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Is this supercharged V8 destined for the Corvette ZR1?

This is a big week for spy shots, and apparently a friend of a friend of a “friend” snapped this little ditty of what could be the motor of the next Z06, or ZR1. Corvette Online nabbed the shot of a supercharged LT1-looking V8 mill; they cite the injector cover shape and the throttle body. The site also noted the twin-rotor supercharger with an LSA/LS9-style pulley on the front.

Trio of Mitsubishi concepts bound for Tokyo

Mitsubishi is bringing three new concepts to next month's Tokyo motor show, the first to be developed with the automaker's ‘@earth' design philosophy. The carmaker says the three will emphasize Mitsubishi's engineering and advanced technologies that embody environmental responsibility, driving pleasure, toughness and safety. Concept GC-PHEV is a full-size SUV that uses a high output PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) system and is billed as a ‘connected car' offering preventive safety technology, wireless connectivity and driver support.

Mitsubishi tease three new concepts for the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show

The three Mitsubishi Concepts heading for the Tokyo Motor Show The European Motor Shows may be over for 2013, but the Tokyo Motor Show is still to come (first public day 23rd November), and Mitsubishi are already teasing new concepts for their home show (above). All three concepts preview the future of Mitsubishi’s design language, and all three are SUVs/Crossovers of one kind or another. The biggest of the trio of concepts is the Mitsubishi Concept GC-PHEV, a proper full-size plug-in hybrid SUV, which Mitsubishi says offer dynamic driving and features MMC’s S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control) to deliver better handling and stability on-road and still be properly capable off-road.

Pride accolade for lollipop lady

A LOLLIPOP LADY who dived in front of an out-of-control car to push a group of children to safety has been honoured at an awards ceremony to celebrate the country's unsung heroes. Karin Williams, from Rhoose in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, won the prize at the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards, but the mother-of-one insisted: "I'm not brave." The 50-year-old was given the trophy by actor and comedian James Corden at a star-studded event in central London. Describing the horrifying incident in which a 61-year-old driver lost control of his car, she said: "I don't remember pushing the children away.

Drink-drive Idowu 'fled home row'

FORMER OLYMPIC triple jumper Phillips Idowu, from Essex, was caught drink driving after police were called to a domestic incident at his home. The 34-year-old, from Epping, pleaded guilty to driving his white Land Rover in the town's Bridge Hill after a night out while two and a half times the legal alcohol limit. Speaking after the case at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court, Essex Police confirmed that they had stopped Idowu as he fled a disturbance at his house.

Hamilton clairifies Vettel comments

LEWIS HAMILTON has been forced to clarify comments after suggesting Sebastian Vettel was boring Formula One fans. Hamilton voiced his frustration in the wake of Sunday's Korean Grand Prix as Vettel won his fourth successive race to stretch his championship lead over Fernando Alonso to 77 points. With Vettel now on the brink of his fourth consecutive world title ahead of this weekend's race in Japan, Hamilton likened the 26-year-old's domination to that of Michael Schumacher a decade ago.

Italdesign Giugiaro transforms 'Golf Vision 2020' winning design into hard model

Italdesign Giugiaro transformed an Istituto d'Arte Applicata e Design (IAAD) student's thesis project into a 1:4 scale model after it was chosen by Giorgetto Giugiaro as the best Masters project in the ‘Golf Vision 2020' challenge. The challenge, launched in collaboration with the carozzeria and Volkswagen, asked students to design the Volkswagen Golf of 2020. The best designs from the Bachelors and Masters courses were picked at the end of the year by renowned designer and school sponsor, Giorgetto Giugiaro.

One Lap of the Web: Classic car garage, self-parking Volvos, and the fastest cars under $30K

This tiny garage in White Plains, N.Y., plays host to many rare classics. Dominik European Car Repair has been open since 1961 and has been family-owned ever since. The garage features classic cars from the 1950s, '60s and '70s.

Mitsubishi teases three SUV concepts for 2013 Tokyo motor show

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 08 October 2013 11:00 Mitsubishi is planning a new concept car bonanza at the Tokyo motor show from 22 November 2013, with three takes on the idea of a fuel-sipping SUV. As well as revealing the future design direction for Mitsubishi’s styling, and potential new niches for its growing SUV range, the crossovers demonstrate the latest iteration of Mitsubishi’s plug-in hybrid push. There’s a full-size SUV design, plus a coupe-styled brother and a new MPV.

