Autoesque

With the redevelopment of Snetterton now complete, owner MotorSport Vision has revealed the circuit’s new corner names. Fans were invited to submit ideas, and the final selections for the three track configurations mainly honour personalities from British motorsport and the local area. These include Sir Frank Williams CBE, founder of the eponymous F1 team, commentator Murray Walker OBE and Norfolk native Martin Brundle - fittingly, the public’s most popular suggestion. The Montreal turn meanwhile is so named because it replicates exactly the Casino Hairpin at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, venue of the Canadian GP. Some of the monikers remain unchanged, though, such as the Senna Straight and the Bomb Hole curve.

BMW has revealed the production version of its F12 6 Series Coupe. 2012 BMW 6 Series Coupe. Scroll down for more images. The new car may have grown - it’s around seven centimetres longer and four centimetres wider - but BMW has played it much safer with the styling this time around. The back half in particular is a lot less bold than the last 6 Series, and from some angles it seems that the long-defunct 8 Series provided most of the inspiration. Up front, the view is dominated by a wide double kidney grille that, in a nod to BMW models of old, has slightly forward-slanting slats. This is flanked by the familiar quad-headlights, which are bi-xenon as standard. If they’re not good enough though, adaptive LED units can be specified as a cost option instead. At launch buyers will have the choice of 640i or 650i versions, both of which feature direct petrol injection and twin turbochargers. The only transmission on offer is an eight-speed automatic, with no manual alternative avai...

Smart has announced that the limited edition fortwo nightorange will be coming the UK, following its debut in mainland European markets earlier this year. As the name implies, the distinguishing feature is the orange paintwork that, depending on your point of view, looks either very chic or a bit municipal authority. Offsetting the orangeness are the 15” alloys, tridion safety cell, grilles and door mirror housings, all of which are finished in black. The dark theme is carried over to the interior, where the seats are upholstered in black nappa leather and cloth. A similar shade is used for the clock and tachometer pods, special floor mats, sports steering wheel and dashboard trim. 235 examples of the fortwo nightorange will be available, in either coupé or convertible guise. Unlike the diesel-powered fortwo lightshine edition that appeared back in January, nightorange buyers get a choice of two petrol engines. The obvious option for anyone wanting to avoid paying road tax or...

Chevrolet’s Captiva is set to become a truly global vehicle. The compact crossover, which is already available in more than fifty territories worldwide, will soon add the United States to its tally of markets when sales begin there towards the end of this year. To be known as the Captiva Sport in the US, Chevrolet is aiming its new addition primarily at fleet customers. Arguably it’s a direct replacement for the defunct Saturn Vue, which was itself based on the Captiva’s very close relation, the Vauxhall / Opel Antara . Buyers will be able to choose from either a 182 bhp (136 kW / 184PS) 2.4 litre I4 or a 264 bhp (197 kW / 267 PS) 3.0 litre V6 petrol engine, both mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox - no diesels or manual transmissions here, predictably. Front- and all-wheel drive versions will be available, but no performance or economy figures have been released. Proposed equipment levels are generous. Base LS spec models will come with air conditioning, anti-lock brakes, tr...

The Rizla Suzuki MotoGP team has unveiled its 2011 challenger. Sporting a livery from Troy Lee Designs, the Suzuki GSV-R now produces over 220 bhp (165 kW / 225 PS) from its 800 cc V4 engine. Combined with a weight of around 150 kg (330 lbs), that should be enough for a top speed of at least 205 mph (330 km/h). But that’s just one part of the performance mix - work has also been done to improve driveability and acceleration out of slow corners, while chassis stiffness has received attention to enhance handling and traction. Rizla Suzuki will only be fielding one GSV-R this season, for Spanish rider Álvaro Bautista. The new bike will make its debut at this weekend’s MotoGP test session at Qatar, ahead of the first race of the season on 20 March which also takes place at the Losail circuit.

Could a production version of the Suzuki Burgman Fuel-Cell Scooter be closer to reality? The model has just earned European Union Whole Vehicle Type Approval, meaning that each example built for the development programme now no longer needs to go through Single Vehicle Approval to check conformity to safety and environmental standards. EU approval is important to the project, because the bike’s hydrogen fuel-cell was developed by UK firm Intelligent Energy, and the Burgman’s trials are centred on Loughborough University in Leicestershire, England. Arguably, electric vehicles that take their charge from a fuel-cell are a much more practical proposition compared to those that use a battery. There’s no recharging time, the only emission is water and range anxiety is an alien concept. The current downsides, however, are the amount of energy required to obtain the hydrogen in the first place and the lack of a refuelling infrastructure.

Most attempts to modify a supercar are going to be controversial, as are the efforts of German tuner Mansory. Combine the two then, and it’s very likely that the outcome is going to divide opinion. For the Siracusa - based on the Ferrari 458 Italia - Mansory has adopted its usual procedure: replace as much bodywork as possible with carbon fibre, fiddle with the aerodynamics, boost power, re-trim the interior and then apply a ‘unique’ colour scheme. Some visual elements don’t work particularly well, for example the revised headlights and the various carbon fibre addenda stuck onto the side skirts and front apron. But the claimed results are more down-force, better cooling and a car that’s 70 kg (154 lbs) lighter. Combined with a modest 2% increase in power to 581 bhp (434 kW / 590 PS) - thanks to a tweaked engine management system, replacement air filter and a sports exhaust - the Siracusa will accelerate from zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 3.2 seconds, before going on to a top spe...

