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Jaguar Mk2 (2014) unveiled by Ian Callum and Classic Motor Cars

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 28 August 2014 13:26 Jaguar design chief Ian Callum often references the Jag Mk2. And for good reason; it set the tempo for sports saloons and was an influential forebear of modern hot-rods such as the XFR. So it should come as no surprise that Callum has teamed up a Jaguar specialist to build his own modern Mk2 homage.

Premium Sound System For Premium Lexus SUV

JAPANESE car maker Lexus has released a new version of its RX premium SUV. The firm claims that its RX 450h Advance model is even more generously equipped than before, with the added luxury of a Mark Levinson premium 7.1 surround sound system as standard. Despite the inclusion of the Lexus-bespoke audio package (that has a £1,000 list price) and a set of new-design 19-inch alloy, wheels, the price tag for the new Advance variant is unchanged, matching its predecessor at £48,495.

The fastest - and slowest - selling used cars revealed by Glass’s

The Mitsubishi Mirage and Ford Focus: the slowest- and fastest-selling used cars revealed by Glass's By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 28 August 2014 12:17 The best and worst secondhand cars have been revealed in a survey revealing which models sell quickly and which hang around like a bad smell. The list, compiled by used-car pricing gurus at Glass’s, claims that the Ford Focus is Britain’s fastest-selling secondhand car. On average, it takes just 24.9 days to sell a Focus on the used market in Britain.

Ian Callum’s hot-rod love affair: his 1932 Ford Hi-Boy Coupe

By Tim Pollard Motoring Issues 28 August 2014 16:32 Jaguar design director Ian Callum unveiled his new-for-2014 Mk2 today – but this is far from his first hot-rod influenced car. Back in February 2007, CAR ran a beautiful seven-page feature on Callum’s own project at the time: a lovingly restored 1932 Ford hot-rod. He’s been a fan of the rodding scene forever and back in 2001 he met Jon Golding of Home Grown Hot Rods.

Renault Sport RS 01

The Renault Sport RS 01 is the company's first series-production result of its intention to re-enter the sports car segment, as signalled by the DeZir and Alpine A 110-50 concepts. The car, however, is a track-only creation for the World Series by Renault racing championships. While we usually wouldn't cover racing cars, Renault's design department has clearly been heavily involved in the RS 01's development.

Revealed: the cheapest and most expensive cars to fuel

Running a car can be an expensive business, with fuel a major contributing factor, especially if you happen to cover long distances. As we know, fuel isn’t cheap. Fortunately, independent car cost experts CAP constantly collect millions of pieces of data about thousands of new and used cars in the UK, helping to produce its Total Cost of Motoring analysis.

What do you think of Ian Callum’s take on the Jaguar Mark 2?

Jaguar design director Ian Callum is a well-documented hot-rod fan – he already owns a '32 Ford Hi-Boy Coupe – but what would happen if he were to ‘re-interpret' a past product of the company he now works for? The ‘Mark 2 by Callum' is the result of an 18-month long project with British reengineering and restoration company CMC. "This is a very personal statement.

New Mercedes ML to be the Mercedes GLE

The Mercedes Concept Coupe (pictured) will arrive as the Mercedes GLE Coupe Car makers’ model ranges have grown massively in recent years and that, in a lot of cases, has left traditional model designations floundering to inform potential buyers. Mercedes has made some moves of late to address the lack of clarity in model designations (the Mercedes CL, for example, has become the new Mercedes S-Class Coupe), and new models have started to arrive with more descriptive names. Models like the CLA (a coupe from the A-Class range) and GLA (an SUV/Crossover from the A-Class range) and that looks set to be extended when the next Mercedes ML and ML Coupe arrive in 2015.

CAR interviews Hermann Tilke, the F1 architect (2014)

By Tom Clarkson Motor Industry 27 August 2014 09:50 Is this man a genius? You have to hope so because he’s designed half the tracks on this year’s Formula One calendar; and cars, irrespective of their performance, are only as spectacular as the tracks around which they’re racing. Monaco is utterly captivating, Bahrain less so – you get the idea.

Suzuki Vitara is back! New small SUV bound for Paris show 2014

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 27 August 2014 17:21 The Suzuki Vitara is coming of age - and this first official picture suggests the populist SUV is growing up to become a slicker, more mainstream 4x4. It’s certainly a far cry from the 1980s Vitara which became synonymous with a certain strata of society (see second picture in our gallery). Due to be shown at the 2014 Paris motor show, the new Suzuki Vitara is a mid-sized crossover aimed at on-road driving rather than fording your local stream en route to the gymkhana.

Tax discs will be scrapped in October: do you know the rules?