Official: Aston Martin Cygnet axed – fewer than 150 sold

Sir Stirling Moss was one of fewer than 150 Aston Martin Cygnet buyers Last month we reported that Aston Martin appeared to have axed their take on a supermini – the Aston Martin Cygnet – after just a couple of years. Now that news seems to be official after Reuters spoke to an Aston Martin source who also said the Cygnet sold so poorly that fewer than 150 were sold. That must make the Cygnet one of the poorest performing cars in any company’s sales history, especially as that fewer than 150 total was supposed to be 4,000 a year.

Mitsubishi previews three Tokyo concepts

MITSUBISHI will showcase three new concepts at the Tokyo Motor Show, all using SUV body styles. Heading the trio of experimental designs is the Concept GC-PHEV, a full-size SUV using a development of Mitsubishi’s plug-in hybrid drivetrain. It aims to offer the everyday advantages of an SUV and class-leading environmental credentials.

Cadillac Escalade (2013) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 08 October 2013 16:00 Struggling to cast the perfect vehicle for your new rap video? Been holding out for a new car to collect protection money in? Wait no longer: the quintessential American blingmobile is back – the all-new Cadillac Escalade.

Chrysler previews SEMA with four sketches

Chrysler is bringing its full weight to the annual SEMA show in Las Vegas on Nov. 5-8. The Pentastar brand will have at least 20 modified Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Fiat and SRT vehicles to highlight its more than 15,000 square-foot exhibit.

Mitsubishi set to unveil three concepts in Tokyo

Mitsubishi is planning the world debut of three concept cars at the 43rd Tokyo Motor Show 2013. The Mitsubishi Concept GC-PHEV is the first of three concepts and will be a full-size SUV powered by a PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) system. The GC-PHEV will offer preventative safety technology and driver support technology in addition to wireless connectivity.

Watch the 2015 Cadillac Escalade reveal live video

Meet the new 2015 Cadillac Escalade. Following up on last week's interior teaser shot, Cadillac is unveiling their newest luxury SUV at a soiree in New York City where designers are giving the full rundown on the next-generation Escalade. The show starts at 7:30 pm EDT.

'Porsche By Design' exhibition charts Porsche design history

Some of Porsche's rarest and most iconic cars will be showcased at the North Carolina Museum of Art's new exhibition, ‘Porsche by Design: Seducing Speed'. The collection, which consists of 22 cars dating back to 1938, is designed to explore the history and development of the Porsche lineup up until the present day. Amongst the models are a 1938 Type 64 Berlin-Rom racer, a 1963 Type 901 Prototype, 1969 Type 917 16-Cylinder Spyder Prototype and a 2010 Type 911 Sport Classic Carrera.

Mercedes CLA & GLA will sell 60,000 a year in the USA

Mercedes are aiming to sell 30k CLAs in the US every year It’s not all that long since the only Mercedes car US car buyers actually took seriously was the Mercedes S-Class. But times have changed and the rise in fuel prices and the collapse of the US car market has seen US car buyers looking at more ‘compact’ cars as appealing buys. Which explains why smaller cars have suddenly become an appealing ‘must have’ for car makers selling in the US, even ‘premium’ car makers.

Audi Q1 sub-compact SUV in 2016

The new Audi Q1 will look like a smaller Q3 (pictured) There was a time when saloon cars ruled the car sales charts, but they eventually went out of fashion to be replaced by the more practical hatchback. But, despite the demonising of the SUV by ‘green’ groups, compact SUVs/Crossovbers have become the favourite flavour for car buyers as they seek something practical and with the promise of a bit of go anywhere credentials (even if they are cosmetic rather than mechanical). So it’s no surprise to see cars like the Nissan Juke, Peugeot 2008 and Renault Captur starting to grab sales from small hatches.

Pink Lamborghini & Richard Hammond bring a Ray of Sunshine

Richard Hammond chats to Emilia by the pink Lamborghini Aventador There is little in life that’s as inspiring as the courage of a sick child. And organisations that make the wishes of sick children come true bring a ray of sunshine in to the lives of not just sick children, but their loved ones too. The aptly named Rays of Sunshine charity have pulled off just such a life enhancing event with the help of Lamborghini dealers H.R.

Car whiplash claim scam caught on video

Car whiplash claim scam caught on video The whole ‘Cash for Crash’ industry in the UK has got completely out of hand, fuelled not just by dishonest motorists eager for an easy few quid, but by ambulance-chasing lawyers eager to find a claim where there’s not even blame, and stupid insurance companies who sell said lawyers the details of their clients’ collisions. In fact, it does seem car insurance companies are increasingly eager to put obstacles in the way if you object that you weren’t at fault when someone crashes in to you, and would rather settle quickly than spend time, money and resources on fighting spurious claims for you. So the idea of having a dash-cam of some description to keep a record of events is a smart one, and that’s exactly what Smart Witness offers; a dash-cam that takes a 170 degree view from the driver’s perspective and records it to a smart card.

