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One Lap of the Web: Living-room Lambos, a zombie Cayenne and the curse of Merkur

We spend a lot of time on the Internet -- pretty much whenever we're not driving, writing about or working on cars. Since there's more out there than we'd ever be able to cover, here's our daily digest of car stuff on the Web you may not otherwise have heard about. -- The rich really are different than you and me ...

New Nissan Terrano is a rebadged Dacia Duster

The new Nissan Terrano (pictured) is a rebadged Dacia Duster The Dacia Duster SUV has been taking Europe by storm for several years with its combination of cheapness, ruggedness and a surprising ability to do its job. In tough economic times budget buys are a big seller, and with the Dacia Duster SUV costing from just £8995 (although you’ll need to pay more for a 4WD version) Dacia have been able to sell as many as they can build. That meant the UK and Ireland having to wait for the Duster to arrive until capacity could be found in India to build RHD versions, and now it seems Nissan are about to utilise its production facilities in Chennai to turn out a new Nissan Terrano that is actually a rebadged Dacia Duster.

Jaguar XF gets a few tweaks for 2014 MY

The Jaguar XF gets a new engine and tweaks for 2014 In many ways the Jaguar XF is Jaguar’s most complete car, and significant updates since it launched in 2008 have kept it fresh and appealing. But the tweaks Jaguar has wrought for 2014 are relatively minor as the XF gets towards the end of its current cycle, the most significant of which is an upgrade to the 2.2 litre diesel engine. The 2.2 litre ECO2 engine is a replacement for the 161bhp entry-level diesel in the 2013 XF and gets revised cooling and bigger EGR valves which have conspired to improve official economy, and therefore reduce emissions (to 128g/km) handily putting the 2.2 XF in to a lower BIK band (down from 21 to 19 per cent).

MPG or performance: It's a trade with turbos

Some automakers say turbochargers offer high fuel economy and quick acceleration, the best of both worlds. Well, yes and no. Turbocharged vehicles allow automakers to keep power output high while they downsize engines for better fuel economy.

San Marino Motor Classic celebrates its third year

There may be more car collections hidden in Southern California garages, hangars and warehouses than anywhere else in the world, and Aaron Weiss knows almost all of the collectors. Weiss, along with co-founders Ben Reiling, Paul Colony and a large contingent of car-crazy compatriots and sponsors, put together the third annual San Marino Motor Classic on June 9 with 250 cars ranging from grand tourers to a Wells Fargo stage coach hauling guests around the show. “It's the best of the public and private collections in the Los Angeles area,” said emcee Ed Justice Jr., president of industry products company Justice Brothers.

Apple announces 'iOS in the Car'

Since Apple pulled out of the San Francisco Macworld event, the company's Worldwide Developer Conference has taken the place of primacy on its product-announcement calendar. On Monday, they hinted at new Mac Pros, unveiled iOS 7's flattened interface and unveiled their Pandora-fighting iTunes Radio service. That's nice and all.

Chrysler's high-stakes 'no' to NHTSA

DETROIT -- For 17 years, automakers have complied with every request for a recall, no matter how costly, from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. And then last week, in a startling decision, Chrysler Group said no. It refused a request from NHTSA to recall 2.7 million 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokees and 2002-07 Libertys for an alleged fire risk caused by fuel tanks mounted behind the rear axle.

2015 Ford Mustang spotted testing

Well, we've seen some images of the new Mustang out testing. We can say definitively that it's got four wheels and a longish hood. We decided not to buy the photos because with all the black cladding, it may as well be an R34 Skyline with aftermarket headlights.

Audi prices 2014 diesel A6, A7 and Q5

Audi priced a handful of its diesel models on Monday. The 2014 A6 TDI, A7 TDI and Q5 TDI models will all arrive at U.S. dealers in late summer.

2014 BMW X5 35d spotted high-altitude testing

BMW has dropped details on its next X5 SUV, but somehow a new model just feels more real once it's been spotted out and about during final shakedown testing. That's what happened here as eagle-eyed reader Todd H. caught up with a test-fleet 2014 BMW X5 35d diesel making the high-altitude test rounds in Colorado.

