Autoesque

The Nissan Juke Nismo Concept, which has been unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show, is the first sign that a series of performance-orientated Nismo models is being planned. According to Nismo President, Shoichi Miyatani, “Nismo brings new levels of individuality to mainstream Nissan cars like Juke. The future for Nismo is to develop premium sports designs for an ever-widening range of customers. Our forthcoming range of cars will be just as accessible and innovative as every Nissan product, but with added Nismo energy they will be even more fun to own and drive.” Of course, there’s nothing new about having a high profile in-house tuning division: Mercedes-Benz has AMG and Renault has Renaultsport, for example. As a marketing strategy it makes a lot of sense, because a halo effect is created over lesser models. Buyers are happy too, since they’re getting a decently-sorted package complete with a normal factory warranty. Additionally, there shouldn’t be any of the resale hassles tha...

After Toyota revealed the GT 86 a couple of days ago, it was inevitable that Subaru would quickly follow with the production version of its near-identical BRZ. Like the Toyota, power comes from a four-cylinder boxer engine that will be available with a choice of manual or automatic six-speed transmissions. Power output is a fairly modest 197 bhp (147 kW / 200 PS) at 7,000 rpm, but the BRZ has light weight in its favour. Whether such a mix results in a truly quick car remains to be seen though, as Subaru has yet to release any performance figures. Equally important is the combination of rear-wheel drive and a low centre of gravity, which should make for good handling. Indeed, Subaru intends to prove its new coupé’s mettle on the track by entering the BRZ in the GT300 class of the 2012 Japanese Super GT race series. Related posts: 2013 Scion FR-S revealed Toyota GT 86 finally here Impreza WRX STI S206 Subaru BRZ STI Concept

Under BMW ownership, Husqvarna has been very busy developing its range of on-road motorcycles. The Nuda 900R was launched earlier this year, and now there’s going to be a smaller capacity model based on the Concept Strada. Just revealed at the Salon de la Moto show in Paris, the Concept Strada is aimed at any rider who needs a lightweight, fun and nippy bike for everyday use. Like the Nuda 900R, it uses an engine borrowed from BMW, which in this case is the 46 bhp (35 kW / 48 PS) 652 cc single-cylinder out of the G 650 GS. It hasn’t been a straight transfer though, as Husqvarna has taken the opportunity to raise the power output (although for now the exact increase is unspecified). A production version of the Concept Strada is scheduled for launch sometime in 2012. Related posts: Husqvarna Concept MOAB BMW G 650 GS Sertão New Husqvarna Nuda 900R

Ford has unveiled the sporty Focus Zetec S, a model that’s been specially developed for the UK market. Changes compared to the regular Zetec variant comprise a stiffer suspension set-up, 17” alloy wheels, LED tail lights, aluminium-style pedals, a discrete body kit and a rear spoiler. The arrival of the Zetec S also marks the debut of a brand new 1.6 litre EcoBoost turbo petrol engine. Producing 177 bhp (132 kW / 180 PS), it gets the Focus from zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 7.9 seconds, while top speed is 138 mph (222 km/h). CO2 emissions are a respectable - if not particularly outstanding - 139 g/km. One other petrol engine is being offered, the 123 bhp (92 kW / 125 PS) 1.6 litre Duratec Ti-VCT. Alternatively, diesel buyers have the choice of either the 113 bhp (85 kW / 115 PS) 1.6 litre or 160 bhp (120 kW / 163 PS) 2.0 litre Duratorq TDCi units. On sale now, prices for the Focus Zetec S start from £18,745 on the road. Related posts: Ford Fiesta ST Concept Ford Focus ST...

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...

