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New Jaguar XJR UK debut next week

The New Jaguar XJR (pictured) gets its UK debut at Moto Expo 2013 Lovers of powerful XJs were delighted discover that a new Jaguar XJR, which debuted at the New York Auto Show in April, will finally give them a properly sporty XJ, rather than the somewhat compromised SuperSport version of the current XJ with the 5.0 litre Supercharged engine. Jaguar has kept faith with the history of the XJR by giving the new model a subtle ‘Sporty’ makeover with only gentle go-faster bits – like ‘R’ badges, new alloys, quad tailpipes, small boot spoiler, front splitter and a subtle body kit – so the new XJR looks purposeful, rather than looking like its been dipped in a Halfords bargain bucket. The real changes come under the skin, with the new XJR getting the 542bhp version of the 5.0 litre supercharged engine, tweaked dampers and spring rates, refined active diff and DSC and new shift patterns for the 8-speed auto box.

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.

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.

GM recalls ATS, XTS and Impala for brake lamp fix

Cadillac's 2013 ATS and 2013 XTS and the 2014 Chevrolet Impala are being recalled by General Motors because of a potential problem with the brake lamps. The National Highway Traffic Safety Association reports that the brake lamps may "intermittently flash without the brakes being applied, and the cruise control may disengage." The report states this could cause a crash if the following driver isn't warned to adjust vehicle speed. The recall impacts 1,627 copies of the sedans, and comes just two months after the new Chevy Impalas began rolling off production lines.

Report: Chevrolet Cruze, Toyota Corolla lowest lease payments in May

The Chevrolet Cruze and Toyota Corolla sedans offered the lowest average monthly lease payments in May, according to records by Swapalease.com. On average, Chevy Cruze lessees paid just $214 per month, while average Toyota Corolla lessees paid $234. Records show the cheapest alternative fuel vehicle's lease is the Chevrolet Volt at $315.

2014 Toyota Corolla debuts in Santa Monica

The all-new 2014 Corolla is the 11th generation of the largest-selling car in the world. Along with the Camry it's the very bread and butter of a very bread-and-butter automaker. So it's pretty important for Toyota.

One Lap of the Web: 1956 Jaguar XK-140, CNG and bad-driver fines

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. -- A 1918 Sinclair gas station in New Orleans has been transformed into a 2000-square-foot vacation rental.

TVR showing signs of life, maybe

It seems that old British automakers never die. But they don't really seem to fade away entirely, either, drifting in and out of solvency and suffering the indignity of dead-end revival attempt after dead-end revival attempt. Witness poor MG, which the Chinese are attempting to badge-engineer back into existence.

Lamborghini produces 2000th Aventador

The Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 (LP standing for Longitudinal Position, 700 for hp, and 4 for four-wheel drive) has quite the bloodline of predecessors, featuring a famed list of Italian exotics that most people would have on their dream-car list. Owing its heritage to the likes of the Miura, Countach, Diablo and Murcielago, the Aventador continues to be Lamborghini's halo car and everyone's favorite poster. As production of the coupe, roadster and other various editions continue at Lamborghini's Sant'Agata Bolognese plant, the automaker celebrated a milestone with 2,000 units being made as of Thursday.

Ford's EcoBoost 1.0-liter finds home in Formula Ford

On Wednesday Ford won the 2013 International Engine of the Year for the second-consecutive time. The three-cylinder EcoBoost 1.0-liter in production trim delivers 123 hp and 148 lb-ft of twist. Here at the office we opined on what the best car would be to put the mighty mite in; we eventually settled on a Formula Ford open-wheeler.

Chrysler recalls Wrangler, Compass and Patriot

Chrysler Group said today it will recall more than 220,000 units of the Jeep Wrangler to fix a transmission flaw and 409,000 units of the Jeep Compass and Patriot worldwide to fix a software glitch that could stop airbags and seatbelts from working in a crash. The recalls add to a growing list of safety problems at Chrysler, which stunned the auto industry this week by taking the rare step of rebuffing a recall request from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. On Tuesday, Chrysler refused to recall 2.7 million units of the 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2002-07 Jeep Liberty, claiming that the vehicles were built in compliance with safety standards and are not more accident-prone than other vehicles of the time.

RCA students to reinterpret classic cars for Salon Privé

Salon Privé is the rather pretentious-sounding UK concours d'elégance that models itself on the likes of Pebble Beach and Villa d'Este. This year the event has something that really piques our interest – a design contest, judged by some of the world's top designers. Ten Students from the nearby Royal College of Art have been tasked with reinterpreting a previous cars entered into the show for a competition named Concours of the Future.

