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MG6 Diesel launches – price from £16,995

The much needed diesel version of the MG6 has launched, offering a diesel engine in the new MG for the first time. Priced from £16,995. The now Chinese-owned MG hasn’t had overwhelming success with its MG6 so far, but much of that can be put down to the lack of a diesel-engined offering in a marketplace that has become diesel obsessed.

Fiat 500X SUV & new baby Jeep confirmed

Fiat has confirmed it is extending the 500 range with the Fiat 500X SUV and will build a new small Jeep crossover on the same platform. We’ve just had the first extension of the 500 range arrive in the UK in the guise of the Fiat 500L (complete with 500L ‘Motherhood’ rap), but the 500L range isn’t going to end there. Following on from a sneak peek at a probable future Fiat 500X SUV back in July, Fiat has now confirmed it is going to put the rufty-tufty version of the 500 in to production and will build it alongside a new baby Jeep crossover – based on the same underpinnings – at its Melfi factory in Italy.

BMW Z4 (2013) new engine and facelift

This is (really) the new BMW Z4 for 2013. Granted, the tweaked head- and tail-lights, and new side vent modelled on the BMW 4-series are subtle alterations at best. It's what's under the bonnet is of more interest, if you've always fancied one of BMW's folding hard-top sports cars on your driveway.

Ferrari F150 (2013) first details on hybrid Enzo

After various leaks and rumours over the past few months, Ferrari – via its official customer magazine – has confirmed it will launch a new supercar to succeed the Enzo in 2013. It's been officially named as the Ferrari F150, and it will be powered by a V12 engine bolstered by a F1-style KERS hybrid system. Supercars are defined by their engines – what powers the new Ferrari F150 supercar?

Design Services: Listen again to Dassault Systèmes' latest webinar

Dassault Systèmes webinar, ‘The Silverbull Bike made with CATIA for Creative Designers and CATIA Icem V6-R2013x', took place on 13 December at 1000 GMT. Two CATIA experts gave a 30-minute presentation about how CATIA for Creative Designers software helped designer Marc Boulangé realize his vision for the Silverbull motorbike. The session was followed by a 15-minute Q&A session.

Whos Where: Hakan Saracoglu appointed design director of Chery's Shanghai studio

Hakan Saracoglu has been appointed director of Chery Motor's Shanghai design facility. He will work alongside director of corporate design James Hope who continues in his role overseeing Chery design. Turkish-born Saracoglu joins the Chinese state-owned manufacturer from Porsche where he worked from April 1998.

Video: The Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo concept build process

Porsche has released a video featuring Style Director Michael Mauer charting the design process of the Panamera Sport Turismo concept. The 10-minute YouTube video, which also features General Manager Advanced Design Style Mitja Rorkert, follows the build process through each modeling phase right up until the presentation of the show car at this year's Paris motor show. "It always presents a special challenge when we develop a new kind of car for the Porsche brand," says Mauer, "precisely because we haven't been in the segment before, and the question of whether it matches the Porsche brand always looms in the background." We were impressed at the Panamera Sport Turismo concept's unveiling, particularly with its stance and detail execution, so the video is a chance to see just how this concept came into being.

IIHS gives Camry, Prius v hybrid poor safety rating

Thirteen mid-sized cars have earned high marks on the insurance industry's newest frontal-crash test, but a pair of Toyota models tested fared worse than the rest. The so-called small overlap test involves crashing the front corner of a car into a barrier at 40 mph. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety devised the test to simulate a collision with a stationary object such as a tree or a utility pole.

Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon recalled for missing hood latch

General Motors is recalling a group of 2010-2012 Chevy Colorado and GMC Canyon trucks because they could be missing a second hood latch. If the primary latch is not engaged, the hood could open while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. Nearly 120,000 pickups are affected.

2012 Hyundai Veloster recalled for sunroof assembly

Hyundai is recalling 2012 Veloster hatchbacks built between Nov. 1, 2011 and April 17, 2012. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the panoramic sunroof assembly may have been weakened during installation at the factory.

