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Jaguar Land Rover has best sales EVER in March

Jaguar Land Rover has reported its best sales figures ever in March 2013, with Land Rover sales up by 12 per cent and Jaguar by 20.6 per cent. We’ve got used to Jaguar Land Rover producing ever growing sales figures in the last year or two as their range of cars become ever more desirable. But March 2013 has topped all their results so far with an all-time record number of cars sold – a TOTAL OF 17,733, up by 20 per cent on March 2012.

CAP call on Renault to include battery in Zoe price – when it would cost £25k

CAP has called on Renault to include the battery cost in the list price of the Renault Zoe EV, otherwise it won’t be able to set residual values. We reported recently on the price of the Renault Zoe EV – which starts at £18k – and were surprised to find that Renault weren’t including battery costs in the purchase price but charging and extra £70-93 a month for leasing them. That leads to a completely misleading headline price for the Zoe and, as used car price experts CAP say, is akin to Ford removing the engine costs from their cars to reduce list price.

GM preps for new engines, 8-speed transmission

General Motors is spending $332 million to upgrade powertrain plants in three states to build a new eight-speed automatic transmission, a new V6 and a new family of small-displacement gasoline engines. The plants are in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. GM is also adding $46 million to an earlier $600 million program to upgrade powertrain plants in Saginaw and Romulus, Mich.

Shooting for the Scirocco

The prospects for a U.S. return of one of the ultimate enthusiast unicorns--the Volkswagen Scirocco--are looking better for two critical reasons: VW's American brass want it, and it will be based on the company's widely used global underpinnings. The latest generation of Scirocco launched in Europe in 2008, though U.S.

Buick design contest courts younger buyers on Pinterest

Interior designer, bed-and-breakfast owner and blogger Michael Wurm Jr. recently pinned his way to developing a custom interior for the Buick Encore. “It's a blogger's dream come true.

Concept Car of the Week: Renault Vel Satis (1998)

The approach to the design of top end models varies greatly depending on the manufacturer's heritage and the cultural differences of each country. It might be a conventional combination of wood and leather for some, power and technology for others, but it is generally packaged into a three-box four-door sedan or two-door fastback. Renault on the other hand had a much more cutting edge vision of what a luxury automobile could be.

Detroit Electric SP:01 – it’s a Lotus Exige EV

Detroit Electric has revealed the SP:01, a Lotus Exige based electric sports car promising 0-62mph in 3.7 seconds and a range of 190 miles. 999 are being built. Detroit Electric is a re-birth of a once well-known electric vehicle maker in the US (that’s well-known pre-WWII) that’s been revived by former Group head of Lotus Engineering, Albert Lam, set up shop in Michigan with the intention of emulating Tesla’s route to EV credibility by building its own Lotus EV.

2013 Ford Mondeo launches in China. UK & Europe still waiting.

With the UK and Europe having to wait until 2014 to get the new Ford Mondeo, Ford has managed to launch the new Mondeo in China this week. Of course, as we reported last year, it’s entirely possible that with Mondeo sales now just half of what they were in 2008 that Ford may even move Mondeo production to Mexico to build it alongside the Ford Fusion, the US version of the Mondeo which has been on sale since summer 2012. But Ford are adamant the move to Spain for the Mondeo is happening and, once complete, will mean Ford finally rolling the new Mondeo off the production line by the end of 2013 for the UK and Europe.

Detroit Electric unveils the SP:01

Detroit Electric unveiled its SP:01 electric sports car April 3 in Detroit. The Lotus-based roadster claims 201 hp from its mid-mounted electric motor and a range of up to 180 miles from its lithium-polymer battery pack. The company is headquartered in Detroit’s Fisher Building; it’s led by former Lotus Engineering and Lotus Group execs Albert Lam, Don Graundstadt and Benjamin Boycott.

Name game: Analysis predicts vehicle brand based on first name

Here's something to fill your mid-afternoon break. MoneySupermarket.com, a site in the U.K. that compares everything from insurance to travel, analyzed 17 million car insurance searches on its site to come up with a list of cars people are most likely to drive based on their first name.

