Autoesque

Intercontinental Le Mans Cup organiser, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest , has now confirmed that the Zhuhai International Circuit will host the Chinese round of the series. Built in 1996, Zhuhai is in Guangdong Province close to Hong Kong and Macao. Perhaps the choice of venue isn’t too much of a surprise considering it was the location for the final event in last year’s inaugural ILMC. However, it seems that there was impressively stiff competition from Shanghai this time around - so much so that the ACO is now talking about having two Chinese races in 2012. Meanwhile, the Spa-Francorchamps 6 Hours race will now take place on Saturday 7th May, not Sunday 8th May as previously advised. Intercontinental Le Mans Cup 2011 Round Event Country Date 1 Sebring 12 Hours USA 19th March 2 Spa-Francorchamps 6 Hours Belgium 7th May 3 Le Mans 24 Hours France 11th - 12th June 4 Imola 6 Hours Italy 3rd July 5 Silverstone 6 Hours UK 11th September 6 Peti

Hyundai has unveiled the Blue2 Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle at the Seoul Motor Show. Powered by hydrogen, the Blue2 (say it ‘Blue Square’ not ‘Blue Two’, apparently) is a mid-size saloon that generates 120 bhp (90 kW / 122 PS). That name is an amalgamation of ‘Blue Drive’ - Hyundai’s eco sub-brand - and H2, the chemical symbol for hydrogen. Other features on the Blue2 are pure show car, and include cameras instead of rear-view mirrors, a transparent organic LED screen in place of a conventional instrument binnacle, and an automatic door opening system. It’s not known whether the Blue2 is going to lead to a production version, or if the design language will transfer across to future models. Dubbed ‘Intersected Flow’, Hyundai claims it’s innovative and dynamic, although it seems to borrow elements such as the Saab 9-5’s glasshouse and the Vauxhall / Opel Ampera’s headlight treatment.

Jaguar’s XF saloon will soon be getting a 2.2 litre, four-cylinder diesel engine, a crucial addition to the range that should help steal further sales from its competitors. Connected to an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox, the longitudinally mounted 187 bhp (140 kW / 190 PS) motor is claimed to be good for a 0-62 mph (100km/h) time of 8.5 seconds and a top speed of 140 mph (225 km/h). The car’s target customers - especially fleet users - are probably going to be more concerned about efficiency rather than performance, though. And they shouldn’t be disappointed, because the XF will manage 52.3 mpg (5.4 l/100km) on the combined cycle while producing 149 g/km of CO2. Fuel saving devices include an intelligent stop-start system, which has been engineered to reduce the time taken during the shut-down and start-up phases, and high seventh and eighth gear ratios that effectively act as an overdrive facility. But how does the new Jaguar compare to some of its diesel rivals? Well, judg

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

Pirelli, sole Formula 1 tyre supplier for the next three seasons, is colour-coding the ‘Pirelli’ and ‘PZero’ sidewall logos so that spectators can determine what compounds are being used. The colours chosen are: · Wet – Orange · Intermediate – Light blue · Supersoft – Red · Soft – Yellow · Medium – White · Hard – Silver At first sight, it appears that it’s going to be difficult to tell some of the types apart, with silver and white in particular being hard to distinguish. However, the rules stipulate that only two compounds of dry weather tyre can be used at each round, designated ‘prime’ and ‘option’. Pirelli’s cunning plan is that there will always be at least one step between the different tyre specifications on offer. So, that means all the teams will have a combination of either Medium (white) and Supersoft (red) rubber available to them, or - as is the case for the three opening events in Australia, Malaysia and China - Hard (silver) and Soft (yellow). That ploy sh

The two Toyota Avensis racers that’ll be competing in the 2011 British Touring Car Championship have been shown off for the first time. Both were built by GPR Motorsport in accordance with the new Next Generation Touring Car regulations. Series organisers have introduced these to help keep costs down, primarily through the use of standardised components and robust two-litre turbocharged engines developing around 300 bhp (223 kW / 304 PS). Car #11 will be run by Dynojet Racing for driver Frank Wrathall, the reigning Ginetta G50 Cup champion. However, as his Avensis hasn’t done any test miles yet, the team faces a challenge to get everything fettled before the first race on the 3rd of April at Brands Hatch. Speedworks Motorsport meanwhile is looking after the #50 Avensis of Tony Hughes, another ex-Ginetta competitor. Although his pre-season preparations are a little more advanced, teething problems such as fuel and power steering pump failures have slowed progress. Related post

