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VW Golf wins 2013 European Car of the Year

Volkswagen's Golf is the 2013 Car of the Year. Announced at a ceremony on the eve of the Geneva motor show, the seventh-generation Golf scored the most points from the 58 voting jury members, from 22 European countries. Each juror has 25 points to distribute among the eight-strong shortlist, which this year comprised: Peugeot 208Renault ClioFord B-MaxHyundai i30Volkswagen GolfMercedes A-classVolvo V40Subaru BRZ/Toyota GT86 It was a resounding victory for the Golf, which scored 414 points to the second placed BRZ/GT86's 202.

Toyota i-Road concept (2013) first official pictures

This is the Toyota i-Road, a tiny concept car that will be officially unveiled at the 2013 Geneva motor show tomorrow. It's a two-seater, three-wheeled electric city car that Toyota reckons is the future of urban motoring. Is the Toyota i-Road a potential Renault Twizy rival? If it does go into production, the pair could be pretty close.

Lamborghini Veneno (2013) first official pictures

Tomorrow McLaren will unveil its new McLaren P1, ditto Ferrari its Enzo successor, but on the eve of the 2013 Geneva motor show Lamborghini has just tried to trump the pair with the Veneno. The P1 is priced at £866k, the Ferrari will likely cost just as much, but you'll need £3m for a Veneno... £3m?!

Kia Provo concept (2013) first official pictures

This is the Kia Provo concept, which will be officially unveiled at the 2013 Geneva motor show tomorrow. Powered by a petrol-hybrid drivetrain, it’s a VW Scirocco-sized coupe-cum-hatch that previews the look of sporty future Kias. Talk me through the Kia Provo’s styling The body panels are carbonfibre, one of several supercar design traits Kia has pinched for its latest concept car.

Rolls-Royce Wraith revealed: Geneva Motor Show 2013

The Rolls Royce Wraith has been revealed as a 624bhp V12 Fastback with 590lb/ft of torque and a 0-60mph of 4.4 seconds. Rolls Royce claim the Wraith as the most dynamic car they’ve ever produced and, even though it is still the size of a football pitch, it actually sits on a shortened Ghost wheelbase with a wider track to make it a bit more nimble. Rolls Royce has also stiffened the Ghost’s suspension for the Wraith (although not too much) for a bit less roll and added a bit more weight to the steering.

Lamborghini Veneno: Official

The Lamborghini Veneno, a limited run Aventador LP700-4, has been officially revealed by Lamborghini with dramatic styling and 740bhp. Lamborghini tell us that all three Venenos have already been sold – at a hefty £3.12 million, no less – and the Veneno is more a street-legal track car than just a titivated Aventador. The body of the Veneno – which is named after a particularly ’Venomous’ fighting bull – is crafted from carbon fibre and is designed to achieve optimal aerodynamics with the front splitter, rear diffuser, huge rear wing and a big fin running down the middle of the roof all conspiring to make the Veneno more aerodynamic than its Aventador sibling.

2013 Porsche 911 GT3 (991) arrives UPDATED & OFFICIAL

We have the first photos of the 2013 Porsche 911 GT (991) ahead of its reveal this week at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. Update: Porsche has now caught up with the first photos arriving and we have official details of what the new 911 GT3 has to offer. A rise in weight from the last GT3 sees the new GT3 weighing in at 1430kg, but power is up to 468bhp and 324lb/ft of torque from a tweaked version of the 3.8 litre flat 6 which now revs to 9000rpm with power going to the back wheels through the auto ‘box.

Top Gear Tonight: African Road Trip to find the source of the Nile (Part 1)

Top Gear tonight – Series 19, episode 6 – is what should have been the Christmas Special with a road trip across Africa in cheap estates to find the source of the Nile. We’ve only had five episodes of series 19 of Top Gear, and it’s all but finished. All that’s left is to air what should have been the 2012 Christmas special.

New Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible revealed

The soft top version of the new Stingray has been revealed – the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible – ahead of a debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. But aside from issuing the two photos of the new convertible Stingray, Chevy isn’t giving anything away ahead of its debut at Geneva in a few days. But it’s not much of a stretch to expect the same 444bhp 6.2 litre under the bonnet as the regular Stingray, enough to get the Stingray to 62mph in under 4 seconds and no doubt the convertible just a shade behind.

Pagani Huayra gets 1200w Sonus Faber Sound – and a HUGE price rise

The Pagani Huayra is getting a 1200w Sonus Faber Sound System – Pagani’s big news for Geneva 2012 – and a huge price increase too. We did wonder, just briefly, if Pagani’s tease for something new at Geneva 2013 would be the Huayra Raodster. But we were soon steered away from that thought when Pagani released a second teaser for their news which made it pretty clear that the big news was all about a new Sound System option for the Huayra from Sonus Faber.