2014 Jeep Cherokee price to start at $23,990

For better or worse, we know what the 2014 Jeep Cherokee looks like. Now, we know how much it will cost as well: $23,990. That's the base price of $22,995 plus a $995 destination charge.

Studio Torino offers Porsche Cayman-based Moncenisio

Studio Torino, the firm that brought us the little known RK Spider and RK Coupe -- both based on Porsches -- is sending another vehicle to market this November called the Moncenisio. The Moncenisio is based on the 2013 Porsche Cayman S, and will carry all of the same mechanicals, with a body designed by Daniele Gaglione. That means a power output of 325 hp and 272 lb-ft of torque.

Peugeot RCZ R to debut at 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed

The Peugeot RCZ R is the hottest version yet of the RCZ coupe and will make its world debut at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed. The Audi TTS-rivalling RCZ R will be seen in both the static display and in high-speed action on the Goodwood hillclimb, ahead of UK deliveries kicking off in early 2014. What modifications turn a Peugeot RCZ into an RCZ R?

Peugeot RCZ R with 260bhp to debut at Goodwood FoS

The Peugeot RCZ R (concept pictured) will debut in July at Goodwood We saw the first glimpse of the Peugeot RCZ R at the Paris Motor Show when Peugeot revealed the RCZ R as a concept at the same time as it revealed a facelift for the RCZ range. At the time we said we expected the RFCZ R to turn from concept to reality by the end of 2013, and today Peugeot has revealed that the RCZ R will make its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July before going on sale. The production RCZ R gets a tweaked version of the 1.6 litre turbo found in other RCZs (and other PSA/BMW cars) with 265bhp and the same range of styling tweaks the regular RCZ facelift got last year.

New (2014) Mercedes S-Class highlights on video

The new Mercedes S Class (pictured) boasts a wealth of technology The new Mercedes S Class was launched last month as a styling evolution of the current S Class, but with a wealth of new safety and technology systems lurking under its, still familiar, skin. The S Class may be portrayed as a bit of a ‘Merchant Bankers’ car, but anyone who’s lived with one for any period of time will know there’s really nothing quite like it (well, if you ignore the mistake that was the W220 S Class), and now Mercedes has got its quality Mojo back, the W221 is once again a very special S Class, and the new W222 promises to be even more special. We know that the 2014 S Class will get a range of engines from frugal 4-cylinder to potent V12 – with engines to suit all in between – but whatever engine you choose there will be a raft of technology at your fingertips (some at extra cost depending on the model you buy), so Mercedes has been busy producing a ‘Story’ video highlighting much of the new S-Class’s tech.

New Chevrolet Camaro will cost from £35,320 in UK

The facelifted Chevrolet Camaro will arrive in the UK in November 2013 The current Chevrolet Camaro only hit the UK around a year ago, but with a facelift for the Camaro debuting at the New York Auto Show this year the new Camaro is on its way to the UK, with prices starting from £35,320. The changes to the 2014 Camaro amount to a new nose with wider grill and slimmer lights, a set of vents on the bonnet with a new boot lid, diffuser and lights at the back that somehow contrive to make the Camaro look like a Japanese import. Under the bonnet is the same American Muscle engine – a 6.2 litre V8 – with 426bhp if you opt for the manual gearbox and 400bhp if you go for the auto option, with standard equipment including Keyless, MyLink (which gives you a 7″ touchscreen, rear view camera and voice recognition), SatNav and colour heads-up display.

WIN the last ever Volvo C30 on Twitter

The last ever Volvo C30 (pictured) is up for grabs in a Twitter competition The Volvo C30 has only been with us for seven years, but it’s made its mark. Perhaps the highest profile outing for the C30 was with a starring role in the Twilight films, which exposed the C30 to a very non-Volvo demographic, and made the C30 almost cool. But with Volvo’s new V40 hitting the roads, Volvo revealed they were ending production of the C30 and now they’ve decided they’re going to give away the very last C30 – an R-Design model with Polestar upgrades and an Ice White paint job – in a Twitter competition starting on 13th June.

