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Tesla Model S UK Prices – starts at £54,900

Tesla Model S UK Prices – starts at £54,900 We’d always expected the appealing Tesla Model S EV to cost at least £60k for the entry-level model, so it’s a pleasant surprise that you’ll be able to grab the 60kWh model with its (up to) 240 mile range for £49,900 after the UK taxpayer has chipped in a £5,000 bribe to get you to drive an EV. Even the range-topping Model S Performance with its 310 mile range, 416bhp and a very rapid 0-62mph of 4.2 seconds will only cost £68,700 (after £5k rebate). That’s almost a bargain, especially if you get your model S courtesy of your business.

Ken Okuyama Design heads to Tokyo with new road racer [w/video]

Ken Okuyama Design is heading to the Tokyo motor show with what promises to be a real treat of a two-seat sports car. The Kode9 coupé, as teased in a behind-the-scenes video, follows on from the Kode7 first shown in 2008 and, if the video is any indication, this voluminous, 1960s-inspired creation will continue that car's attention to delightful detail. And who doesn't love a car with a vertical tail fin?

New Porsche 911 Speedster reportedly in the works

When European-car importer Max Hoffman suggested to Porsche that the American audience might like a cheaper, open-top version of the company's 356, Stuttgart responded with the Speedster. And while every Porsche partisan is a special snowflake -- some love road-going racers like the 904, others can't imagine life without a roof-rack-equipped 912, others go gaga for anything with a legit, lift-off Targa top, and some folks just really, really, really love 924s -- the Speedster's the light, lovable kid brother for which any fan of the marque has a measure of affection. Porsche knows it, and as such, they've introduced limited Speedster models of every 911 series since the 3.2 Carrera -- except for the oft-maligned 996 (which is still loved by its proponents, IMS-bearing issues aside).

Honda FCEV concept for 2013 LA debut

Honda has revealed an official sketch of its new FCEV concept that will debut at the 2013 Los Angeles Motor Show. Normally, this wouldn’t be much of a reason to raise even an eyebrow, but Honda has also confirmed that this new concept points to the future design direction of its next fuel cell electric vehicle. On Bing: see pictures of fuel cell electric vehicels Find out how much a used Honda costs on Auto Trader Given that, you can probably guess that FCEV stands for Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle.

Toyota campervan takes on VW California

Always had that urge to be a carefree campervan fan, but so absolutely hung up on vehicle reliability that you can’t leave the driveway without checking the oil and making sure all the electric windows work? What if we said you could have a camper based on a Toyota – like this new Proace conversion from G&P. Sandon-based G&P has just unveiled the new Proace camper at the 2013 Motorhome and Caravan Show.

SEMA 2013: What's Right By Rong

Preval Project Woody Blake Z. Rong Preval calls this the "Fairy Tale Auto Ambitious Project Rover," whatever that means. For the low, low price of if you gotta ask, spraygun enthusiasts Preval will transform your Range Rover convertible -- all the rage in the Michelle Pfeiffer days -- into something resembling The Flintstone's Beach Buggy had they decided to cash in their 401ks and retire to Manhattan Beach.

Kia Soul EV coming in 2014

Kia introduced the new Soul EV on Nov. 11. The boxy hatchback, set to go on sale in 2014, will be the company’s first foray into zero-emissions vehicles outside of the Korean market.

LA Design Challenge 2013: The Entries

The LA Auto Show Design Challenge entries have been revealed, featuring designs from nine of the world's top design studios. JAC, Mazda, SAIC, Qoros, Subaru, Changfeng, Toyota and two groups from BMW DesignworksUSA have submitted designs for the challenge, themed ‘Biomimicry & Mobility 2025: Nature's Answer to Human Challenges'. This year's brief asked for designs for a vehicle experience that identify issues like congestion, pollution, sustainability, flexibility and safety in designing a mobility solution that mimics nature to solve them.

Jaguar breaks down XF, XK and XJ for 2014

Jaguar broke down its lineup for 2014 on Tuesday. There aren't too many changes for the new model year, but there are a few. The XF gets a new package that includes blind spot monitor, adaptive front lights, and intelligent high beams.

Marcello Gandini laments today's 'fake' concepts

Marcello Gandini has branded current concept cars fakes and "little more than maquettes" in an interview about Bertone's extensive concept car history. The enigmatic designer, whose work with the design house stretches back to the late ‘60s, expressed his dislike of today's "fiberglass cars" and claims they can't hold a candle to the well-built concepts of old. He praises Nuccio Bertone's vision and his insistence on producing fully working, "almost driveable" concepts throughout the coachbuilder's existence.

