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This is the new Audi S1

Audi has turned its limited-production Audi A1 Quattro into a full series-production model with the three-door S1 and five-door S1 Sportback. Designed to take on the likes of the new Mini Cooper S, the new entry-level Audi S models make their world debut at the Geneva show early next month. Audi says the S1 and S1 Sportback won't be sold in the U.S.

First zero-emission private hire fleet in London

You may not have heard of BYD, but it’s the world’s biggest rechargeable battery manufacturer. It also has the largest global market share for mobile phone chargers and keypads. Interesting stuff, but why is this is of interest to MSN Cars?

Smoking in cars to be banned

MPs in the House of Commons have voted in favour of amendment to the Children and Families Bill, thereby recommending a ban on smoking in cars when there are children present in England. The vote does not force the government to bring such a change into law, but has passed with a substantial majority and the recommendation is seen to have substantial public support. Labour calls for ban on in-car smoking with children Smoking in cars ‘breaks toxic limit’ During voting last night, 376 MPs supported the amendment, with 107 in opposition – giving the proposed ban a substantial 269-vote majority.

Smoking in cars containing children to be banned

SMOKING IN CARS in the presence of children is to be outlawed in England by the end of the year, Downing Street has signalled, after MPs voted overwhelmingly to make it a criminal offence. A No 10 source said Parliament had made its view clear and ministers are now looking at the practicalities of implementing the ban, with a view to getting it place before 2015. The Commons voted by 376 to 107 last night - a majority of 269 - to give the Health Secretary the power to impose a ban in England.

The Jaguar F-Type Shooting Brake that the British manufacturer should build

This is one man’s vision of what a Jaguar F-Type Shooting Brake could (and should) look like. Theophilus Chin likes to be known as an ‘automotive manipulator’ and has put his passion for cars and his computer skills to good use, creating this stunning Jaguar F-Type Shooting Brake concept. MSN Cars has already driven the ‘regular’ F-Type Coupe.

Beetle Drive Picks Up Speed

DO you feel that your Beetle is a little slow? Volkswagen might have the answer, although you’ll need to take some brave pills if you want to take advantage of its latest offering. As part of the German manufacturer’s plans to enter the motorsport scene in the U.S.

Pay Attention At The Front

THE IAM has revealed a worrying statistic as part of a survey regarding distracted driving. Of almost 1,500 drivers polled, only sixty per cent of drivers were said to concentrate when behind the wheel. The survey by IAM/Vision Critical did, however, also have some good news.

Toyota to close Australian design studio

Toyota designers at its Technical Center Asia Pacific Australia (TTCAP-AU) are to lose their jobs as part of Toyota's decision to scale back the facility's activities as well as halting all manufacturing within the country by 2017. The TTCAP-AU, which carries out all its Australian design and evaluation operations, employs 150 designers and modelers and it's possible that its activities with the Camry, Camry Hybrid and Aurion models could be scrapped, raising doubts over its future. Around 2,500 employees at Toyota's Altona manufacturing plant are expected to lose their jobs, although the effects are likely to be wider ranging.

One Lap of the Web: Metal Machine Mazdas

-- Someday, for some reason, you might find yourself in Jaworzno, Poland. And if you're there, you might drive down Grunwaldzka and make a right on Krolowej Jadwigi (we've never been to Jaworzno, actually) and end up at the Jeff Hanneman Circle Pit, a roundabout named after the late guitarist from Slayer and, therefore, the most badass road junction in the universe. The traffic circle could -- and should -- also double as a demolition derby for FSO Polonezes.

Chevrolet is bringing CNG power to the Silverado HD

Chevrolet is taking CNG-powered vehicles seriously, with so many of their trucks being used in commercial fleets, so it was perhaps no surprise that we'd see a version of the 2015 Silverado HD that can be run either on gasoline or compressed natural gas before long. Chevrolet brought the 2015 Silverado 2500 HD CNG to the Chicago Auto Show, to let prospective buyers as well as the media to learn about at the savings that could be realized with this environmentally friendly setup. The HD CNG truck will offer bi-fuel capability coupled with its 6.0-liter V8 engine that's been modified with hardened valves and valve seats to run on compressed natural gas.

Toyota to end Australian manufacturing in 2017

When Holden announced that it would no longer build cars in Australia after 2017, that country’s flagging automotive industry was effectively put on notice -- Mitsubishi had stopped building cars there in 2008, and Ford says its two plants there will close in October 2016. Now Toyota has announced that it has no option but to end vehicle Australian vehicle production. Like Holden, it will close its factories there in 2017.

