[40]arctic Cat Exhaust Outlet Seal; Part #: 0612-270 on 2040-parts.com

Official: Renault & Caterham to build Alpine sports cars

Renault has confirmed it is to partner with Caterham to build a range of Alpine sports cars in Dieppe from 2015. The partnership between Renault and Caterham is a logical extension of their F1 partnership but now, with the joint venture to produce their own sports cars, goes much deeper than the almost badge-engineering Williams Renaults. A new company - Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham – will be jointly owned by Caterham and Renault and will develop models in small and large volumes to be marketed as both Renault Alpine and Caterham, and will be built in Renault’s Dieppe factory that currently churns out Renaultsport models for the road and track, and is the historical home of Alpine.

Hyundai reveals i-oniq concept teaser

Hyundai has hinted at its future design direction with this single teaser shot of its ‘i-oniq’ concept car. Further details will be revealed in the run-up to next March's 2012 Geneva show, but judging by this glimpse, the concept will take the form of a large coupe with a hatchback tail. It stops short of the full shooting-brake silhouette, but there’s a hint of Brera in the curvature of its rear end. ‘Two strong arched curves define the silhouette of i-oniq, creating a playful contrast between the sharp character lines and soft but muscular features’ says Thomas Bürkle, Hyundai’s European Chief Designer.

Citroen DS4 (2011) first official pictures

Hot on the heels of the new Citroen C4 comes the new Citroen DS4, the second of the French car company’s 21st century DS models. Designed to take on sleek models like Alfa’s Giulietta and Vauxhall’s forthcoming three-door Astra, it mixes humdrum hatchback underpinnings with a more adventurous styling direction on the outside, and more luxurious materials on the inside. Essentially, yes – think along the lines of how Citroen turned the mundane C3 into the much more exciting DS3.