BMW X4 Leaks

We have the first official photos of the BMW X4 SUV – the ‘Lifestyle’ version of the X3 – which we expect to debut at the Shanghai Motor Show this month. We have the first leaked images of the X4 that show a BMW X3 with the same sort of treatment as the X5 got to turn it in to the X6, and create what BMW like to call an SAC – a Sports Activity Coupe. Apart from the changes to the body – and less room in the back – you can expect the X4 to offer much the same under the skin as the X3 – albeit at a premium price – which will mean – for the UK at least – will mean everything from an X4 xDrive 18d SE through to an X4 xDrive 35d M Sport.

Are used car prices about to spiral down?

CAP – the used car price specialists – are warning that used car prices, particularly ’almost’ new car prices, are set to tumble as nearly new cars hit the market. The car market in the UK has proved amazingly resilient to the general malaise in the economy, with new car sales continuing to rise strongly and used cars seemingly immune to big depreciation drops. But CAP – who gauge used car prices for the motor trade – are warning that this could be about to change as the impact of recent trading in new cars is about to start impacting on used car prices, particularly prices for cars less than a year old.

New Ford Kuga production increased to meet strong demand

Ford has revealed that it having to increase production of the new Kuga by 10 per cent at its Valencia Plant to meet strong demand. We reported in February that Ford were chuffed with sales of the new Kuga - especially as almost all buyers were opting for ‘premium’ versions – with orders for almost 2,000 in the UK just weeks after the Kuga went in to production in Spain, and sales across Europe for the Kuga up 27 per cent year on year. So Ford is now doing the only thing they can to deal with the burgeoning sales of the Kuga and are upping production in Valencia by 10 per cent, and now expect to build 100,000 new Kugas this year for Europe alone.

New VW Golf GTI: Price from £25,845

Volkswagen has revealed that the 2013 Golf GTI MK 7 will cost from £25,845 – £195 up on the old GTI – with the GTi Performance from £26,825. For the first time you’ll get a choice of power levels for the GTI, with the regular GTI getting a 2.0 litre TSI with 217bhp and the GTI Performance coming with 227bhp, gets bigger brake discs and a limited slip diff. Performance from the regular GTI is 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 152mph, whilst the GTI Performance cuts that time by 0.1 seconds with both versions offering 44.1mpg official consumption with the six-speed manual ‘box.

BMW Concept X4 (2013) first pictures of baby X6 coupe-SUV

This is the BMW Concept X4, which borrows the idea of an SUV with coupe proportions from its X6 brother, and shrinks the template down to the size of an X3. But don't be fooled by the 'Concept' tag of this car – like the Concept 4-series coupe we saw in 2012, the X4 is very much confirmed for production, and will receive only detail styling tweaks before it goes on sale in mid-2014. It'll be built alongside the X3, X5 and X6 models at BMW's Spartanburg factory in the USA from early 2014.

VW Golf GTI priced from £25,845 in UK

The new Mk7 VW Golf GTI is now on sale in the UK priced from £25,845. That's only a £195 rise over the old Mk6 Golf GTI, despite the extra power, performance, and a 2.2mpg improvement in economy. Hang on - nearly £26k for a VW Golf GTI is a bit steep, isn't it?  Actually, it's better value than the old Mk6 Golf GTI. For a start, the new Mk7 Golf GTI's 29E insurance group rating is five groups lower than the old model's, so you should save on premium renewals as well as road tax and fuel fill-ups.

Is Carbon Motors calling it quits?

For years, Carbon Motors Corp. has been teasing us -- and the nation's law-enforcement agencies -- with renderings and photos of its purpose-built E7 police cruiser. Drivers may not have to worry about seeing the E7's aggressive lines in their rearview mirrors any longer.

Hyundai issues recalls for faulty brake switch, loose bracket

Hyundai is recalling 186,254 Elantra vehicles from model years 2011-2013 to replace a support bracket on the headliner. Hyundai says the bracket can be dislodged during a side-curtain-airbag deployment and could injure the driver. In a crash in May, an occupant’s ear was cut when the driver’s side curtain airbag deployed.

2014 Acura RDX priced at $35,415

The 2014 Acura RDX goes on sale Wednesday with a base price of $35,415, including $895 in destination charges. Stepping up to the technology package brings the price to $39,115; all-wheel drive adds $1,400. Only one powertrain will be offered for 2014: a 3.5-liter V6 with a six-speed automatic transmission.

Tesla offers finance deal on Model S

Tesla Motors has joined forces with USBank and Wells Fargo Bank to create vehicle financing and leasing products that allow consumers to lease a Model S electric sedan for a net payment of about $500 a month after a 10 percent down payment and calculated savings. The 10 percent down payment often will be covered by federal and state tax credits available on electric vehicles. However, the $500 a month payment is an "effective" monthly payment.