Subaru has announced the Impreza WRX STI S206, the latest in its ‘S’ series of special editions that promises more performance than the standard model. Just 300 examples are going to be built and, to make things worse, the S206 will be offered in Japan only. Subaru Impreza WRX STI S206. Scroll down for more images. The internals of the Impreza’s boxer engine have been specially balanced, while the engine control unit and twin-scroll turbocharger are both bespoke. Together with a large intercooler and a low back-pressure exhaust system, the result is 315 bhp (235 kW / 320 PS) and 431 Nm (17 lb/ft) of peak torque. Chassis upgrades include Bilstein dampers and STI springs, which are augmented by a flexible front strut tower brace to sharpen up the handling. The S206 gets exclusive silver BBS 19” wheels wearing Michelin Pilot Super Sports 245/35ZR19 tyres, and braking is taken care of by Brembo calipers combined with drilled discs. Identifying the S206 are its larger, lower fr...

For the first time, What Car? magazine has published a list of candidates for its annual Car of the Year Awards. Two new categories have been added this year - City Car and SUV - and there will also be special awards for safety and security. The results are going to be announced at a ceremony on Wednesday, 11th January. Between now and then the judges will have to decide on the individual group winners, as well as the model that deserves to take the overall 2012 What Car? Car of the Year title. The contenders are: City Car · Fiat 500 · Hyundai i10 · Kia Picanto · Seat Mii · Škoda Citigo · Volkswagen Up! 2012 Škoda Citigo. In its debut year, this category features three essentially identical cars - the Mii, Citigo and Up! Out of that trio, it’s the Škoda that should win, simply because it’s likely to be the cheapest. Supermini · Audi A1 · Chevrolet Aveo · Ford Fiesta · Hyundai i20 · Kia Rio · Renault Clio · Volkswagen Polo The A1 won last year, the most e...

Audi has the A6 Allroad Quattro and Škoda’s range includes the Octavia Scout, both of which are estate cars with jacked-up suspension and all-wheel drive. Perhaps not wanting to be excluded from that particular niche, sister brand Volkswagen has just announced the Passat Alltrack, which is to be unveiled at December’s Tokyo Motor Show ahead of market launches in early 2012. Based on the Passat estate, the Alltrack is distinguished by its chunkier bumpers, pseudo bash plates and black plastic extensions for the sills and wheel arches. It definitely is not a car in which to tackle any serious off-roading but, in fairness to Volkswagen, that’s not what it’s claiming the Alltrack is for. Rather, the target market is those who regularly find themselves towing, driving on unmade ground, or in other situations where additional ground clearance and some extra traction would be useful. Even so, it’s still bizarre that on the 138 bhp (103 kW / 140 PS) 2.0 litre turbodiesel version,...

Tata has announced a series of enhancements for its tiny Nano. Changes to the rear-mounted 624 cc petrol engine have resulted in a rise in power from 35 bhp (26 kW / 35 PS) to 37 bhp (28 kW / 38 PS), while torque is up by 3 Nm (2.2 lb/ft) to 51 Nm (37.6 lb/ft). It doesn’t look like performance has been affected much though, as the top speed remains the same at 105 km/h (65 mph). However, probably of more importance to potential Nano owners is the improved efficiency. ARAI cycle fuel economy is now 71.7 mpg (25.4 km/l / 3.9 l/100km), which is up from 66.6 mpg (23.6 km/l / 4.2 l/100km), and carbon dioxide emissions are an impressive 92.7 g/km. The chassis hasn’t been ignored either, and alterations include the fitment of a front anti-roll bar, changes to the steering and retuned suspension settings. Power-assisted brakes have also become standard on all variants, which should be a good thing for active safety. Completing the Nano’s transformation are totally new interiors, ...

Special versions of the Fiat 500 come along on a regular basis, and the trend is set to continue. That’s because the latest plan is a series of 500 Nation Limited Editions to commemorate the countries in which the city car is sold. First off is the 500 Nation America Limited Edition. Celebrating the United States, 500 hatchback and 500 convertible examples are going to be built. The hatch gets exclusive America Blue paintwork, 16” alloy wheels with a red rim edge, bodyside graphics and ‘Stars and Stripes’ door mirror caps. On the inside, the seats feature red and ivory upholstery, while the dashboard is finished in white. A similar treatment is applied to the convertible, except it comes in three-layer white paint with a red roof, and the wheels have a blue rim edge. Both versions also include a badge on the pillar that displays the car’s build number. The price for the hatch is €14,500, while the convertible costs €18,000. Related posts: North American 500 Abarth 2012 ...