Supermarkets launch new petrol price war

British supermarkets have launched a new fuel price war which will see petrol prices dip down below the 130 pence per litre mark. Sainsbury’s was first to move, by cutting a huge 6p per litre off the price of unleaded – taking prices down to 129.9p. How to find the cheapest fuel in your area Petrol: don’t waste time and money shopping around Asda quickly followed up by saying nobody will pay more than 128.7p for a litre of petrol.

2015 Prius said to have even better fuel economy

The next Toyota Prius will get “significantly better fuel economy in a more compact package that is lighter weight and lower cost,” according to Satoshi Ogiso, the Prius program's chief engineer. Ogiso, who is also Toyota Motor Corp.'s managing officer, said the next-gen Prius' performance will reflect “significant advances” in battery, electric-motor and gas-engine technologies. He said Toyota is looking at improving miles per gallon to 55, compared with today's 50 mpg and that the next-generation Prius electric motors will be smaller and more powerful; in addition, its gasoline engine will be among the world's most efficient.

London 'black' cabs exported to Australia

THE LONDON cab is to make an appearance Down Under - but coloured white rather than the traditional black. The London Taxi Company has exported a test sample of 98 second-hand TX4 taxis to the Western Australian city of Perth where they will under go trials over the next few weeks. It has been thought fit to paint the cabs white to take account of the perpetual Perth sunshine.

CAR tech: building the world's fastest EV

By Jesse Crosse Motor Industry 07 October 2013 09:00 What if you could toss all the qualms about electric cars out the window and build one that doesn’t care one iota about range nor looking like a conservative marshmallow designed by styling clinics? The Drayson is exactly that: a Lola-chassised EV that’s been built with no intention of beating the London Congestion Charge, but instead with the sole aim of swallowing Tarmac as quickly as possible. Its top speed?

Extra Terrestrial Vehicle sells for $100k on eBay

It would be tempting to start this gallery with a 1950s B-movie style 'IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE' voiceover, complete with spooky, slightly surreal sci-fi music. And such is the styling of this ETV – or Extra Terrestrial Vehicle – you might forgive us for doing so. But while the ETV can't quite zoom to the moon, it did sell on eBay for a sky-high price.

Mind-powered ‘Emotiv’ car safety system tested

c Mind-controlled car (c) Getty-Ford ‘Neuroengineering’ company Emotiv has created a ‘mind-powered’ headset that can detect when a driver is distracted and automatically slow down the car, in an effort to improve safety. The Australian firm has already brought its most recent mind-controlled device to market – the Epoc headset. It’s this high-tech brain activity monitor that has now been adapted to determine how hard a driver is concentrating on the road ahead.

Top Gear Live schedules extra show

TOP GEAR Live has announced an extra show in Glasgow to meet huge demand, after the initial run of three performances sold out almost immediately. Tickets for the shows at Glasgow’s SSE Hydro venue went on sale on Friday at 9am, but were completely sold out within hours. Two shows had initially been scheduled for Saturday January 18, with one on Sunday January 19.

MP claims 3p for 100 metre car trip

FORMER DEFENCE secretary Liam Fox successfully claimed 3p of taxpayers' cash for a car journey of fewer than 100 metres, expenses documents show. The Conservative MP made the claim after travelling 0.06 miles, or approximately 96.5 metres, within his North Somerset constituency from a concrete firm to a constituency surgery in Yatton in October 2012. The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) notes the claim was paid last December.

The bestselling new cars in Britain

September is the biggest month of the year for new car sales in Britain: car manufacturers say it’s the most important month to get right and a good September performance is thus something of a bellwether test. The UK trade body the SMMT has just released new car registration data for September 2013, which enables us to get a picture of the state of the nation’s new car sales. And the news remains glowing.

Tesla Model S fire – are petrol or electric cars safer?

Tesla Tesla Model S fire – are petrol or electric cars safer? Last week, a Tesla Model S all-electric luxury car like that pictured above caught fire. Lithium-ion batteries – similar to those powering the Tesla – have developed something of a reputation for spontaneous combustion in recent years, including notable incidents involving not only mobile phones and laptop computers but also the Boeing Dreamliner ‘super jumbo’ passenger aircraft.