Paper tax discs will soon be scrapped forever, but a survey of drivers has found that a half are clueless about the new rules. The survey, of more than 1,000 people, suggests that the DVLA has failed to efficiently inform motorists of the changes – despite them coming in from the 1 October 2014. Click on the image above to find out more about the new tax disc rules

2015 Suzuki Vitara revealed – the Vitara returns!

The new Suzuki Vitara – debuts at the Paris Motor Show When the Suzuki  iV-4 Concept was revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year, in the spring, we knew it previewed a new model from Suzuki rather than a replacement for a model in its current range. But what we didn’t know is that Suzuki would revive a familiar badge for the production version of the  iV-4 Concept, but they have with the arrival of the new 2015 Suzuki Vitara. The new Vitara isn’t too far off the  iV-4 Concept in looks – just a bit more ‘production and a bit less ‘Concept’ – and will come with front-wheel-drive as standard, but you will be able to spec a new Vitara up with Suzuki’s ALLGRIP 4WD and a selection of engines offering ‘outstanding’ fuel economy.

Renaultsport R.S 01 first pictures: Renault’s new 2014 racer revealed

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 27 August 2014 16:26 If you were worried that Renaultsport had lost its mojo after the lacklustre Clio RS, think again: it’s just unveiled the new Renaultsport R.S 01, a wild and focused track racer for the Trophy one-make series. Weighing less than 1100kg thanks to its Dallara-sourced carbonfibre chassis, the R.S 01 has a 3.8-litre V6 engine developing ‘more than 493bhp.’ The engine is borrowed from in-house alliance partner Nissan’s GT-R Nismo high-performance coupe, and is breathed on by two turbochargers. It’s mounted amidships and revs to an angry-sounding 6800rpm.

Renaultsport R.S. 01 race car revealed by Renault

Renaultsport R.S. 01 race car revealed by Renault Heading for the Renault World Series Championship next year, the Renaultsport R.S. 01 has been unveiled this morning by Renault as a race car that sits between a GT3 sports car and DTM race car in terms of performance.

2015 Volvo XC90 photos leak early

New Volvo XC90 photos leak out Update: 2015 Volvo XC90 Officially revealed Perhaps Volvo’s Coupe Concept of the new XC90 wasn’t a great move, as it raised expectations that the new 2015 XC90 would be a properly stylish SUV. In fact, it’s a new car that looks more like an evolution of the 2002 XC90 than a cutting-edge new model. But that’s probably being a bit churlish as the new XC90 certainly offers lots of new tech, new engines and a raft of technology that makes the new XC90 very cutting-edge.

Why the Volvo XC90 changed the modern face of Volvo

By Tim Pollard Motoring Issues 26 August 2014 08:29 Volvo is a brand that’s quietly undergone some serious change in recent years. From a purveyor of boxy practicality through an attempt to inject some R-flavoured, BTCC-hooning sporting excitement; from a Swedish outpost of the Ford empire to Chinese ownership. Volvo’s seen it all over these past three decades.

Workers misspell 'bus' on road markings

WORKMEN have given road users something to chuckle about by misspelling the word 'bus' during roadworks. "Bup stop" was painted on to the road surface in Bristol in large yellow lettering at the end of last week, with the stencilled letter P used instead of S. The mistake was made as part of road repairs which are likely to last up to four weeks in the Old Market area of the city centre.

Parents 'risking kids' lives' on defective tyres

MORE THAN 30% of parents are ferrying their most precious cargo around on illegal tyres, a new study has found. Road safety charity TyreSafe has reported that one of its members carried out a study at a Shropshire primary school, where almost a third of the cars dropping children off at school were wearing tyres that were either past their wear markers, were incorrectly inflated, had bulges or cuts, or had foreign objects sticking out of them. “The start of the new academic year means that we will be experiencing many more cars on the roads, particularly at peak times of the day,” comments Stuart Jackson, chairman, TyreSafe.

Tunnels get F1 ace Räikkönen buzzing

FERRARI's Formula One aces Fernando Alonso and Kimi Räikkönen put pleasure before business at the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, taking to a specially-made track in a hyper-exclusive 458 Speciale in a test of driving excitement. The stars travelled down the road from the famous Spa circuit to an event hosted by Shell, Ferrari's fuels and lubricants partner, where a 1.2km circuit built for excitement had been put together, featuring a tunnel full of laser lighting, a simulated winter corner with authentic whirling snow, and an F1-style starting grid. The tunnel flicked Kimi's switch more than any other part of the track, with the telemetry showing a spike in excitement levels as he hit the power through the multi-coloured lasers and smoke.

Nissan 370Z Nismo (2014) gets new look and aero

By Phil McNamara First Official Pictures 26 August 2014 13:23 Nissan is revamping its 370Z range, with the spotlight on a revised flagship coupe fettled by Nissan Motorsport – or Nismo as it’s better known. Due in late 2014, the 370Z Nismo gets a new aero kit, claimed to boost downforce ‘significantly’ at speed. Out goes the 2013 Nismo’s lairy rear wing for a more subtle, 911 2.7 RS-esque ducktail affair, which works in tandem with the new front splitter to evenly split more downforce over the front and rear axles.

