Autoesque

Yamaha has launched a special version of its Aerox scooter. Called the SP55, the significance of that number is that Yamaha Motors was founded in 1955 (although the 56th anniversary is perhaps a strange one to commemorate?). Setting the SP55 apart are its ‘55’ logos, red and white graphics, red pinstripes on the wheels and a tri-colour seat with a carbon-print covering. Subtle it isn’t. Technically the SP55 is exactly the same as the standard Aerox R. That means it gets a 50 cc motor producing 2.6 bhp (2.0 kW / 2.7 PS) and 3.7 Nm (2.7 lb/ft) of torque, an automatic transmission and disc brakes front and rear. Pricing in the UK for the Yamaha Aerox SP55 has been set at £2,499 (excluding Government first registration fee and vehicle excise duty). New owners can also get free third party insurance via Yamaha’s ‘Freedom Insured’ scheme, which will probably be a huge financial bonus for many in the SP55’s target market.

Hyundai has taken the wraps off its i40 mid-size saloon. The new model’s debut, at the Barcelona Motor Show, follows the unveiling of the i40 estate at Geneva back in March. Hyundai i40. Scroll down for more images. Styled and engineered by Hyundai at its facility in Rüsselsheim, Germany, the i40 develops the ‘fluidic sculpture’ design language first seen on the ix-onic concept car. This is meant to endow the car with ‘flowing lines inspired by nature which combine to create a dynamic exterior’, although the result has ended up bearing more than a passing resemblance to the Ford Mondeo. There’ll be a choice of two petrol and two diesel engines, with the latter unsurprisingly expected to account for around two-thirds of sales in Europe. As per normal nowadays, they come with various devices designed to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions such as stop-start, an intelligent alternator and low rolling resistance tyres. Hyundai i40 saloon engine specifications 1.6 li...

Sales of the electric Twizy are due to begin early next year, but anyone keen to be among the first to own one can reserve theirs now with a £20 deposit via Renault’s website. It’ll be available in two versions, the £6,690 Urban and the £7,400 Technic. However, owners are also going to have to budget for the £40 (including VAT) per month battery lease cost, which is based on a three-year / 4,800 miles per annum agreement. Both the Urban and Technic use the same 19 bhp (15 kW / 20 PS) electric motor, which delivers a range of around 60 miles (100 kilometres) on a single charge and a top speed of 50 mph (80 km/h). Recharging takes three hours and thirty minutes to full battery capacity, or three hours for an 80% recharge. Legally the Twizy is deemed to be a quadricycle, so as such it won’t be eligible for the UK Government’s Plug-in Electric Car Grant.  It’ll be competing directly against similar vehicles such as the Reva G-Wiz, although Renault reckons it could attract scoote...

Volkswagen has unveiled a special edition Golf to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the GTI. No prizes for guessing the name: it’s called the Golf GTI Edition 35. While there are some cosmetic tweaks - notably a redesigned front bumper, 18” alloy wheels, a golf ball gear knob and plenty of ‘35’ logos - the Edition 35 also gets a 231 bhp (172 kW / 235 PS) version of the GTI’s 2.0 TSI petrol engine. That’s a handy 24 bhp (18 kW / 25 PS) over the standard car, although no performance figures have been released to gauge what effect the extra power might have. A debut is scheduled for the annual GTI event at Wörthersee in Austria, which takes place at the beginning of June. Pricing and final specs for the UK have yet to be confirmed, but in Germany the Golf GTI Edition 35 will cost €30,425.

MV Agusta has taken the wraps off its 2012 F4 RR, which comes with an all-new short-stroke 998 cc engine producing a claimed 198 bhp (147 kW / 201 PS). That makes it the most powerful superbike in the world, eclipsing rivals such as the 167 bhp (125 kW / 170 PS) Ducati 1198 SP, 177 bhp (132 kW / 180 PS) Aprilia RSV4 Factory APRC and the 190 bhp (142 kW / 193 PS) BMW S 1000 RR. The F4 RR’s new motor revs up to 13,700 rpm, thanks to an increase in piston diameter from 76 mm to 79 mm and a decrease in stroke from 55 mm to 50.9 mm. The completely redesigned cylinder head features larger diameter intake and exhaust valves, and they're made of titanium - the first time that material has been used for a series production MV Agusta. Completing the package is a bespoke 4-2-1-4 exhaust and a tweaked engine management system. UK pricing for the 2012 MV Agusta F4 RR has been set at £17,999 on the road. Sales are due to commence in June, with a choice of pastel red / white or matt pearl...