11 July 2012 update For more details of Suzuki's new commuter bike, please see this post: Suzuki Inazuma 250 pricing There aren’t too many 250 cc motorcycles currently on sale in Europe. The Honda CBR250R and Kawasaki Ninja 250R spring to mind, but they’re both very much sports-orientated. So the Inazuma 250, which Suzuki has just launched at the Motorcycle Live show in Birmingham, could open up a whole new niche when sales begin in just under a year’s time. With naked styling inspired by the large-capacity B-King, it’s aimed at commuters or those looking for their first ‘proper’ bike. It’ll feature a novice-friendly liquid cooled, parallel-twin, 248 cc engine connected to a six-speed gearbox. Given the target audience, power delivery is going to be biased towards the lower end of the rev range, and there’ll be a three-mode RPM indicator that prompts the rider to change gear to minimise fuel consumption. Pricing for the Suzuki Inazuma 250 has yet to be confirm...

Two important pieces of information were missing when Chevrolet confirmed the specifications of its 2012 Camaro Coupe ZL1 back in September: price and performance. Well, it has now been revealed that the former will be $54,995 (including $900 destination fee) in the United States, while the latter certainly lives up to expectations. With the standard Tremec TR-6060 ‘MG9’ manual gearbox, the ZL1’s 580 bhp (432 kW / 588 PS) 6.2 litre supercharged V8 gets it from zero to 60 mph (96 km/h) in just 4.0 seconds, before going on to a top speed of 180 mph (289 km/h). Go for the Hydra-Matic 6L90 automatic transmission instead - a $1,185 cost option - and the ZL1 is actually slightly quicker. That 0-60 mph time is trimmed down to 3.9 seconds, and flat out it’ll do 184 mph (296 km/h). The quarter-mile takes exactly 12.0 seconds, 0.1 of a second faster than the manual version. To put those figures into context, they’re on a par with exotica such as the Audi R8 4.2 FSI V8 (0-60 mph in...

Audi has launched the R8 LMS Ultra, a race car that’ll be available to customer teams from March 2012. An evolution of the R8 LMS GT3, the Ultra has been developed by quattro GmbH and incorporates numerous changes. In the engine bay, the 562 bhp (419 kW / 570 PS) 5.2 litre V10 gets a new exhaust system that allows for improved low-range torque, and there are larger engine oil and transmission fluid coolers. Air supply has also been improved thanks to bigger intakes in the R8’s side blades. Tweaks to the bodywork include a broader front bonnet section that features extra vents, while the rear wing is wider than before and has larger end plates to maximise aerodynamic downforce. In the interests of reducing weight, the doors are now constructed from carbon fibre reinforced plastic, and they incorporate a new high-energy absorbing crash foam. Wider 12-inch front wheels are fitted, and these benefit from better brake cooling and improved tyres. Suspension modifications are limit...

The all-new 2013 Cadillac XTS has been unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Designed to sit above the CTS in Cadillac’s line-up, the XTS replaces both the STS and full-size DTS models. The focus may be very much on luxury and interior space, but the XTS also boasts some advanced technology. 2013 Cadillac XTS. Scroll down for more images and technical specifications. Magnetic Ride Control, for example, comes fitted as standard. Unlike conventional dampers, the shock absorbers are filled with a magneto-rheological fluid that contains minute iron particles. By applying a magnetic charge to these, the damping characteristics can be adjusted every five milliseconds in response to changing road surface conditions. The chassis also features rear air suspension and a HiPer Strut set-up for the front. One of the claimed advantages of the latter is reduced torque-steer, which could be useful as the XTS is front-wheel drive (although a Haldex all-wheel drive system with electronical...