Autoesque

Jeep has unveiled the Wrangler Freedom Edition. Created as a tribute to past and present members of the United States armed forces, $250 from each sale will be donated to the Fisher House Foundation and the I Support Foundation, charities that benefit military personnel. Based on the existing Sport model, the Freedom Edition is available in either two-door Wrangler or four-door Wrangler Unlimited guise. Fittingly, the only colours on offer are Deep Cherry Red, Bright White and True Blue, all of which come with a Mineral Gray finish for the 17” alloy wheels, front grille and bumper inserts. Finishing off the exterior look are unique ‘Oscar Mike’ badges, various decals, body-coloured wheel arches and a Mopar fuel filler cap. The ‘Oscar Mike’ logo is repeated on the front seats, which come upholstered in black tectonic fabric. Standard equipment includes remote keyless entry, the UConnect telematics system and steering wheel-mounted audio controls. Available now, the Wrangle...

Mercedes-Benz first revived the four-door coupé market with the original CLS back in 2004 and now, with the launch of the CLS Shooting Brake, it has expanded the niche further by creating an estate version. 2013 Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake. Scroll down for more images. At first sight it appears to be a pointless exercise - after all, who is going to bother with such an impractical vehicle? But in this case, looks certainly are deceptive because the Shooting Brake is a surprisingly capable load-carrier. Rear air suspension and an automatically-opening tailgate are standard equipment, and folding the rear seats down increases cargo space from 590 to 1,550 litres. That’s significantly down on the cavernous E-Class Estate’s 1,950 litres, but it’s not much less than the 1,670 litres of the BMW 5 Series Touring, for example. Of course, many potential buyers will be sold purely on the distinctive styling, with functionality being very much a secondary consideration. Indeed fro...

Suzuki is giving its RM-Z250 and RM-Z450 motocross bikes a comprehensive update for 2013. Frame and seat rail modifications have been designed to improve rigidity, while recalibrated rear suspension settings promise better traction. However, the major chassis change is the adoption of Showa's Separate Function Fork (SFF) which houses the damper in one leg and the spring in the other. The claimed benefits of this split set-up are enhanced rider control, lighter weight, reduced friction and superior damping. The single-cylinder engines have received attention, too, with a particular focus on achieving a quicker throttle response as well as increased bottom- and mid-range power. Those objectives have been met by tweaking the internals, especially the piston shape and weight. The RM-Z250 additionally gains a brand new five-speed gearbox, while changes to the RM-Z450’s transmission should mean smoother and more precise gear changes. Both bikes are due to arrive at UK deale...

Shelby American has unveiled its 2013 GT350. Based on the Ford Mustang GT, the changes aren’t too extensive but include the fitment of Recaro front seats and a redesigned rear valance. Power continues to come from an upgraded version of the GT’s 5.0 litre V8. Its output is increased from the stock 402 bhp (300 kW / 407 PS) to 430 bhp (320 kW / 435 PS), although this rises to around 450 bhp (335 kW / 456 PS) with the newly-available optional cold air package. For anyone wanting even more performance, a Ford Racing supercharger can be specified. The result is either 525 bhp (391 kW / 532 PS) or 624 bhp (465 kW / 632 PS), which is getting close to the 662 bhp (493 kW / 671 PS) of the 2013 GT500. Traditionally, the GT350 has only been offered with a limited paintwork choice, but for the 2013 model year buyers will be able to choose from all of the factory colours offered by Ford for the Mustang. To go with the broader palette, the 19” alloy wheels - which are a new design - co...

An investigation by the UK’s Office of Fair Trading into Mercedes-Benz and five of its commercial vehicle dealers is now at a pivotal stage. A Statement of Objections, the document that gives notice of a proposed infringement decision under the Competition Act 1998, has been issued to: Mercedes-Benz UK Limited, its parent Daimler UK Limited and its ultimate parent Daimler AG Ciceley Commercials Limited and its ultimate parent Ciceley Limited Enza Motors Limited, its parent Enza Holdings Limited and its ultimate parent Enza Group Limited H&L Garages Limited and its parent Dusted Powder Limited Northside Truck & Van Limited and its ultimate parent S.A.H. Limited Road Range Limited Although the OFT will not be publishing the Statement of Objections, confirmation has been given that it details five separate alleged breaches involving market sharing, price co-ordination and / or the exchange of commercially sensitive information. The suspected violations all took place ...