More shots from SEMA 2013

We finally found our way back home from SEMA, drained the sand out of the camera and came across a few more cool cars. Davey G. Johnson already sent his leftovers and we hear Blake Z.

2014 Lexus CT 200h Facelift to debut at Guangzhou Motor Show

2014 Lexus CT 200h Facelift to debut at Guangzhou Motor Show Remarkably, the Lexus CT 200h arrived as a ‘baby’ Lexus more than three years ago at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, so it’s time for a bit of a facelift. That facelift for the 2014 model year will debut next week, not at the big shows in Tokyo or Los Angeles but at China’s Guangzhou Motor Show before going on sale as the 2014 Lexus CT 200h. Lexus aren’t telling us what they’ve done under the skin of the CT 200h – if anything – but the new CT 200h does finally get the new Lexus spindle grill to make it a full-fledged member of Lexus’s modern family.

Lotus Elise S Cup R poised for US consumption

Lotus can’t sell its road cars in North America anymore (dang safety regulations!), but that won’t stop them from sending some hardcore track vehicles here for the true enthusiasts. Enter the Lotus Elise S Cup R. The Cup R variant of the Elise sports a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, delivering 217 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque with help from a Magnuson R900 supercharger.

Aston Martin adds glamour to Lord Mayor's Show

FAMOUS British brand Aston Martin brought some extra glamour to the capital at the weekend as the firm took part in the historic Lord Mayor's Show. A selection of its sports cars joined the three-and-a-half-mile-long cavalcade at the invitation of The Worshipful Company of Coachmakers and Coach Harness Makers of London, which selected Aston Martin to participate in its centenary year. The Aston Martins, which included a Vanquish Coupe dressed in the unmistakable Union Jack-inspired livery of the UK Government’s GREAT Britain campaign, made their way through the capital’s packed streets as an estimated half million spectators looked on.

2014 Mercedes-Benz S-class gets armored

The release of every new Mercedes-Benz S-class is followed by the release of various coachbuilt variants months later, including versions that offer various levels of ballistic protection. SEMA itself produces a factory-made armored S-class. which for the past several generations of the car has been marketed as S-class Guard.

Olympic Amy aims for rallying gold

OLYMPIC GOLD medallist Amy Williams OBE is taking on new challenge when she takes part in the Wales Rally GB that starts on 14 November. Williams will be driving a rally-prepared Mitsubishi Evo and will be co-driven by veteran expert and Sky Sports News Formula One pundit Tony Jardine. Although she had never competed in a rally until recently, Williams has had an intensive 10 weeks of training, including tuition from professional rally driver Elfyn Evans.

UK electric car sales hit record high

While electric cars may not have taken off as quickly as the likes of Renault and Nissan had hoped, the latest figures from the government’s £5,000 electric car grant scheme show that sales have leapt 25% in the last quarter. A total of 1,149 electric cars were registered in Q3, not only a 25% improvement over Q2, but the most successful quarter since the government scheme began back in January 2011, indicating that consumers are starting to understand the technology and its limitations rather better. On Bing: see pictures of electric cars in the UK Find out how much an electric car costs on Auto Trader This news comes as the Renault-Nissan alliance has been forced to admit it is not going to reach its self-imposed target of 1.5 million electric car sales by 2016.

Facelifted Lexus CT200h at 2013 Guangzhou show

Next week is already daft enough, what with the 2013 Tokyo and Los Angeles Motor Shows kicking off on the same day – Wednesday 20 November. Now it turns out there’s a third motor show happening at the same time, the 2013 Guangzhou Motor Show in China. And for some reason, Lexus has chosen Guangzhou to debut the revised CT200h hybrid hatchback.

Peugeot RCZ R UK price from £31,995

The new Peugeot RCZ R (pictured) will cost £31,995 in the UK The Peugeot RCZ is an appealing little sports coupe from Peugeot which, with a different badge and greater performance, might garner more kudos than it does. There’s little Peugeot can do about the badge, but they have done something about the power on offer with the arrival of the RCZ R at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this summer. Now, the Peugeot RCZ is about to go on sale in the UK – order books open on 18th November – and it will cost a not unreasonable £31,995.

George Formby's Rolls Royce goes to auction

A CLASSIC 1950 Rolls-Royce originally owned by British comedian and film star George Formby is up for grabs at auction on 30 November. The 1950 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith was on display at that year’s Earls Court Motor Show and caught Formby’s eye, so he bought it there and then. Formby was a big customer for Rolls-Royce and owned 26 of the British luxury cars during his lifetime.

Carfest dates announced for 2014

CHRIS EVANS has announced his popular Carefest shows will take place again in 2014, with dates confirmed as 1-3 August and 22-24 August. Hosted by the car-loving Radio 2 DJ, Carfest North on 1-3 August will be held at Oulton Park racing circuit in Cheshire. Three weeks later, Carfest South will take place at Laverstoke Park in Hampshire, owned by former Formula One World Champion Jody Scheckter, on 22-24 August.

