02-08 Mini Cooper S R53 R52 1.6l Supercharger Engine Motor Intercooler 50k Miles on 2040-parts.com

Toyota Hybrid-R Concept – a Yaris with 400bhp – teased for Frankfurt

The Toyota Hybrid-R Concept (pictured) is a 400bhp Yaris Hybrid heading for Frankfurt We’ve always believed that the best use for hybrid powertrains is to get extra performance without the penalty of increased fuel consumption. Toyota, on the other hand, have primarily used their impressive – if complicated and expensive – hybrid powertrains to yield improved economy and emissions from more prosaic cars like the Prius, Yaris and Auris. But now it looks like Toyota are ready to show us what hybrid technology can offer in the way of performance too, with a tease for what Toyota are calling the Hybrid-R Concept, which appears to be a Yaris with more than 400bhp on tap.

McLaren P1 bare carbon fibre option

McLaren are considering a full bare carbon fibre option for the P1 (pictured) With the McLaren P1 now getting close to hitting the road as a customer car (and arriving at Goodwood on the move in July), the lucky few with pockets deep enough to buy a car that will cost them pushing on £1 million are busy poring over the options for the P1. We spoke to one such customer over the weekend who was busy deciding which boxes to tick on the P1 spec sheet, and he was under the impression that McLaren were offering a full bare carbon fibre option for the P1, and at no cost. Which didn’t sound right.

SEAT Ibiza ECOMOTIVE does 100mpg

Gerhard Plattner achieved almost 100mpg in a SEAT Ibiza ECOMOTIVE But when press release came in from SEAT this afternoon telling us that a SEAT Ibiza ECOMOTIVE has just achieved a run, on real roads from Barcelona to Germany, of 1,562km and used just 45.53 litres of fuel, we had to get our calculators out (we’re so old now we can only see the reality of the achievement in mpg!). By our reckoning the Ibiza managed just a shade under 100mpg. Astonishing.