The Dacia Duster SUV will cost from just £8,995 in the UK, an amount which will buy the front-wheel drive Access version powered by a 1.6 litre petrol engine. To put that price into perspective, a similar sum would get a mid-range Volkswagen Up!, a Peugeot 107 Active or a Ford Ka Studio - all of which are three-door city cars. Quite how many people actually go for the lead-in Access remains to be seen though, as the specification is, unsurprisingly, a bit grim. Although electric front windows and four airbags are included, there’s not even a radio and the wheels are steel. The Ambiance models promise considerably more. Although they carry a £2,500 price premium, a CD / radio with USB and aux-in connectivity, Bluetooth, a 60/40 split folding rear seat, height adjustment for the driver’s seat, front fog lights and body-coloured bumpers all come as standard. The 1.6 litre petrol engine is also swapped for a 1.5 litre diesel unit, which achieves an impressive average fuel econom...

Ford has given its F-150 SVT Raptor performance pick-up a mild update for the 2013 model year. As with other variants in the F-150 range, high-intensity discharge headlights, the Sync voice-controlled entertainment and communications system and a 4.2” LCD productivity screen in the instrument cluster now come as standard. For those wanting even more in-cab technology, voice-controlled satellite navigation, a rear-view camera and a front grille-mounted camera all appear on the options list. Perhaps the most significant development is the availability of conventional aluminium wheels that switch to beadlocks using an aftermarket kit from Ford Racing. The beadlocks are designed to grip the edges of the tyres to the wheels between two surfaces, meaning that there’s minimal risk of a tyre rolling off the rim when it has been deflated down to a low pressure - a technique that’s very useful in some off-road conditions to gain extra traction. Converting the wheels involves unboltin...

Mazda has announced the latest in a long line of limited edition MX-5 two-seaters. Named the Kuro (meaning ‘black’ in Japanese), it will be available in either 1.8i Soft Top or 2.0i Roadster Coupé guises. Appropriately, the exterior features a Brilliant Black finish for the door mirrors and roof, black detailing around the front grille and fog lights and dark gunmetal 17” alloy wheels. Buyers will be able to choose from Brilliant Black, Velocity Red Mica or Crystal White Pearlescent paintwork. Also included in the specification are body side graphics, special badges, a larger diameter sports exhaust and a rear bumper that incorporates a diffuser. Among the interior enhancements are climate control, heated seats that come covered in stone and black leather, leather door inserts, alloy pedals and bespoke floor mats. UK sales of the Mazda MX-5 Kuro begin on the 1st of July. 200 examples of the Soft Top and 400 of the Roadster Coupé version are going to be available, with on ...

If the new Seat Toledo looks familiar, that’s because it’s basically the same car as the Škoda Rapid which was revealed last week. That might not be a bad thing - after all, it’s a tactic that has recently been used for the Škoda Citigo and Seat Mii city cars - but it does again raise the question of why bother maintaining both brands if their products are identical? And then there’s the issue of how the Toledo fits within the Seat range. Whereas the Rapid slots fairly neatly between the Fabia and Octavia, the 4.48 metres (14’ 8”) long Toledo seems to be a very similar size to the existing 4.32 metres (14’ 2”) Leon and 4.47 metres (14’ 8”) Altea XL - both of which are also five-door hatchbacks. Nevertheless, Seat seems keen to emphasise that the Toledo is going to be very much a value for money proposition, so perhaps it will be distinguished more by its pricing than its size? Spain and Portugal will be the first markets to receive the new Seat, with UK sales due to b...

This weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed will see the debut of the Mazda MX-5 GT Concept. Inspired by the MX-5 GT4 racer that competes in the British GT Championship, the concept car has been built to gauge public reaction to a street legal, high performance version of Mazda’s roadster. Although no acceleration or top speed figures have been released, the MX-5 GT Concept features a 2.0 litre, normally-aspirated engine that produces 205 bhp (152 kW / 207 PS). That’s significantly up on the usual 157 bhp (118 kW / 160 PS), and is virtually the same as a potential rival: the forthcoming Mini John Cooper Works Roadster . To go with the extra power, adjustable suspension, ‘road slick’ tyres and a sports exhaust system have all been fitted, while aerodynamic improvements are provided by a front splitter, a rear diffuser and a tiny boot lid spoiler. Changes to the interior include Recaro seats and various pieces of carbon fibre trim. Unsurprisingly, there’s no word yet on what ...