Toyota has beaten BMW to become the number one car brand in the BrandZ™ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands 2011, as compiled by MillwardBrown . That was achieved despite the extensive and high profile recalls for many of the company’s vehicles over the past year. However, the introduction of extended warranties, as well as independent experts finding that driver mistakes were responsible in the majority of incidents, clearly helped to minimise any damage. Toyota also topped the rankings for offering the best value, a measure of desirability versus price. Toyota: Most valuable car brand 2011 Runner-up BMW was cited as being the most recommended automotive brand, while third-place Mercedes-Benz is the most trusted. Eighth-place Ford was the only one of the ‘big three’ American manufacturers to make the top ten, which was due in part to it rejecting government bail-out money, unlike GM and Chrysler. Indeed, Ford made its highest profits for ten years, while launching attractive...

Land Rover may already be working on a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain, but the company’s South African subsidiary has gone one step further by producing an all-electric Defender in collaboration with lithium-ion battery pack specialists Axeon and Baker Performance Products. Based on a 110 High Capacity Pick Up, the Electric Defender Game Viewer Concept Vehicle is designed for use in game parks where the ability to run quietly has obvious benefits. The custom-made 300 volt 27 kW/hr battery pack fits entirely within the engine bay, so that ground clearance is unaffected and the electrical systems are kept dry when the Defender is wading. It powers an air-cooled AC induction motor that produces 79 bhp (59 kW / 80 PS), with a regenerative capacity of 13 bhp (10 kW / 14 PS), and 330 Nm (243 lb/ft) of torque. It’s said that three typical game drives can be completed on a single charge, which equates to a range of around 50 miles (80 km) plus 12 miles (20 km) in reserve. Recharging...

American electric motorcycle manufacturer Brammo is set to add four new models to its line-up. All are off-road style bikes that’ll complement the existing Enertia and Empulse: · Engage MX - a dirt bike with an anticipated price of US$9,995 excluding taxes or incentives. · Engage SMR - that suffix stands for Super Moto Racing, and it’ll cost the same as the MX. · Engage SMS - another supermoto, except this one’s designed for street use with a price tag of US$11,995. · Encite MMX PRO - a mini dirt bike, for which pricing is still to be confirmed. No performance or range figures have been released yet, but all Engage and Encite versions will feature an Integrated Electric Transmission developed by Italian firm SMRE Engineering. A problem that usually affects any direct-drive, single ratio electric vehicle is that the drivetrain set-up has to be a compromise between acceleration and top speed. IET is a six-speed transmission that gets around this issue, and its clutch a...

Jaguar has announced that its C-X75 supercar is to make it to production, with the project getting assistance from the Williams F1 team. Although the micro-turbine of the original 2010 Paris Motor Show concept will be swapped for a small capacity internal combustion engine, the C-X75 remains a hybrid thanks to a pair of electric motors powering an axle each. That arrangement is claimed to offer an astonishing combination of performance and efficiency. The targets are a 0-60 mph (96 km/h) acceleration time of under three seconds and a top speed of over 200 mph (321 km/h), combined with CO2 emissions of less than 99 g/km. What’s more, the C-X75 should be able to operate as a pure electric vehicle for at least 30 miles (50 kilometres). Williams F1’s involvement is to focus on aerodynamics, hybrid technologies and the use of carbon composites for the Jaguar’s chassis. Only 250 examples of the Jaguar C-X75 are going to be built, and prices will be between £700,000 and £900,000 d...