The 1980s classic cars that could become MOT-free

A change of law in 2012 meant that cars registered before 1960 no longer have to pass the yearly test for roadworthiness known as the MOT. However, a new EU directive means that, from 2018, this could be extended to all cars more than 30 years old, as long as they haven’t been substantially modified. Click on to read more about cars over 30-years-old becoming MOT exempt

2015 Nissan 370Z Nismo facelift revealed

2015 Nissan 370Z Nismo facelift revealed It’s only a year or so since the new Nissan 370Z Nismo arrived in the UK, but Nissan is already rolling out a new and improved version. The cosmetic tweaks are the usual fodder of a new front bumper – which takes its cues from the GT-R – new LED running lights, red highlights for the vents, new side sills and door mirrors and a smaller spoiler than before. On the inside, the changes amount to red and black leather, Alcantara and a new set of Recaros.

Volvo XC90: first pictures, prices and news of Volvo’s new 2014 SUV

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 26 August 2014 23:01 The new 2014 Volvo XC90 has finally been unveiled - after several months of drip-feed teasing. Some may argue it’s several years late; the XC90 Mk1 was launched way back in 2002 and has soldiered on through two generations in a single lifecycle. The new Volvo XC90 is a clean-sheet design and is a significant moment in Volvo’s history.

Volvo XC90 (2015)

After three highly-regarded concept cars and a rather extended gestation period, the first of the new generation of Volvo cars, the XC90 SUV, has been unveiled. Designed – at least latterly – under the auspices of Thomas Ingenlath, who joined the sole remaining Swedish brand from VW as its design director in March 2012, the new Volvo XC90 is the first to sit on the company's new, modular SPA platform (Scalable Product Architecture, if you're interested). This allows more freedom in terms of proportions, with a particularly generous axle-to-dashboard distance.

Wraps Come Off Seat’s New Lifestyle Wagon

SPANISH car maker Seat has confirmed pricing and specification the latest edition to its popular Leon line-up. Called X-Perience, the new lifestyle estate with permanent four-wheel-drive and chunky off-roader looks will start from £24,385 when it hits the showroom this December. With four-wheel-drive and extra ground clearance, Leon X-Perience is said to be capable in all road situations and poor weather conditions.

2016 Ford Focus RS hits the Nurburgring (video)

2016 Ford Focus RS hits the Nurburgring One car Ford has failed to produce in the latest Focus is the Focus RS, but that is set to change with plans for a new range-topping Focus RS hitting Ford’s showrooms in 2016, a year before the current Focus is due for an update. So it’s no surprise to see Ford starting to blat the new Focus RS round the Nurburgring – albeit using a Focus ST as a mule for the RS’s powertrain – ahead of a probable reveal late in 2015. Almost certainly powering the new Focus RS is the 2.3 litre EcoBoost from the new Ford Mustang, which gets 304bhp in the Mustang but which is expected to get as much as 345bhp in the new RS – as much as the old Focus RS500 managed.

Manzoni, Ingenlath and Hildebrand to speak at Auto Design Prague

The fourth annual Auto Design Prague conference will take place on 18 September at the National Technical Library in Prague-Dejvice. The event is open to professionals and the wider public, and will include a program of 10 presentations by designers including vice president of Ferrari design, Flavio Manzoni; Volvo design director Thomas Ingenlath; Jaguar's advanced design director, Julian Thompson, and Qoros head of design, Gert Hildebrand. Flavio Manzoni, Ferrari In addition to the talks, visitors will also be able to sample the wares of conference partners that supply a host of design tools and services, including virtual prototyping software, 3D printers, and prototype construction.

UK still a nation of middle-lane hoggers

DRIVERS in the UK are still hogging the middle lane and the M25 is the worst road for this poor driving habit. One in six British drivers admits hogging the middle lane and drivers over the age of 65 are the most likely to do this. Five of the top 10 worst stretches of road for middle lane hoggers were on the M25 that orbits London, making it the worst road in the UK for this driving behaviour.

Ferrari 456: why Maranello is considering a V6 entry-level supercar

By Georg Kacher Motor Industry 25 August 2014 07:00 Ferrari is readying the next generation of supercars – and we’ve already reported how it’s about to start turbocharging the majority of its sports cars. But there’s another corner of Maranello’s R&D skunkworks which is developing V6 power for future sports cars. We do not have official confirmation yet, but intelligence indicates that the new twin-turbo V6 is a 2.9-litre unit, designed to be long-term street-legal and affordable in big growth markets such as China.

Land Rover Discovery Sport revealed – in miniature

The toy versions of the Land Rover Discovery Sport revealed Land Rover have been busy teasing the new Land Rover Discovery Sport – the replacement for the Freelander – ahead of its debut on 3rd September. We’ve already had the new Discovery Sport out testing, a good look at the Sport’s interior and, of course, the initial review of the Discovery Vision Concept that previewed the new Disco Sport. But now, ahead of a debut in a week or two, we get the Discovery Sport revealed early thanks to a photo of a couple of die cast models of the new Disco.