Alpine A110-50 concept car (2012) first picture leaks

The first photo has leaked of Renault's new Alpine sports car, the A110-50. It's a concept car due to be shown at the Monaco grand prix this weekend, according to online reports of an official announcement due on Friday 25 May. Only this single photo has been published ahead of the embargo - revealing a low, blue sports car with heavy overtones of the Renault Dezir concept car first shown at the 2010 Paris motor show.

BMW Concept5 X5 eDrive revealed. It’s a plug-in Hybrid X5

The BMW Concept5 X5 eDrive (pictured) will debut at Frankfurt The arrival of the BMW Concept X5 eDrive ahead of its debut at Frankfurt next month doesn’t preview and immediate addition to the X5 range of a plug-in hybrid, but it does show what will be on offer in a year or two. Just like yesterday’s Mercedes S500 plug-in hybrid, the X5 eDrive is another example of how car makers have developed their way round CO2 taxation levels by throwing electric motors at ICE engines to create a car that offers impressive emissions and economy on official tests. In the case of the X5 eDrive that means a four-cylinder twin power ICE engine (BMW aren’t saying, but we’re assuming its a petrol engine), a 94bhp electric motor and a lithium-ion battery under the boot all working together to produce an X5 that is capable (at least in official tests, which is all that matters) of 74.3mpg and emissions under 90g/km.

2012 Audi A6 Avant arrives

The new Audi A6 Avant arrives It’s a strange thing, but we find the Avant version of the Audi A6 somehow more appealing than the regular saloon. It shouldn’t be so; surely the Estate is the utilitarian option? But there’s something hugely appealing about a load lugger that can offer real saloon car levels of comfort and handling (and even barking mad performance in the RS6 Avant).