Peugeot RCZ View Top: It’s an RCZ with a Venetian blind for a roof

Magna Steyr is showcasing its technology with the Peugeot RCZ View Top Concept featuring a roof made of folding glass panels. The USP of the RCZ is its Zagato-esque double-bubble glass roof, a daring (and expensive)  design feature for a modestly priced production car. But what the double-bubble roof does is give a little bit of extra headroom in the back of the RCZ which makes it just about useable for vertically challenged passengers.

Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series gets a price. And it’s a big number starting with ’2′

Mercedes has come up with a price for the SLS AMG Black Series in Germany where it will cost a quite large €249,000. We always knew that the Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series would become a reality, if for no other reason than not having a Black Series of the most potent AMG car in existence would be daft. But it took Mercedes until the Autumn of 2011 to actually confirm they were going to build the SLS Black, and until November 2012 to actually reveal the SLS Black as a hardcore version of the already fairly hardcore SLS.

Spyker Venator – First photo and details of Spyker’s B6 Concept arrive

The first photo of the Spyker Venator – Spyker’s new car concept for the Geneva Motor Show – has arrived ahead of a reveal next week. If the modern history of Spyker (and of Saab) has taught us anything, it’s that you should never doubt the ability of a dapper, self-confident, deal-making Dutchman to bounce back from adversity. Many would have expected Victor Muller to be down and out after the Saab Saga, with his grip on Spyker forsaken for the Swedish odyssey and his pot of gold imprisoned in Vladimir Antonov’s Mayfair penthouse.

Funky Kia Provo Concept arrives ahead of Geneva 2013

The Kia Provo Concept is heading to the 2013 Geneva Motor Show and looks to be half butch urban warrior and half coupe. With the 2013 Geneva Motor Show looming we’re going to see plenty of reveals and leaks of new cars, concept cars and refreshed cars. Kia’s offering today comes in the ‘Concept’ category, but we hope it ends up in the ‘New Car’ category before long.

MINI John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 Dakar Limited Edition

It’s another MINI limited edition model – the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 Dakar – this time to celebrate MINI’s Dakar successes. We all know MINI loves a special edition, and it’s got to the point where there seem to be more ‘special edition’ and ‘limited edition’ MINI’s rolling out of showrooms than the bog standard car. But this limited edition – the MINI John Cooper Works Countryman ALL4 Dakar – really is a limited edition, produced to celebrate MINI’s Dakar triumphs in the last couple of years, as there will be just 11 made.

Autoweek in review: NASCAR fans hire lawyer, McLaren prices the P1

March is here, and things are warming up in the automotive world. On Monday Alfa Romeo teased the 4C interior ahead of the Geneva motor show, and we wound down after a sobering weekend of racing. We reviewed the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee on Tuesday and heard that the McLaren P1 supercar will sticker for $1.15 million when deliveries begin in early 2014.

Ferrari F150 / New Enzo teased. But which bit? UPDATED

Ahead of a reveal in a few days time, Ferrari are teasing the new F150 / Enzo. But what exactly is the teaser photo showing? Update: Ferrari are making up for lost ‘tease-time’ with yet another tease photo for the F150 (in the picture gallery above).

2013 Volkswagen Golf Estate (Mk 7) revealed early

We have the first photos of the next Variant in the Golf Mk 7 line – the VW Golf Estate – ahead of its debut at the Geneva Motor Show next week. More in the ‘They didn’t want it to arrive yet‘ saga in the run-up to the start of the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, with this offering being the firts pictures of the new VW Golf Estate. There really isn’t a huge amount to say about the new Golf Estate except it’s a Mk 7 Golf with a small shed on the back and looks likely to be a favourite family buy.

Prius leads California in cars sold

Well, if you needed any more evidence that car passion is dead, look no further than the Golden State. Legions of granola eaters made the Prius badge the top seller in the state formerly recognized as the cradle of cool-car culture. Between the Prius Liftback, Prius v, Prius Plug-in and the Prius c, Toyota sold 61,893 the soulless, hyper fuel-efficient machines.

McLaren managing director on leave, not expected in Geneva

McLaren Automotive's U.S.-born managing director, Antony Sheriff, is expected to be absent from the launch of the P1 hypercar at Geneva next week because he is on extended leave from the company. No reason for Sheriff's absence has been given, although McLaren is at pains to point out that he is “still employed as McLaren Automotive's managing director.” Rumors were circulating about Sheriff's absence from Woking in January, but company spokesmen back then stressed that he was still employed by McLaren and would unveil the P1 at Geneva. Despite those assurances, sources had reported earlier in the year that Sheriff “hadn't been seen in his office” for some days.