Honda reveals ‘Forza’ design contest winner in Chicago

Honda teamed up with “Forza Motorsport” to reveal the winning entry in the “Forza Motorsport” Civic Si Design Contest at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show on Friday. The winner was Tiffany Labedz of Phoenix, who beat out 17,000 other members of the Xbox “Forza” community. "At Honda, we love meeting our customers where their passion lies, and the racing and custom car design in ‘Forza Motorsport’ is definitely a passion for so many Honda and Civic enthusiasts," said Tom Peyton, Honda’s assistant vice president of advertising.

Happy 25th anniversary, Mazda Miata

On Feb. 9th, 1989 at the Chicago Auto Show, Mazda unveiled a sports car that would forever change the world of sports cars: the Miata. Imagine a world without the Mazda Miata -- a cold world, cruel and desolate.

Six-door Mercedes 600 Pullman Landaulet barn-find sold for £450k

Oh goodness, this Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman Landaulet is quite possibly this author’s favourite car ever to come up for auction. Pinpointing exactly why we love it so much is hard, probably because there are just so many reasons. But when we saw it featuring in the top 10 sales at this week’s RM Auctions Paris sale, we couldn’t move on with our lives without giving it a gallery all for itself.

JLR to build Range Rover Evoque & Jaguar XJ in India

The 2014 Range Rover Evoque (pictured) joins the Jaguar XJ as new Indian-built cars Jaguar Land Rover already bolt together the Land Rover Freelander and Jaguar XF in India, which explains why they are the best-selling models in JLR’s range in India. That’s because import duties for cars in India can be as much as 170 per cent, so building cars locally make them much more competitively priced. At the Delhi Auto Expo Ralph Speth, JLR’s CEO, confirmed plans to start building the Jaguar XJ in India (including the XJ with the 2.0 litre EcoBoost engine), despite the complexity of producing as complex a car as the XJ outside the UK.

Rumor: New Toyota Supra, entry-level sports car confirmed

Fans of Japanese performance cars haven't had much to complain about lately. First we get word that Nissan is gearing up to build a production version of the Datsun 510-inspired IDx concept. Next, we learn of a new “Initial D” movie on the horizon.

Beaulieu Sets Its Sights On A World Record Attempt

IT MIGHT be best known for its collection of weird, wonderful and historically significant cars, but the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu is now reaching out to anyone with an interest in toy cars. As part of its bid to break the current world record for the longest line of toy cars, Beaulieu is asking for donations in order to topple the current record of 9,795, set in Guatemala last December. The attempt will be held in the grounds of the attraction with a continuous line, one kilometre long, of at least 10,000 cars placed end to end, starting and finishing inside the museum.

London underpass to hold flood water

A PEDESTRIAN UNDERPASS is to be turned into an emergency pond to hold hundreds of thousands of litres of floodwater threatening homes and businesses in south London. The Purley Cross underpass will be used to hold water pumped from around 400 under-threat buildings in parts of Kenley and Purley and to stop a water treatment works which supplies tens of thousands of homes from flooding, Croydon Council said. The authority said the plan to use the underground footway to hold around 600,000 litres of water from tonight was approved after its "primary" pond at Purley Depot overflowed last night.

2014 Subaru XV – less choice, more refinement

The 2014 Subaru XV (pictured) gets a bit of a tweak The Subaru XV arrived in the UK in 2012, and it’s a perfectly able and reasonably-priced compact crossover from Subaru. But within a year of launching the XV Subaru decided to inject a bit more appeal in to the XV with a price cut of £2,300 across the range and now, not more than six months later, they’re fiddling with the XV range again. The 2.0 litre petrol XV gets new valve-train components to cut engine noise and revised suspension, with extra soundproofing improving NVH levels across the range, a revised power steering system for added stability and feel  and thicker and reshaped suspension lower arm and extra reinforcement around the base of the A-Pillar for better crash performance.

David Brown Automotive’s new car teased – it’s a re-skinned Jaguar XKR

David Brown’s new car teased ahead of an April reveal Just a few weeks ago we learnt that a new garden shed maker of luxury sports cars is about to bow in to the competitive market place for bespoke, high-end cars as David Brown Automotive revealed their plans for a new car. All we really learnt with that first news – apart from the fact it brought an iconic Automotive name back in to the car world (although it’s a different David Brown) – is that David Brown Automotive were planning a luxury sport car in the classic mould. Now, ahead of a public debut of ‘Project Judi’ at Monaco’s Top Marques Show in April, David Brown has revealed that their new car will basically be a Jaguar XKR with a bespoke and original interior and exterior.

Peugeot 408 GT teased ahead of Beijing 2014 debut

Peugeot will show a new concept car at the 2014 Beijing Motor Show this April, hinting at a small four-door coupe that could rival the Mercedes-Benz CLA. The prototype will most likely be based on the French firm’s current 308 hatchback – underpinned by PSA Peugeot Citroen’s latest EMP2 platform – and will continue to evolve the brand’s new design direction. On Bing: see pictures of the Peugeot 308 Find out how much a used Peugeot 308 costs on Auto Trader The concept is thought to be relevant to the Chinese market only, however, as Peugeot already sells a 408 saloon model solely in that territory, based on its older 308 hatch.