Volkswagen has confirmed that it will be contesting the World Rally Championship from 2013. The announcement was made in Olbia - just ahead of the Rally d'Italia Sardegna - where a concept version of the firm’s Polo R WRC was also revealed. A fourth manufacturer is good news for the series, and the arrival of Volkswagen Motorsport should provide some added competition for the existing entries from Ford, Citroën and newcomers Mini. The catalyst for the WRC’s revitalisation has undoubtedly been new cost-saving regulations, introduced at the start of this season. Like its rivals, the Polo R WRC will be powered by a 1.6 litre, turbocharged petrol engine with direct injection producing around 295 bhp (220 kW / 300 PS) and 350 Nm (258 lb/ft) of torque. Featuring all-wheel drive, bodywork alterations and various aerodynamic aids, the end package is going to have to comply with the minimum weight limit of 1,200 kilograms (2,645 lbs). Although the car is just a concept at the mome...

Following on from last year’s TZ3 Corsa , Zagato has unveiled the TZ3 Stradale. Although both models have been created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Alfa Romeo, conceptually there are some key differences. As the names imply, the one-off TZ3 Corsa was strictly a track car, whereas the TZ3 Stradale - which will have a limited production run of just nine examples - is street-legal. Underneath the carbon fibre body of the TZ3 Stradale sits a chassis and drivetrain borrowed from the defunct Dodge Viper ACR, so it gets an 8.4 litre V10 engine developing 600 bhp (447 kW / 608 PS). Unfortunately, no performance figures have been released to gauge how effective this combination is. Stylistically the striking TZ3 Stradale is defined by its prominent Kamm tail, and there’s no escaping the resemblance to the TZ3 Corsa. But are the two Zagato cars better looking than the gorgeous Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione? The answer has to be no. Related posts: Viper production ends Alfa Romeo...

The Renault Logan has been renamed the Mahindra Verito for the Indian market. It follows the termination in April 2010 of the joint venture that had been established by Mahindra & Mahindra and the French manufacturer to build the Logan locally in Nashik. Under the terms of the restructure, M&M bought out Renault’s 49 percent share in order to fully own the operation, and Logan production has continued in India via a licensing arrangement. However, it was also agreed that the Renault branding would eventually have to disappear. So, switching to the Mahindra badge comes as no surprise. The Verito model name is meant to allude to honest dependability, as it’s derived from the Latin word ‘veritas’ meaning ‘truth’. To go with the new name, Mahindra has taken the opportunity to introduce a few cosmetic tweaks. These include the fitment of roof rails, revised fog lights, side cladding and extra chrome decoration at the rear, while the interior gets new upholstery. Carried o...

Fiat has unveiled the 2012 North American-spec 500 Cabrio at the New York International Auto Show. Distinguishing the 500C is its powered dual-layer cloth roof that features a glass rear window and a spoiler with built-in central brake light. Retractable to multiple positions, it can even be folded fully back while driving at speeds of up to 50 mph (80 km/h). Fiat describes the interior of the 500C as ‘airy and roomy’, although that probably depends on how many people are sat inside at the time, and the size of those people. Claimed interior space is 76.2 cubic feet (2,157 litres), while the luggage compartment is 5.4 cubic feet (152 litres). Perhaps to distract from the its petite size, Fiat is offering a myriad of colour permutations that allow 500C owners to create a potentially unique car. There are fourteen paint finishes, three roof colours, two interior colour themes and twelve seat colour and material combinations for them to choose from. Like the hatchback, only one ...

Perhaps it’s meant as an antidote to the bulk of the Countryman, but the latest addition to the Mini range is a fold-up bike. Logically called the Mini Folding Bike, when collapsed it’ll even fit into the poky 160 litre boot of the Mini Hatch. As many of the components including the frame, forks, seat post and handlebars are made from aluminium, the bike weighs only 11 kilos. Such lightness should mean it’s not too much of an effort to lug about in the supplied transport bag. The eight gears are controlled via a grip shift and, sensibly, the drive chain - coloured neon yellow - is Teflon-coated to negate the need for messy lubrication. Available only in matt black, the Mini Folding Bike goes on sale from August 2011. A UK price has yet to be set, but in the Eurozone it’ll cost €499 via the Mini website or selected Mini dealers. Related post: Smart and Mini scooters