UK car sales up 11% in May (2013)

The Ford Fiesta (pictured) was again the best selling car in the UK The rise and rise of new car registrations in the UK continues to defy the rest of the economy, with figures up in May 2013 by 11 per cent year on year, and private sales up a massive 20.9 per cent to levels last seen in 2007. It’s the fifteenth month in succession new car registration have risen in the UK, with sales for May at 180,111 and total sales to date in 2013 hitting almost 1 million units, at 948,666. The SMMT think the big jump in private registrations is down to a number of factors, including cars bought under the scrappage scheme now being traded in for a new car, strong incentives from car makers and the promise of new cars offering lower running costs, and they’re probably right, although there are other factors in play too.

MINI compares Classic Mini to Porsche 911

The Classic Mini & Classic Porsche 911 A comparison between the classic Mini and the Porsche 911 may not be the most obvious, but that hasn’t stopped MINI jumping on the 911′s 50th anniversary year with a comparison between the two iconic cars. MINI assert that the similarities between the classic Mini and the 911 are based on their ‘Forever Young’ ethos (which is, in no small part, down to the fact both are still clearly similar to the original design)  and their performance. The Mini arrived before the 911 – Mini in 1959, 911 in 1963 – but both turned the car world on its head with a delightful turn of design, speed and appeal, with the original Mini ending up selling 5.3 million and the, still continuing, 911 starting to close in on a million sales.

Aston Martin Rapide Shooting Brake heading for production?

Is the Bertone Jet 2+2 (pictured) heading for production as the Rapide Shooting Brake? At the Geneva Motor Show in March, we saw the Bertone Jet 2+2 – essentially an Aston Martin Rapide Shooting Brake – designed by Bertone as a one-off customer car. But it looks like the Rapide Estate may be heading for production.

Engine of the Year Winners: Ford 1.0 litre EcoBoost is top dog

Ford’s 1.0 Litre EcoBoost wins Engine of the Year 2013 If anything is going to overturn the received wisdom that all small cars should come with a diesel engine, it’s Ford’s 1.0 litre EcoBoost engine. Torquey, lively and frugal, the 1.0 litre EcoBoost engine is a little marvel, a fact recognised for the second year running by the judging panel for the Engine of the Year Awards,  which has given the 1.0 litre EcoBoost the highest ever marks in the award’s fifteen year history. A total of 87 car journalists from 35 countries were hugely impressed with the power, torque and small size of the Ford engine, with one journalist, Peter Lyon, commenting: “Who’d have believed it?

Mercedes introduces illuminated three-pointed star [w/video]

Illuminated badges and emblems on cars aren't a new idea – those old enough to remember will recall the warm glow of the old Wolseley grille emblems – but in recent history they have been the reserve of concept cars and the aftermarket. Mercedes is set to restart the trend however as it begins to offer an LED-illuminated star as a dealer-fit option on the E–, GL–, M– and CLS–Class. We've started to see lighting spill out onto the exterior of concept cars for a while and this move is sure to have other OEMs and aftermarket firms alike following Mercedes' lead.

Porsche Cayenne and Panamera production temporarily stops

Porsche stopped production today at its assembly plant in Leipzig, Germany, after floods in the region disrupted supplies. The factory builds the Cayenne SUV and Panamera sedan for global markets, including the United States. Porsche told workers on today's early shift not to come into work after floods in the Czech Republic halted supply of Cayenne bodies.

Dinan S3 boosts BMW 550i to M5 levels

Dinan introduced the 2013 BMW 550i S3 on Tuesday. The tuner upgrades the already quick sedan to 542 hp, but claims to retain enough refinement to be a daily driver. The upgrade is also factory backed for four years or 50,000 miles by Dinan's nationwide network of service centers.

One Lap of the Web: Rolls-Royce in Thailand, 130-mph lawn mowers and Formula One in Canada

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. -- Check out some factoids about Formula One in Canada and how drivers have faired at Canadian tracks over time.

Walt Arfons: 1916-2013

No one seemed to know why the two brothers stopped talking, but their resulting rivalry led to some of the fastest cars ever built, two of which went more than 600 mph. Walt Arfons battled his half-brother Art on the Bonneville Salt Flats and at dragstrips across the country, but the pair rarely spoke over the course of one of the longest and most intense motorsport rivalries ever. Walt and Art started out working together, building a three-wheeled dragster in their native rural Ohio in 1952.