North East worst for road safety

THE NORTH EAST of England has the worst rates for deaths and serious injuries on England’s roads according to data from the Department for Transport. In 2012, the number of deaths and serious injuries in the North East increased by 8%, with an extra 65 incidents recorded compared to 854 in 2011. The South East of England, which suffered some of the worst statistics in 2011, is now the most improved region.

Driverless 'pods' to hit Milton Keynes

DRIVERLESS cars will transport people through the streets of a British town in a £1.5 million project aimed at boosting green technology. From 2015 an initial batch of 20 driver-operated "pods", which will be able to carry two people, will be run on designated pathways separated from pedestrians in Milton Keynes. But by mid-2017 it is planned that 100 fully autonomous vehicles will run on pathways alongside people, using sensors to avoid collisions with obstacles.

Concils 'confident' over winter salt stockpiles

COUNCILS are confident they can cope with bad-weather conditions on the roads this winter. A survey shows that local authorities in England and Wales have stockpiled more salt for this winter than last. A total of 1.3 million tonnes was stockpiled for winter 2012/13 and the Local Government Association (LGA) shows that 95% of councils are either maintaining or increasing stock levels this winter.

Jaguar Land Rover reveals huge profits growth

Jaguar Land Rover has reported half-year profits have broken the £1 billion barrier, with profit before tax of £1.083 billion marking a massive 42% year-on-year increase. Profits in the last three months alone were £668 million, said the firm. MORE new British jobs for Jaguar Land Rover Range Rover: why it is already battling Bentley The strong results are thanks to continued sales growth for the two British luxury car brands: sales over the past three months increases 21% to 102,644 cars – beating even the half-year sales rise of 16% to just over 197,000 vehicles.

American muscle and hot rods at SEMA 2013: in pictures

As they say in the States, "there aint no replacement for displacement" – a theory all of the vehicles in our SEMA 2013 American muscle and hot rods gallery subscribe to. Some tuners at SEMA use turbocharging and supercharging to achieve massive horsepower levels from modified cars, but not most of the companies behind the tweaks on these American muscle cars and hot rods – green these vehicles most definitely aren’t, mean they most certainly are. Please click on the image above to read more on American muscle cars and hot rods at SEMA 2013…

'Concept Cars by Bertone' 2014 Degler Calendar out now

‘Concept Cars by Bertone' is the theme of the 2014 Degler Calendar by automotive photographer Pitor Degler Jablonski, which showcases some of the most important and unique prototypes designed by the coachbuilder. Through his photography Jablonski celebrates car design icons such as Nuccio Bertone's own racecar, advanced concepts such as the Stratos Zero and Marcello Gandini's Lamborghinis as well as the recent designs of Mike Robinson, Bertone's current brand and design director. The 12 cars featuring in the 2014 Degler Calendar will be:  1947 Fiat Barchetta 1955 Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1967 Lamborghini Marzal 1968 Alfa Romeo Carabo 1969 Autobianchi Runabout 1970 Lancia Stratos Zero 1976 Alfa Romeo Navajo 1984 Chevrolet Ramarro 1999 Alfa Romeo Bella 2003 Bertone Birusa 2007 Fiat Barchetta 2010 Alfa Romeo Pandion Every year the calendar will carry different themes like carrozeria classics, rally cars or dream cars.

Electric Kia Soul EV review: in pictures

Electric cars haven’t been embraced with the enthusiasm that the manufacturers hoped for. Early adopters loved them, but then it all seemed to fizzle out. The limited range between recharging can’t be overlooked.

2014 Nissan Qashqai close to being driverless

Nissan has revealed that the new 2014 Qashqai is just one step away from becoming a self-driving car. Packed with technology, the Qashqai can already do an awful lot with little driver input, including park, read road signs and avoid collisions. New 2014 Nissan Qashqai revealed in pictures Nissan teases all-new 2014 Qashqai crossover The only missing link is the computer software to make it drive itself – and Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn  has said that this could be in place as early as 2020.

Auctioned Chevy Trax provides Man Utd charity boost

A CHEVROLET Trax that had been autographed by the 2012/13 Premier League-winning Manchester United team has helped raise more than £17,500 for charity. The car, bearing signatures from players including Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand, sold via an eBay auction for £14,301 as part of a wider auction of Manchester United memorabilia donated by Chevrolet. The money will go to the Manchester United Foundation to support its Ability Counts football programme, which offers disabled people the opportunity to play or coach with Manchester United and has more than 150 players aged from eight to 40 years old.