VIDEO: the Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG 6x6 in action

Australians love their pickup beds -- perhaps even more than we do. The Ford Coupe Utility of the 1930s was the initial salvo in a truckcar war that rages even today on the southern continent. From the late '50s into the '80s, the conflict consumed Detroit as well, spawning such revered nameplates as El Camino, Ranchero, Rampage and Sprint.

Toyota FT-86 Open Concept

Further images and details of Toyota's FT-86 Open concept have been revealed ahead of its unveiling at next week's Geneva motor show. The FT-86, a rear-wheel-drive sports convertible, previews a potential future development of the GT86 sports coupe. Toyota is using the concept, which measures in at 4,240mm long, 1,775mm wide, 1,270mm high sitting on a wheelbase of 2,570mm, to gauge public reaction while carrying out engineering tests on a prototype.

Geneva Motor Show 2013: Debutants [UPDATED]

The Geneva motor show will be held from from 5-17 March at the Palexpo center. Marking the opening of the European motor show season, the 2013 Geneva show promises a host of world debuts for both production and concept models. Once again, the stage is set for the most exciting European show to set the benchmark for other's to come.

Last C6 Corvette rolls off the line

All the Chevrolet Corvette talk these days is focused on the 2014 Stingray, the seventh-generation car that arrives this fall. But the C6 era only ended Feb. 28 as the last car rolled off the assembly line in Bowling Green, Ky.

2013 Hyundai ix35 Facelift revealed

We have the first picture of the facelift for the 2013 Hyundai ix35 – which will debut at the Geneva Motor Show. Although it’s a small facelift. We’ve been expecting a facelift for the Hyundai ix35 to appear before Geneva, especially after we spotted an ix35 FCEV floating around in Korea last year with a new, more convincing nose.

Hyundai i40 goes posh with new Premium SE trim

Hyundai is launching a new range-topping trim for the i40 and i40 Tourer – Premium SE – with lots more toys. Price from £26,065. Once you’ve turned your brand from cheap and cheerful to mainstream and credible, the route to go is to mix in some overtly sporty models and start to nudge in to premium territory too.

Koenigsegg Hundra: One-off Koenigsegg Agera S – first details & pictures

The 100th Koenigsegg – the Koenigsegg Hundra, based on the Agera S – is heading for a debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. The Koenigsegg Hundra (hundra means 100th in Swedish) is a right hand drive Agera S in clear carbon with 24 carat gold leaf inlays – Artisan applied, of course – creating what Koenigsegg are calling “…an intriguing mix of traditional and hi-tech craftsmanship”. We’re assuming that the Koenigsegg Hundra is heading for Hong Kong because Koenigsegg has based it on the Agera S – which can produce the 1030 horses of the Agera R but without needing to use biofuel – and it’s right hand drive.

Chevrolet Trax: Price from £15,495

The Chevrolet Trax – the Chevrolet version of the Vauxhall and Opel Mokka – will cost from £15,495 in the UK. First cars in July 2013. With a Chevy makeover that adds new front and back ends and Chevrolet badges, the Trax looks a decent urban crossover come SUV effort from Chevrolet and offers an alternative for those who fancy a Mokka but want to stand out from the crowd (and spend less money).

Audi A3 g-tron revealed

Audi has revealed the A3 g-tron Sportback ahead of the Geneva Motor Show, an A3 that runs on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and petrol. The A3 g-tron is powered by a tweaked version of Audi’s 1.4 litre TSI petrol engine which can run on both -gas and petrol, with the A3 g-tron normally using the petrol just for start-up and switching over to e-gas as soon as it’s running. Audi has provided two fillers under a common fuel flap – one for e-gas and one for petrol – with the A3 g-tron producing a total of 108bhp with the dual-fuel setup, enough to power the A3 g-tron to 62mph in 11 seconds.

Concept Car of the Week: Honda HP-X (1984)

20 years after producing its first production car, Honda grew enough confidence to challenge European sports cars on their own turf. Going straight for the jugular, they commissioned the famous Italian carrozeria Pininfarina to design a mid-engined two-seater concept for the 1984 Turin Motor show. The HP-X, standing for Honda Pininfarina eXperimental, had a very clean composition divided in three distinct elements: the matte black lower, the white ribbed body and the completely transparent canopy on top.