Canadian Grand Prix (2013): RESULT

A Red Bull win for Sebastian Vettel in the Canadian Grand Prix Qualifying for the 2013 Canadian Grand Prix was a bit of a lottery, with spins and crashes and odd results thanks to rain. But despite the rain, we still ended up with a grid that looked about what you’d predict – apart from a Williams in third place – and the race ended up much the same – but without the Williams near the front. From the start Vettel powered away and, apart from three laps, led the Canadian Grand Pric from beginning to end to take his – and Red Bull’s – first win in North America – which will please Infiniti no end.

Mercedes SLS AMG Electric Drive sets Nurburgring production EV record

The Mercedes SLS AMG ED (pictured) set a new EV lap record at the Nurburgring Just as Audi decides that the R8 e-Tron isn’t a production viable option, Mercedes decides to prove there is potential for electric cars at the very high end. The Mercedes SLS AMG Electric Drive has been to the Nurburgring and set a new lap record for a production electric car of just 7 minutes 55 seconds. The SLS AMG ED, which goes on sale very soon at more than £300k, may weigh a chunk more than a regular SLS (550kg more), but it gets plenty of help from its four electric motors – one at each corner – to overcome the weight of its batteries with 751bhp and 737lb/ft of torque on hand.

Toyota Auris Touring Sports goes in to production

The Toyota Auris Touring Sports has gone in to production   We’ve had the debut of the Toyota Auris Sports Touring, we know the specs, and we know how much the Auris Estate will cost. And now Toyota has started production of the first full hybrid estate car in its sector. The first Auris Touring Sports rolled off the production line at Toyota’s Burnaston Plant on Thursday – a white car, predictably – with the Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, and Toyota’s European CEO, Didier Leroy, on hand to welcome the Touring Sports to European roads.

Renault Clio GT Line costs £17,395

The Renault Clio GT Line (pictured) is a bit of a sheep in Wolf’s clothing There’s one big problem when car makers build hot hatches with go-faster bits bolted on and decent amounts of power and performance, and that’s that the demographic hot hatches appeal to are the ones least likely to be able to afford insurance premiums on a pocket rocket. Which is why we get the Renault Clio GT Line. Looking for all the world like a Clio that could take on the RenaultSport Clio 200, the Clio GT Line in fact has a 1.2 TCe petrol engine lurking under the bonnet, with a more modest 118bhp, 0-62mph of 9.9 seconds, 54.3mpg and emissions of 120g/km.

Kia sell their 500,000th car in the UK – a cee’d ‘4’ 1.6 CRDi

Dale & Amy Pollard receive the keys to Kia’s 500,000th UK car Kia arrived in the UK in 1991 as a seller of budget cars, but in recent years Kia, along with sister company Hyundai, has moved very much in to the mainstream, with a range of credible cars that now sell on merit, not just price. That turn round for Kia has seen sales rising strongly to the point where they have now sold 5000,000 Kias since the marque first arrived in the UK. The milestone car is a cee’d ‘4’ 1.6 CRDi and has been delivered to a married couple in Leicester - Dale and Amy Pollard – who got a bit of special treatment from their Kia dealers - Kia Sandicliffe – at a handover ceremony attended by Stuart Wardle from Kia and Sandicliffe’s John Marsh.

Lamborghini Aventador sells 2000 in just 2 years

The 2000th Lamborghini Aventador have been built It really shouldn’t be much of a surprise that the Lamborghini Aventador is selling well, despite a world recession, when we already know that LP700-4 Roadster is sold out until 2014 and that Lamborghini managed to sell 1,000 Aventadors in the first fifteen months of production. Now we learn from Sant’Agata that the Avenatador didn’t just sell well in its first fifteen months, but that it’s continued to power forward since witrh sales of 2,000 in the first two years of production – a figure it took the Murcialago over four years to achieve. The 2000th Aventador – a regular LP700-4 Coupe – is heading for AT&T exec Thaddeus Arroyo who will take delivery of his new car shortly, finished in Nero Nemesis black, and be able to stretch its 6.5 litre V12 sufficiently to get to 62mph in just 2.9 seconds and on to 217mph, performance figures that match hypercars costing two and three times as much.

