Jaguar XFR-S arrives ahead of LA debut

The Jaguar XFR-S – Jaguar’s most powerful saloon car to date – has leaked out ahead of its debut tonight at the Los Angeles Auto Show. We’re hoping that Jaguar has managed to bestow extra power on the very appealing XFR without wrecking the stuff that makes Jaguar saloons so appealing – the dynamic/ride balance – which, if they have, will make the XFR-S a more appealing bonkers sports saloon than the German offerings. The promise is all there with a new butch front end, a more aggressive body kit, chunks of carbon fibre, a huge rear wing for extra downforce, a new diffuser at the back, stiffer springs, a new rear subframe with stiffer bushes, a tweaked active diff and a tweak of the stability control for more fun.

New Renault Twingo revealed – debuts at Geneva

The new Renault Twingo revealed The new Renault Twingo has been revealed a little earlier than Renault planned with a single group photo of the new Twingo (above) after first images leaked on to the Interwebs, and Renault are promising a proper set of photos later (we’ll update then). The new Twingo takes its cues from the recent Renault Twinz Concept and is underpinned by the same rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive platform as the next generation SMART ForFour. Both the new Twingo and the new ForFour will use the same range of 3-cylinder engines complete with either a manual or dual-clutch auto ‘box, and the Twingo comes with a front end that looks like the rest of the latest Renault range and will be available in both three and five-door options.

US DoT makes rear-view cameras compulsory

The US Department of Transportation (DoT) has issued a new safety standard for rear visibility that requires mandatory fitment of rear-view cameras. The ruling applies to all new vehicles, excluding motorcycles, weighing under 10,000 pounds (4,536kg) sold from 2018. The ruling has been introduced to cut backover crashes, caused when the victim strays into the blind zone 10-40 feet (3-12m) behind the vehicle that the driver can't see using their mirrors alone.