Lotus announces Evora Sports Racer

When one hears the phrase “Lotus sports racer,” the classic Eleven comes to mind, especially in either raw aluminum or British racing green. Others might recall George Follmer's Lotus-Porsche, a Fuhrmann-powered beastlet of a 23 that won the US Road Racing Championship in 1965. This is not that.

Sal Fish sells SCORE International

Culminating a deal that has been in the works for the last year, Sal Fish, longtime president of desert racing sanctioning body SCORE International, has sold the organization to racer and businessman Roger Norman. The sale marks the culmination of a lifetime of work for the seller. Fish got his start in desert racing when he was still in the publishing business.

Tesla Model S: European price revealed

Tesla has announced prices and model availability for Europe of the Model S – it starts at €72,600 – but no UK prices until late 2013. The Tesla Model S is garnering some impressive reviews now it’s out in the wild in the US, but it’s still some way from landing in Europe. But at least Tesla has come up with price and spec details for Europe, even though RHD models for the UK still don’t have a number.

Vauxhall Ampera: Try for 30 days – and then give it back

Vauxhall are offering buyers of the range extender Ampera the chance to buy risk free for 30 days and return the Ampera. So in an effort to get more car buyers looking seriously at the Vauxhall Ampera range-extender, Vauxhall have come up with a scheme to allow Ampera buyers to grab a new Ampera, try it for 30 days and then give it back if they don’t get on with it. It’s a clever scheme, because the Ampera is a good car.

Volkswagen Golf R Cabriolet arrives on video

The first view of a production VW Golf R Cabriolet has arrived in a video of the new Golf R Cabriolet from Volkswagen. The idea that VW would produce a convertible version of the Golf R has been around as long as the Golf R has. But only now, when the current Golf R is almost the ‘old’ Golf R after the arrival of the new VW Golf MK 7, do we get the production version.

Lotus Evora & Evora S Sports Racer revealed

Lotus has revealed a special edition of the Evora – the Evora Sports Racer – with extra kit and special colours. Available as Evora or Evora S. Lotus is not having the easiest of times of late (has Lotus ever had any easy time?) with most of the news from Hethel being about ex-CEO Dany Bahar or the will they/won’t they be sold on or closed down by new owners DRB-HiCom.

VW Golf R Cabriolet (2013) - video of production car

Volkswagen will begin taking orders on the Golf R Cabriolet from March 2013, with first deliveries starting in April 2013. The soft-top Golf R marks the last hurrah for Golf Mk6 production, as the sharp new Mk7 Golf takes over the mantle. What's under the bonnet of the 2013 Volkswagen Golf R?

GM China opens Advanced Design Center in Shanghai

General Motors China has opened a new advanced design studio as part of the establishment of its Advanced Technical Center in Shanghai. The Advanced Design Center will provide GM China's designers the tools to explore future mobility solutions and technology integration on a local and global scale. "Our new Advanced Design Center in Shanghai is part of the GM Global Design Center network, which webs from California to Germany to India and Korea and points beyond," said Wulin Gaowa, design director of the GM China Advanced Design Center.

1961 Ford Gyron concept scale model sells for $40,000

A scale model of the 1961 Ford Gyron concept has sold at auction for $40,000, around four times its estimate. The space-age concept car – designed by Alex Tremulis, McKinley Thompson, Syd Mead, Bill Dayton, John Najjar, and Elwood Engel – debuted in 1961 at the New York International Auto Show and featured two wheels mounted along the car's centerline, usung a gyroscope for stability. The full-size model – which relied on stabilizing wheels instead of a gyroscope – also predicted the development of satellite navigation systems, car phones and infrared sensing.

Credibility and Closure for GM

Credibility. It's a precious commodity in the car business, something that's hard fought, easily lost and takes years to rebuild. And General Motors has just earned back a little bit more of its historic standing.