Driving BMW's three-cylinder prototype

One of the motoren in the titular Bayerische Motoren Werkeis about to get smaller. How small, you ask? The three-cylinder in the cherry-red hatchback shown above is in fact one of BMW's legendary inline-sixes, albeit chopped in half with the proverbial Sawzall.

Hennessey Venom GT hits 265.7 mph

Making a car go fast isn't rocket science: You add power and subtract weight. So if money were no object, you might take one of the lightest cars you could find and shove in one of the most powerful production engines on the planet. The result might look a lot like the Hennessey Venom GT.

2014 Porsche Panamera gets new hybrid

The Porsche Panamera has been restyled and the lineup gains a plug-in hybrid model, along with a new twin-turbo V6 for the Panamera S and 4S models that is more powerful than the former base V8. Also, Porsche is adding a stretched version of the Panamera with 5.9 inches added to the wheelbase for additional rear-seat legroom. The restyled Panamera goes on sale in the United States late this year as a 2014 model.

Who's Where: Christopher Svensson and Joel Piaskowski swap roles at Ford

Ford's Christopher Svensson and Joel Piaskowski have swapped roles, with Svensson becoming exterior design director, The Americas, and Piaskowski director of design, Asia Pacific. Svensson, who will report directly to Moray Callum, Ford's executive design director, The Americas, is based in the carmaker's Dearborn studio. He oversees the exterior design team responsible for developing new products in the North and South American regions as well as supporting Ford's global design.

Car Design News to host trio of events around Shanghai motor show

As the automotive world looks forward to the Auto Shanghai motor show, Car Design News is looking forward to hosting three events prior to and alongside the show: the CDN Interior Motives China Conference; Car Design Awards China; and the official Car Design Night. CDN Interior Motives China Conference Our annual China conference takes place on Thursday and Friday 18-19 April, just before the press day for this year's show, which is on Saturday 20th. Themed ‘Technology and tradition – old meets new in modern-day China', the conference will explore topics including how to design an experience, fashion and luxury in today's China, HMI design and the ‘multi-mode' interior, which flexes with the user's needs.

Report: New-vehicle purchase price on the rise

The average purchase price of a new car is on the rise, according to a recent report from automotive analysts at truecar.com. The average transaction price for passenger cars and trucks in the United States was $31,087 last month, up $339 from March 2012. Transaction price, or the out-the-door price, includes taxes, titles and fees.

Hennessey Venom GT hits 265.7mph for new world top speed record (+ video)

The Hennessey Venom GT – an American, Lotus Elise-based supercar – has clocked 265.7mph for a new world record top speed for a production car. The world top speed record for a production car has been held by the Bugatti Veyron (well, the Veyron Super Sport) at 258mph, but that’s a ‘limited’ speed for its production cars. The Veyron Super Sport actually hit 267.81mph at VW’s Ehra-Lessian track (it actually hit 269.8mph one way) but because production cars are limited to 258mph the higher speed doesn’t count.

2013 Skoda Superb Facelift revealed

The Skoda Superb has been given a facelift for 2013 with cosmetic tweaks and improved emissions and economy. Debuts at Shanghai Motor Show. The usual facelift fodder applies – for the hatch and estate – with new bumpers front and back with a new grill, lights, front wings and bonnet with a tidying up at the back and LED lights.

Skoda Superb facelift (2013) first official pictures

This is the new 2013 Skoda Superb, which sports completely redesigned front and rear bodywork, and more frugal powertrains than the outgoing car. What's new under the bonnet of the 2013 Skoda Superb? Stop-start tech and a kinetic energy recovery system (which takes the strain off the engine's alternator by using braking to charge up a capacitor) cuts fuel consumption by up to 19% versus the old Superb. It's all fitted as standard on the diesel engines, and the entry-level 1.4 TSI petrol.

Porsche Panamera facelift and S E-hybrid (2013) first pictures

For the Porsche Panamera's mid-life facelift, Stuttgart has tweaked the looks, added a long-wheelbase option, and upped the performance and economy of the hybrid version, thanks to a new plug-in capable powertrain. Read on for the full details of Porsche's monster Panamera refresh. What are the vital stats of the new Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid?