2014 BMW X3 Facelift and more efficient engines

The 2014 BMW X3 (pictured) gets a facelift and new engines The current version of the BMW X3 SUV has been with us for more than three years, so BMW are giving it a bit of a mid-cycle facelift and more frugal engines to keep the X3 on top of its – very successful – game. Engines on offer for the 2014 X3 include the 2.0 litre diesel in the sDrive18d which offers 148bhp and 56.8mpg and the 187bhp in the X3 xDrive20d which returns 52.3mpg, the xDrive30d – which gets the 3.0 litre diesel unit – with 254bhp and 47.9mpg and the X3 xDrive35 which has an impressive 309bhp but still manages official economy of 47.1mpg. When it comes to the cosmetic facelift bits, BMW hasn’t really pushed the boat out, but the new X3 does get a new headlight design which is sleeker, new front and rear bumpers and a new surround for the kidney grill, which all contrive to make the new X3 look even more like a baby X5.

Dany Bahar wants £6.7 million compensation from Lotus

The Dany Bahar saga at Lotus continues with Bahar claiming £6.7 million compensation for his firing as Lotus CEO. Back in May, ex-Ferrari man Dany Bahar was ousted as CEO of Lotus, confirmed a month later by Lotus parent DBR-Hicom who appointed Aslam Farikullah – an engineer, not a marketing man – to oversee a way forward for Lotus, and just last week Lotus put Bahar’s custom Esprit up for sale. But that appears not to be the end of dealings between DBR-Hicom and Bahar as Bahar has issued proceedings against his former employers seeking compensation of £6.7 million for wrongful dismissal.

VW Passat Alltrack (2012) first official pictures

The poor man's Audi A6 Allroad? The new Volkswagen Passat Alltrack follows a well-trod path to create a more rugged estate car with some of the accoutrements of an SUV. Set to be unveiled at the 2011 Tokyo motor show at the end of November, the new Passat in wellies will arrive in UK dealers in July 2012.