GM makes select OnStar services free

General Motors said on Wednesday that it will make unlocking doors, activating horn and lights, and remote start on equipped vehicles standard with its OnStar RemoteLink Mobile App for 2014 vehicles, even if owners decline to pay for other OnStar services. More than 36 Buicks, Cadillacs, GMC and Chevy models are compatible with the app. GM says it gets more than 60,000 requests from forgetful drivers each month, asking for door-unlock assistance, “so it makes sense for us to offer RemoteLink key-fob services to enable customers to lock, unlock or start their vehicle from anywhere they have a wireless or cellular connection,” said Mary Chan, president GM global connected-consumer business unit.

2014 Chevy SS priced at $44,470

The 2014 Chevy SS sedan will cost $44,470 when it goes on sale in the fourth quarter of 2013. That price includes neither destination charges nor gas-guzzler tax, which the SS will be subject to. The SS will get Chevy's 6.2-liter small-block V8 making 415 hp and 415 lb-ft of torque.

Ford's 1.0-liter EcoBoost wins engine of the year

Ford's 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine was named the 2013 International Engine of the Year on Wednesday, marking the second consecutive year it has done so. The engine also took home the highest score in the history of the awards, along with a “Best Engine Under 1.0-liters” category. The tiny engine packs a respectable punch for its size, producing 123 hp and 148 lb-ft or torque (Specs may be different pending specific model the engine is in).

Move over! Fixed Penalties for middle lane hogs

Move over or get a fine! Middle lane hogs to get fixed penalties It really is remarkable the number of drivers who think three-lane motorways are split in to three lanes – lorries, them and idiots in the outside lane – and spend their whole journey sat in lane two regardless. That’s bad enough if you’re driving a car, but it’s much worse if you’re driving a heavy goods vehicle that can’t use lane three and ends up baulked and frustrated by the man with the pipe and elbow patches driving ‘steadily’ on his way.

New Skoda Octavia vRS hatch & estate revealed

The 2013 Skoda Octavia vRS has been revealed (vRS hatch pictured) The Skoda Octavia vRS – the latest version of Skoda’s quick and appealing take on the VW Golf GTI – has been unveiled ahead of its debut at the Goodwood FoS in July, and it looks a cracker. Available as either a hatchback or estate – and as a diesel or a petrol – the Octavia vRS manages to repackage the Golf GTI and Golf GTD in to one Skoda, offering good performance (the vRS is a bit slower than the GTI to 62mph at 6.8 seconds but has a 2mph higher top speed), good looks and the promise of prices starting not much above £20k. The petrol vRS gets the Golf GTI’s 217bhp 2.0 litre TSI and the diesel vRS the 181bhp 2.0 litre TFI from the Golf GTD, both with a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard and a six-speed DSG as option, sports suspension, XDS differential, quicker steering and multi-link rear suspension.

More than 1,000 Porsche 911 to celebrate 50th anniversary at 2013 Silverstone Classic

Classic Porsche 911s will be at the Silverstone Classic Anniversary Parde Ferrari managed a record parade of 964 Ferraris at Ferrari’s 2012 Racing Days at Silverstone last year and now, with 2013 being the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Porsche 911, Silverstone are planning a parade of over 1,000 911s at this year’s Silverstone Classic. Mind you, with over 800,000 Porsche 911s produced since the first 911 arrived in 1963, it will have been a lot easier to find 911s than it was Ferraris. In fact, it’s been so easy the applications to take part by 911 owners has been oversubscribed.

Skoda Octavia vRS (2013) first official pictures

The Skoda Octavia vRS is back, faster and yet more fuel-efficient than ever. Available in booted hatchback or estate 'Combi' bodystyles, the hot Octavia has sports suspension, an electronic locking differential and as before, a choice of petrol or diesel engines. They're more powerful this time round though...

Toyota Prius Recall: 5,000 UK cars affected – 242,000 worldwide

5,000 2009 Toyota Prius (pictured) are being recalled Toyota has had a bit of a nightmare with recalls in recent years, and the news that they’re now having to recall 242,000 Prius models from 2009 worldwide is another financial, and logistical, problem for Toyota. But in truth, the recalls are about car makers now taking responsibility for faults in their cars which become apparent long after warranties have expired, and that’s no bad thing. The Prius models affected are those built between March 2009 and October 2009 (you can check if your car is affected here) and the UK has 4,947 cars on the road that need to be looked at by Toyota’s dealers.