Silverline Chevrolet, the works outfit run by RML, has unveiled its new livery for the 2011 British Touring Car Championship. The new paintjob is similar to that also being used on the team’s WTCC contenders. While some BTCC competitors are going to be fielding cars compliant with the new Next Generation Touring Car regulations, the Cruze racers remain in Super 2000 specification for this season. Behind the wheel of the #1 Chevrolet will be reigning driver’s champion Jason Plato, who has decided to stay with the team to defend his title. Completing the unchanged driver line-up is team mate Alex MacDowall in the #20 car. Images © GM Corp. Related post: 2011 BTCC entries

2011 will see the biggest grid ever for the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship since it switched to a two-litre formula. Despite the presence of only two full factory teams - Silverline Chevrolet and Honda Racing Team - ten manufacturers will be represented this season, including newcomers Audi, Proton and Toyota. The boosted entry list is mainly down to the introduction of the Next Generation Touring Car technical regulations, which have been brought in to slash car development and running costs. Most of those savings will be achieved through the use of standardised parts including brakes, suspension and gearboxes. Using durable two-litre turbocharged engines in the NGTCs should help make the BTCC more affordable, too. This year starts a period of transition, with the intention being that existing Super 2000-spec cars should have equal performance to the NGTC entries for the next two seasons, after which the latter will become dominant. Team Aon Ford Focus: S2000 cha

The one pence reduction in fuel duty announced in today’s UK Budget won’t be enough to stop lots of car buyers searching out the most fuel efficient offerings. For many, that will automatically mean a diesel or a hybrid, simply because those technologies deliver the best miles per gallon. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that those types of car will appeal to everyone. For starters, they tend to cost more, which is enough to put off some. Combine that with the higher price of diesel, and it often means that mega miles have to be driven before the extra initial outlay is offset by better fuel economy. So, for some drivers it will still make financial sense to go for a petrol-powered car. According to the Vehicle Certification Agency , these are the ten models currently on sale that use the least petrol (based on the combined cycle measure). Most fuel efficient petrol-powered car: The Fiat 500 / 500C TwinAir with Dualogic transmission. The good news is that all will better 6

Chevrolet has unveiled a concept version of its next generation Colorado pickup truck, a vehicle that should provide some stiff competition to the forthcoming Ford Ranger . The public’s first chance to see it will be at this month’s Bangkok International Auto Show, a fitting location given that Thailand is the largest global territory for mid-size pickups, as well as being one of the countries where the Colorado is built. Under the bonnet of the show truck sits a 2.8 litre turbo diesel engine. A broad torque band is promised from it, but specific output, performance or economy figures haven’t been disclosed yet. Chevrolet claims that the interior will provide a premium environment. Whether certain features such as the ice-blue lighting make it to production remains to be seen, while others such as the leather trim and 7” LCD display screen will probably be consigned to the Colorado’s options list. The instrument panel has been designed to create a dual-cockpit feel, but the ass

Hot on the heels of the facelifted C 63 AMG saloon and estate , Mercedes-Benz has announced a coupé version to complete its C-Class performance line-up. Under the skin, the coupé uses the familiar 450 bhp (336 kW / 457 PS) 6.2 litre V8 engine, connected to an AMG Speedshift MCT seven-speed multi-clutch transmission. On paper, performance is exactly the same as the saloon, which means a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of 4.5 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph (250 km/h). Even a combined fuel consumption figure of 23.5 mpg (12.0 l/100km) and CO2 emissions of 280 g/km are identical to what the four-door achieves. The AMG Performance Package Plus will also be available for the C 63 AMG coupé, an unsurprising move given its popularity with buyers of the saloon and estate. Output rises to 480 bhp (358 kW / 487 PS), but that increase doesn’t seem to translate into more performance: the 0-62 mph time is only reduced by a tenth of a second and top speed remains unchanged.