Canadian Grand Prix: Vettel takes pole ahead of Hamilton

Hamilton’s Mercedes (pictured) is in 2nd place for tomorrow’s Canadian Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton may have managed to make it four front rows in a succession, but it’s Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel who has taken pole position in a rain soaked Montreal for tomorrow’s 2013 F1 Canadian Grand Prix. Early on in qualifying Hamilton and Rosberg dominated in the Mercedes, but the Red Bulls started to show their pace and in Q2 they were at the top of the leaderboard. Felipe Massa managed to crash in Q2 and Button, held up in the pit lane whilst the accident was cleared, couldn’t manage to get across the start-finish line in time to do another lap, crashing out in Q2 and 12th palce on tomorrow’s grid.

Concept Car of the Week: Ford Mustang I (1962)

Influenced by science fiction and Space exploration in the early sixties, Ford Motor Corporation developed a series of research vehicles to test innovative layouts, experimental technologies and futuristic styling on such radical concepts as the X2000, Levacar Mach 1 and the Gyron that still captivate the imagination. In parallel, Ford's advanced styling studio was also working on a more rational project that could influence production models to compete with GM Corvair Monza. Stylists and engineers came up with a high-performance 2-seater vehicle with the engine placed in front of the rear axle for better aerodynamics and improved weight distribution.

Toyota Corolla (2014)

The 2014 Toyota Corolla is the company's eleventh generation of the world's best-selling model, with almost 40 million sold since the first appeared in 1966. In line with the attempt to inject some interest into Toyota's model range (witness the new Avalon for example), this new Corolla is based around the mantra ‘Iconic Dynamism', whatever that might mean. The result is a car that certainly appears more interesting than its forebears on the evidence of these pictures.

Ferrari, Ford and McLaren scoop top engine award honours for 2013

Think 'International Engine of the Year' awards would just concentrate on frugal, downsized powertrains? Not so. Along with Ford and VW's fuel-saving efforts, Ferrari and McLaren have been recognised for building the world's best engines in the 2013 awards.

Mercedes SLS Electric Drive (2013) sets new Nürburgring lap record

The Mercedes SLS AMG Electric Drive has smashed the Nürburgring lap record for electric cars, posting a 7min 56.234sec time. The previous record holder was the Audi R8 E-tron, which lapped the Nordschleife in 8min 9.099sec in July 2012. Electric Mercedes beats Audi?

New Range Rover Sport takes on Pikes Peak – and wins

The new Range Rover Sport takes on the Pikes Peak Hillclimb Pikes Peak is an unforgiving Hill Climb, spanning 12.42 miles and 156 corners, rising to 4,300 meters above sea level with oxygen levels at the top down to just 58 per cent of those at sea level, making it incredibly hard for both man and machinery to function. But despite the challenge, Land Rover has taken the new Range Rover Sport up Pikes Peak in a new record time for a production SUV, covering the 12.42 mile course of twists and turns in just 12m 35.61s at an average speed of 59.17mph. You won’t be surprised to learn that Land Rover choose to use the new RRS with the 5.0 litre Supercharged engine for the record run, but apart from fitting a roll cage and harness seatbelts, the Sport had no modifications at all.

New BMW X5 meets its E53 & E70 X5 ancestors (video)

The three generations of the BMW X5 meet The new BMW X5 has just been revealed, and it follows the formula of its predecessors to deliver a new X5 that has more of everything previous X5s offered – performance, economy, space, practicality and luxury. BMW like to call the X5 an ‘SAV’ (Sports Activity vehicle) to differentiate it from real SUVs; although the X5 has four-wheel drive it’s not really a mud-plugger like a Land Rover, but more a 5-Series on stilts. But it’s a successful formula that started with the first generation X5 (E53) in 1999.