It’s a Merry McLaren 12C Christmas

McLaren has come up with a range of accessories for McLaren owners and enthusiasts from watches to jewellery and clothing. Inspired by the McLaren 12C, there’s everything from a Tag Heuer watch – the CARRERA MP4-12C Chronograph – with carbon based dials and sapphire crystal inserts (a snip at £8995) to a selection of ladies and mens rings, and cufflinks, that McLaren’s shopping site wouldn’t let us see the price of. At the slightly more affordable end of the scale you can opt for a set of McLaren luggage with silver trim (£3950) or a McLaren luggage brief case at £1350.

Mercedes GLA – the new A Class SUV/Crossover – caught on video

The small Mercedes SUV / Crossover based on the new A Class – the Mercedes GLA – has been caught on video out testing. Mercedes already has a hit on its hands with the new A Class (it’s sold 100,000 already) but there are more variants of the new A Class to come including the new CLA – the baby CLS – and the car we have here – the Mercedes GLA SUV / Crossover. Based on the same platform as the new A Class, the GLA is a new Mercedes niche aimed at the growing compact SUV market, just like the new Volvo V40 Cross Country.

Infiniti to build new Mercedes A Class based model in UK

The new Infiniti premium hatch, based on the underpinnings of the new Mercedes A Class and looking like the Etherea Concept, will be built in the UK. Infiniti announced only yesterday that it is introducing a new nomenclature for its cars (Q for saloons/coupes and QX for SUVs/Crossovers) and all new cars will come with a Q at the beginning followed by a number to denote its hierarchy in the Infiniti range. Where exactly that leaves the name of the new ‘baby’ Infiniti, we’re not exactly sure (Q30 or Q40 seems the most likely), but we are pretty sure what it will look like and what will be under the skin.

Infiniti to build new compact hatch at Sunderland from 2015

Infiniti will build its new posh family hatchback at Nissan's Sunderland factory from 2015. The landmark contract will create 1000 new jobs in the UK, 280 of which will be in the Sunderland plant itself. It's the latest thumbs up for the facility, which currently stamps out around 2000 new Nissans every day.

Lotus Evora Sports Racer (2013) first picture

This is the new 2013 Lotus Evora Sport Racer. Available in either standard Evora or supercharged 'S' form, the Sport Racer gets unique paint schemes, a wealth of optional extras thrown in – and a price cut to boot. Usually, less is more with Lotuses.

Cadillac ELR range-extender coupe (2013) teaser image

Cadillac will launch a range-extender petrol electric coupe at the 2013 Detroit motor show in January. This first teaser image shows the ELR will stay true to the wedgy profile of the Converj concept car of 2009. What's under the skin of the 2013 Cadillac ELR?

Top 12 consumer car debuts at 2012 U.S. auto shows

The 2012 calendar year brought a lot of excitement in the automotive industry. Sales numbers show a gradual recovery, and pending federal fuel-efficiency requirements have fueled a slew of mainstream green technologies that don't dampen driving dynamics. Among the glitz of auto shows, some of our most memorable reveals from the year include such high-profile machines as the 2013 SRT Viper and Acura NSX concept.

2013 Dodge Charger AWD offers Sport package, paddle shifters

Dodge will offer a new Sport package for the all-wheel-drive 2013 Charger sedan. It will be available on all trims except the SRT8, costing $1,395 on the SXT and SXT Plus models and $1,195 on R/T and R/T Plus versions. The Sport package includes a gloss-black grille and surround, 19-inch polished aluminum wheels, all-season performance tires, body-color spoiler and sport seats.

Black boxes in cars likely to become standard

Most people are aware of event data recorders, commonly called “black boxes,” in airplanes. Many people don't realize a variety of passenger cars also have these devices -- and they may be mandatory for 2015 model year cars. There are black boxes in about 96 percent of cars for the 2013 model year, according to the

Fiat 500L: ‘The Motherhood’ feat. Fiat 500L Video

The Fiat 500L is just launching and Fiat has put together a promo video which hits its target market head on. The new 500L promo video - ’The Motherhood’ feat. Fiat 500L – stars a mum going through all the trials and tribulations a mother of young children experiences, explained wittily and convincingly in a cleverly penned rap.