The BAC Mono is a barely-disguised race car for the public road. It even has just the one seat, as if to make the point that passengers just add unnecessary weight and upset the balance. With a svelte carbon fibre body and 280 bhp (208 kW / 283PS) from its 2.3 litre Cosworth engine, the Mono boasts a power to weight ratio of 520 bhp per ton. The car’s manufacturer - Briggs Automotive Company, or BAC for short - claims that that betters the Bugatti Veyron, allowing it to accelerate from zero to 60 mph (96 km/h) in only 2.8 seconds. The dash to 100 mph (160 km/h) is completed in the similarly impressive time of 6.7 seconds, and top speed is reckoned to be 170 mph (273 km/h). Drive to the rear wheels is via a six-speed Hewland sequential gearbox, while the chassis features pushrod suspension and brakes from AP Racing. The Kumho tyres have been specially developed, but they remain street legal. As further befits its track aspirations, the Mono comes with a FIA compliant tubular stee

Following a strong showing at the Business Car Awards in January, BMW has been similarly rewarded by the 2011 Fleet News Awards . As well as being voted manufacturer of the year, it also secured four individual vehicle accolades. There’s no doubt that the combination of badge appeal, driving dynamics and strong residuals make the honours deserved, but surely such ever increasing popularity amongst fleet users risks eroding the exclusivity of the brand? However, BMW didn’t get everything its own way. The new Ford C-Max / Grand C-Max scooped the company car and people carrier prizes, the former being voted for by Fleet News readers. Meanwhile, Volkswagen Group secured wins for its Polo, Golf and Superb, while the Kia Sportage was declared the best crossover. 2011 Fleet News Awards winners Voted for by Fleet News readers New company car of the year: Ford C-Max / Grand C-Max Fleet manufacturer of the year: BMW Fleet News Hall of Fame: Phil Redman New company car of the y

Honda Thailand has revealed the production version of its new BRIO, which looks virtually identical to the prototype that debuted last November. Power comes from a Euro 4 compliant 1.2 litre i-VTEC petrol engine producing 88 bhp (66 kW / 90 PS). As originally promised by Honda, the BRIO will achieve 56.4 mpg (5.0 l/100km) - not bad, but still a fairly mediocre figure for this size of car. In Thailand, the BRIO is going to be available in either ‘S’ or ‘V’ trim levels, and both will feature a comprehensive list of standard safety equipment including anti-lock brakes, electronic brake force distribution and twin front airbags. With a choice of five colours on offer - Fresh Lime Metallic, Taffeta White, Cerulean Blue Metallic, Alabaster Silver Metallic and Crystal Black Pearl - prices will range from 399,900 baht to 508,500 baht, equivalent to a surprisingly high £8,130 - £10,340 / €9,300 - €11,830. Nevertheless, Honda is hoping to sell 40,000 units each year. The chances of th

Changes to UK company car tax rules from 6 April 2011 are set to give drivers of very expensive vehicles a nasty shock. That’s because the current £80,000 cost limit which is applied for the purposes of calculating the taxable benefit is to be scrapped. The underlying principle for working out how much goes to the tax man remains unchanged, so the on-the-road list price in force the day before the car was registered is multiplied by a percentage, which depends on the car’s CO2 emissions. This gives a figure that’s then multiplied by the employee’s tax rate. Take for example the Mercedes-Benz S 65 AMG, which has a list price of £163,580. It emits 334 g/km of CO2, meaning that the percentage applied is the maximum 35%. For someone who pays tax at the higher rate of 40%, their 2010-11 company car tax liability would be: · £80,000 x 35% x 40% = £11,200 However, for the 2011-12 tax year, the removal of the £80,000 list price upper limit will mean their tax bill more than doubles:

Mugen Euro is working on a tuned version of the Honda CR-Z hybrid. Both the 1.5 litre petrol engine and the Integrated Motor Assist system will be fettled to produce more power and torque, and there’s also speculation that fuel economy and CO2 emissions could be improved, too. So it looks like a win-win situation. Except - for the time being at least - the CR-Z Mugen is only being built as a one-off prototype, set to make its debut at July’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. As well as modifications to the powertrain, chassis improvements will comprise uprated suspension and brakes. To help save weight a carbon fibre bonnet and bespoke alloy wheels are going to be fitted, while replacement bumpers and a spoiler should help the aerodynamics. Although it’s not scheduled for series production, arguably the enhancements hinted at by the CR-Z Mugen are needed to make the regular CR-Z a more convincing all-round package. The standard car’s 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of 9.9 seconds, top spee