The new Radical SR1 is aimed squarely at trackday fans and club-level motorsport competitors. Built around a steel spaceframe chassis with aluminium crash structures and fibreglass bodywork, the two-seater features a 1,340 cc, four-cylinder Suzuki motorcycle engine. With 210 bhp (156 kW / 212 PS) and 176 Nm (130 lb/ft) of torque, the zero to 60 mph (96 km/h) sprint takes just 3.6 seconds, while the 50 - 100 mph (80 - 160 km/h) increment is achieved in 6.1 seconds. Such dramatic acceleration is due in part to the SR1’s low weight, which is just 520 kg (1,146 lbs). That power is sent to the rear wheels via a chain-drive system and a six-speed sequential gearbox, plus a Quaife ATB differential is fitted to aid traction. The suspension set-up comprises adjustable coil-over dampers, and braking is taken care of by ventilated discs front and rear that come with four-pot calipers. A front splitter and large rear wing promise high levels of grip, although it can be enhanced even ...

After five rounds, each consisting of three races, the 2012 British Touring Car Championship has already reached its season mid-point. With four wins, Honda Racing’s Matt Neal leads the drivers’ standings with 221 points. And it seems that the NGTC Civic is an extremely competitive package, because Neal’s team-mate Gordon Shedden is close behind in second spot, having secured six race victories so far. Gordon Shedden: currently second in the BTCC Drivers' Championship. However, the Hondas aren’t dominating the series yet, as third-placed Jason Plato is only 28 points adrift of Shedden. Plato’s all-new NGTC MG6 surprised many by winning at Brands Hatch in April, and that feat was repeated again yesterday at Croft. Were it not for some reliability issues with the MG, the situation at the top of the drivers’ table could have been even closer. Andrew Jordan, also competing in an NGTC Civic, currently leads the Independent Drivers’ championship, ahead of Rob Collard in his S2...

Perhaps one of the most striking things about the new Triumph Trophy tourer is that it could just as easily be wearing a BMW badge. That’s not a criticism, but it does indicate exactly the type of customers that Triumph’s latest model is targeting. Chain-driven bikes rarely do well in this class, so wisely the Trophy uses a shaft to transmit the power from its 1,215 cc, three-cylinder engine to the rear wheel. Among the other standard features are linked anti-lock brakes, cruise control, an electrically-adjustable windscreen and a switchable traction control system. 2013 Triumph Trophy. Scroll down for more images. For those wanting even more kit, the SE version additionally gets electronically-adjustable suspension and an audio system that could well shame those fitted to many cars. It includes a tri-band radio tuner with RDS, Bluetooth, automatic speed-dependant volume adjustment and connectivity for USB devices and flash drives. As with its German rivals, Trophy buyers ar...

Vauxhall has unveiled the Corsa Black Edition. As its name implies, there’s plenty of black on the car, including the grille bar, spoilers, side skirts and rear apron. Complementing the colour scheme are dark-style headlights, dark-tinted rear and rear-side windows and 17” alloy wheels. The theme continues into the interior, which gets sports seats, sports pedals, a leather-covered steering wheel, silver seat stitching and matt chrome air vent surrounds. But the Black Edition isn’t just about cosmetic tweaks, as it also marks the debut of a new 1.4 litre turbo petrol engine. With 118 bhp (88 kW / 120 PS) and a peak torque figure of 175 Nm (129 lb/ft), it gets the Corsa from zero to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 9.7 seconds. Top speed is 121 mph (195 km/h). Thanks in part to a stop-start system, combined cycle fuel consumption is an impressive 51.4 mpg (5.5 l/100km), while CO2 emissions of 129 g/km mean a £100 annual road tax charge. Production of the Corsa Black Edition will be rest...

The Mini Clubvan Concept unveiled at last March’s Geneva Motor Show must have got a good reaction, because now a production version has been announced. Converting the Clubman passenger car into the Clubvan cargo carrier has been a fairly straightforward process: take out the rear seats, block out the rear-side windows and add some interior polycarbonate reinforcement, tint the rear windows and then fit an aluminium and steel mesh bulkhead behind the front seats. The result was never going to be the most commodious van on the market, but nevertheless the Mini features a flat-floored load space that measures 115 cm (3’ 9”) long and is 102 cm (3’ 4”) wide at its narrowest point. Maximum payload is 500 kg (1,102 lbs), while the total volume is 860 litres. Three versions will be available: Model Engine UK price Mini One Clubvan 1.6 litre petrol 96 bhp (72 kW / 98 PS) £11,175 Mini Cooper Clubvan 1.6 litre petrol 120 bhp (90 kW / 122 PS) £12,475 Mini Cooper D ...