You could be forgiven for having never heard of Motus. But the American manufacturer, based in Birmingham, Alabama, has been busy developing the MST, its take on what a sports touring motorcycle should be like. The first images of the brand new bike have just been released - and it’s certainly not a bad looking thing, especially when compared to competitors such as the Honda VFR1200F. A unique feature is the direct injection V4 engine, known as the KMV4. With a capacity of 1,645 cc (100 cubic inches) and an aluminium block and cylinder heads, the targeted outputs are 161 bhp (120 kW / 163 PS) and 165 Nm (122 lb/ft) of torque. Curiously though, given its country of origin and the class of bike, drive will be via a chain rather than a shaft or belt. Together with fully adjustable suspension front and rear, that points towards a focus on the sports element of the sports touring mix. Nevertheless, a surprise is that anti-lock brakes don’t appear on the MST’s provisional spec sheet....

At the 2010 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb , Greg Tracy took victory in the 1,205 cc motorcycle class aboard his #555 Ducati Multistrada, while team-mate Alexander Smith came in third on the #55 bike. Now, a little over eight months after the event, Ducati has launched the Multistrada 1200 S Pikes Peak Special Edition to mark their achievements. A case of better late than never, perhaps? An obvious difference from the standard bike is the eye-catching Ducati Corse inspired colour scheme, which is complemented by red pin-striping on the wheels, a bespoke seat, plus a black anodised finish for the engine guard and pillion foot peg hangers. Finishing off the package is a Ducati Performance front mudguard, an EU-approved Termignoni silencer and a low screen, all of which are carbon fibre. Available from May 2011 onwards, the Pikes Peak Special Edition will be priced at £16,750 (excluding on the road charges) in the UK. Considering that the Multistrada 1200 S Sport costs £14...

Following the announcement of the World Car Awards finalists at the beginning of February, the jurors have voted once again to decide the top three candidates in each category. There’s now a short wait until the New York International Auto Show, which begins on 22 April, to find out the winners. The three models up for each award - in alphabetical order - are: 2011 World Car of the Year · Audi A8 · BMW 5 Series · Nissan Leaf BMW 5 Series Saloon The outsider here is probably the Audi, but whether enough jurors have been swayed by the Leaf remains to be seen. Many might have been reluctant to give their votes to the Nissan because, despite its green credentials, it nevertheless represents first generation electric car technology which comes with associated issues of purchase price, recharging time and range. 2011 World Performance Car · Ferrari 458 Italia · Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG · Porsche 911 Turbo Ferrari 458 Italia It’s difficult to foresee the Ferrari not...

That didn’t take long. Ducati has already begun to exploit the marketing potential of having Valentino Rossi riding for its MotoGP team by announcing a couple of special road bikes. The GP Replica kits are the latest offering from the Monster Art project, which allows owners of Ducati’s naked Monster to quickly and simply change the appearance of their machines. Comprised of graphics for the tank, pillion seat cover, front mudguard and bikini fairing, the colour schemes are inspired by the GP11 racers of Nicky Hayden and Valentino Rossi. Very smart they look, too. Perhaps using either the 848 or 1198 Superbikes as the basis for a homage to Ducati’s MotoGP efforts might’ve been more appropriate, but there’ll probably be more similarly-themed models in the future. Related posts: Monster 1100 EVO price Ducati unveils GP11

Tata’s contribution to the host of concept cars on display at the Geneva International Motor Show is the Pixel, a Nano-based city car designed especially for Europe. Measuring just over three metres (about 9’10”) long, the Pixel’s party piece is its turning circle of just 2.6 metres (8’6”). That’s possible thanks to an acute steering lock on the front wheels, plus what Tata describes as ‘zero turn toroidal traction drive infinitely variable transmission’ - a system that pushes the outer rear wheel forward while moving the inner rear backwards. Like the Nano, the Pixel is a full four-seater. Access to the cabin is via a pair of scissor doors, which look impressive and negate the need for four doors. However, judging by the images, their opening height could cause a few problems in parking garages or multi-storey car parks. Power comes from a 1.2 litre, three-cylinder turbo diesel engine. Rear-mounted, it features stop-start technology and low friction internals for enhanced econo...

Aston Martin Racing has unveiled its AMR-One LMP1 racer, which will be used to contest this year’s Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. Although it seems likely that the team will miss the opening round at Sebring, it is expected to participate in the remaining events, including the Le Mans 24 Hours. Unlike the rival Peugeot 908 HDi FAP and Audi R18 TDI , the AMR-One’s two litre, six cylinder, turbocharged engine uses petrol, not diesel. That choice follows a commitment by ILMC organisers, the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, to modify the regulations to better equalise performance levels from the two fuels. Further emphasising the different approach from its two main opponents, the AMR-One is an open-cockpit car. The bespoke carbon fibre monocoque chassis is brand new, and features a prominent aerodynamic fin. When plans for an LMP1 challenger were first revealed last year, it was said that just six cars would be built. Aston Martin Racing has indeed been true to its word, and the factor...