Koenigsegg teases Agera One:1 hypercar with 1,340hp

Koenigsegg has released the first official image of its new Agera One:1 hypercar, set to make its world debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show next month. Based on the Swedish firm’s Agera R model, the One:1 concept produces a whopping 1,340hp and weighs 1,340kg, meaning the car has a power-to-weight ratio of 1,000hp per tonne. That’s a lot.

Mercedes A, B & CLA-Class get more frugal engines & new 4MATIC 4WD options

The Mercedes A,B & CLA-Class get more frugal and get new 4MATIC options The new Mercedes A-Class, B-Class and CLA-Class may not have been with us very long, but that’s not stopping Mercedes playing with what’s on offer with more frugal engines being launched and the option of 4MATIC 4WD being extended to the Mercedes A 200 CDI and 220 CDI. With an official fuel consumption of 54mpg and emissions of 125g/km, the latest Mercedes CLA 250 manages to improve emissions and economy figures by 7 per cent using a lean-burn process, without affecting performance. The Mercedes A 200 CDI gets a bigger engine – up from 1.8 to 2.2 litres – and 136hp and 221lb/ft of torque and, with the 7Speed DCT ‘box fitted, manages official consumption of 72mpg and emissions of 102g/km – 7g/km less than the old 1.8 litre A 200 CDI.

‘Fire up the Quattro!’ – Gene Hunt’s Audi for sale

IT WAS the only thing that could rival tough-talking DCI Gene Hunt for on-screen presence – and now the famous red Audi Quattro is up for sale. The hit TV show Ashes to Ashes saw Philip Glennister reprise his role as Hunt opposite Keeley Hawes as Alex Drake, but for many it was the iconic 1981 Audi that stole the show. This particular example was bought by a prop supply company for the second and third series of Ashes to Ashes, and featured in all sixteen episodes before meeting a spectacular end by being riddled with bullet holes.

'Fuel thieves' held in flood area

THREE MORE alleged fuel thieves have been arrested in the flood-stricken Somerset Levels. Police stopped the trio at 4am today near the flooded village Muchelney and found drums and an electric pump in their 4x4. The men, aged 51, 35 and 24, are now being held at Yeovil police station.

Bogus DVLA websites costing motorists

A number of websites claiming to offer Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA) test booking services are costing drivers up to three times as much for routine applications, according to new reports. The Office of Fair Trading has confirmed that these fake sites exceed the standard DVLA costs for booking a driving theory or practical test – priced at £31 and £62 respectively – but that the independently run services are not actually illegal. On Bing: see pictures of the driving test MSN Cars learner drivers guide Preying on less experienced learner drivers looking to put in for their test, these sites generally appear as sponsored links resulting from an internet search.

Top Gear Tonight: Alfa Romeo 4C, McLaren P1, Camp Bastion & SIARPC is Tom Hiddleston

Top Gear tonight sees Richard Hammond in the Alfa 4C Tonight sees the second episode of Top Gear’s 21st series, which sounds to be a lot more interesting than the less than captivating first episode of the new series last week. Richard Hammond gets to go and play on the shores of Lake Como in Italy with a car we expect he’ll like very much – the new Alfa Romeo 4C. Lots of twisty roads and a small but powerful 2-seater Alfa Romeo sound like a recipe for fun, but this is Top Gear so there’s a twist – Clarkson turns up to challenge Hammond in his 4C to a race with Clarkson on a quad bike.

Audi RS4 Avant Nogaro pays tribute to the original Audi RS – the RS2 Avant

The Audi RS 4 Avant Nogaro )pictured) commemorates 20 years of Audi RS We’ve got used to estate cars with supercar prowess from Audi in recent years, but it wasn’t always so. Until 1994 there really wasn’t an Audi that was anything more than just a titivated family car. But then came the Audi RS 2 Avant.

Dubai Police reveal Bugatti Veyron patrol car

The Dubai Police are adding a white-and-green Bugatti Veyron to their already impressive cruiser lineup. Their motor pool already includes an Audi R8 V10 Plus, Bentley Continental GT, Brabus B63S, Ferrari FF and Nissan GT-R. The Dubai Police posted a picture of the new car being introduced on their Twitter account Thursday.

Concept Car of the Week: Italdesign Machimoto (1986)

The Machimoto might look and sound like a Japanese concept, but it was developed in Europe in the Turin-based Italdesign studio, and was based on a Volkswagen Golf GTI platform. The name actually derives from MACHIna (car in Italian) and MOTOciclo (motorcycle) as the perfect hybrid between the worlds of two- and four-wheelers. Unveiled on its home turf at the Turin motor show in 1986, it landed like a UFO, shocking both the public and the press.