” lower springs, Ford Racing shock absorbers, a stiffer rear anti-roll bar and cross-drilled brake discs. On the outside, the RTR gets a front splitter, side skirts and rear diffuser, together with an aluminium rear spoiler. The effect is completed by 19” alloy wheels fitted with Falke...

Volkswagen is keen to stress that the brand new Jetta is no longer merely a ‘Golf with a boot’, claiming it is now as much a model in its own right as, say, the CC or Tiguan. To help make the point, the Jetta sits on a Golf-derived platform that has been stretched by 70 mm. Overall length is now 4644 mm, which makes it 90 mm longer than a Golf and only 121 mm shorter than a Passat saloon. The resultant increase in interior space, together with the conservative styling, are mainly designed to increase Volkswagen’s sales volumes in the United States. Although the current generation Jetta is the best selling European car in that market, it is completely overshadowed in the competitive compact sector by rivals such as the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic, which each outsell it by a factor of almost three to one. A rumoured $1,700 price cut should help the cause, too. There’s not much surprise regarding engines, as the range on offer in Europe will be similar to that already seen in th...

Some government schemes can appear to be a waste of time and money. However, the motorcycle Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme (SHARP), run by the UK’s Department for Transport, is a genuinely excellent initiative. All motorcycle helmets sold in the UK have to comply with either British Standard BS 6658:1985 or ECE Regulation 22.05. SHARP goes beyond those regulations though, applying a more rigorous testing regime that focuses on how well a rider would be protected in the event of a crash. Between one and five stars are then awarded, depending on how well a helmet performs, with more stars signifying a better result. SHARP also emphasises that a good fit is also crucial - after all, even the best helmet is useless if it doesn’t stay on during a crash. That’s backed up by a pan-European study of motorcycle accidents which showed a shocking 12% of helmets came off during the impact. An extra 27 helmets have recently been through the SHARP assessment, bringing the total...

Saleen Performance Vehicles of Tecumseh, Michigan, has unveiled the latest in its growing range of Ford Mustang-based vehicles. The S302 is named for the capacity of its engine: 302 cubic inches, or 5.0 litres. Equipped with a Saleen Performance air filter and exhaust system, the normally-aspirated V8 develops 425 bhp (431 PS / 317 kW) and 536 Nm of torque. Sounds impressive, but it’s only a small increase over the standard 2011- spec Mustang, which has 412 bhp (418 PS / 307 kW) and 529 Nm. However, it looks like the main focus has been on two other aspects of the car. The first is the chassis, which features revised suspension, front anti-roll bar and bushings all from Saleen Racecraft. Optionally available are specific-rate front and rear springs, nitrogen-pressurised shocks, adjustable damping and a strut brace. Second is appearance. For starters, the 18” wheels of the standard car have been binned in favour of 20” Saleen items. Then there’s a new bonnet and front grille, as...

Dr. Kay Segler, head of BMW’s M division, has confirmed in an interview with German publication Auto-News that a proper M version of the 1 Series is due in 2011. It won’t be called M1 though, because that name seemingly has to remain sacred to the mid-engined M1 from over thirty years ago. But why - it’s not like many people would confuse the two cars? Perhaps BMW still harbours the dream of building a true successor to the original M1 sometime in the future? So, given that the M1-which-isn’t-an-M1 is to be based on the 302 bhp (306 PS / 225 kW) 135i M Sport Coupe, maybe it’ll be named M135i instead. There are no details yet about possible power outputs, performance, or whether the car will incorporate weight-saving measures such as the carbon fibre roof panel seen on the M3 Coupe. BMW already kind of produces a hotter version of the 135i though, courtesy of its retro-fit BMW Performance product line. With the engine tuning kit fitted, for example, power is boosted to 323 bh...

The results of the 2010 J. D. Power and Associates / What Car? UK Vehicle Ownership Satisfaction Study have been published. Over 17,000 owners, who on average had owned their cars for two years, took part in the survey. They were asked to assess their cars across four areas: Vehicle appeal, which covered performance, design, comfort and features Vehicle quality and reliability Ownership costs, including fuel consumption, insurance and servicing / repair costs Dealer service satisfaction Topping the table of manufacturers once again was Lexus, which had an overall score of 84.6%. Significantly, the spread of marks wasn’t that massive - the industry average was 78.9% and the ‘worst’ performer, Chevrolet, still achieved a fairly respectable 74.2%. Top five manufacturers: 1. Lexus (84.6%) 2. Honda (82.5%) 3. Jaguar (81.8%) 4. Mercedes-Benz (81.7%) 5. Toyota (81.4%) Bottom five manufacturers: 23. Vauxhall (76.8%) 24. Peugeot (76.4%) 25. Suzuki (76.3%) 26. Fiat (76.1%) ...