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Toyota RAV4 (2013) first official pictures

This is the new Toyota RAV4, one of the original soft-roaders. The 2013 RAV4 was unveiled overnight at the Los Angeles auto show - this is a global car and will head over to the UK in 2013. It's the fourth-generation RAV4 since 1994 and is an all-new model with the latest Toyota styling flourishes.

Corvette C7 makes its debut in Gran Turismo 5

An unusual one, this: from today, gamers playing Gran Turismo 5 will be able to test drive the new Corvette C7 - two months before it's revealed to the world at the 2013 Detroit auto show. The makers of GT5 on PlayStation have modelled a camouflaged 'Vette C7 with Chevrolet's approval. We can't remember a manufacturer letting the public 'loose' in a prototype quite so far ahead of a car's launch before.

Audi hosts student workshop in Design UNIverse

Audi has hosted a Design UNIverse event in Ingolstadt as part of its plan to support the next generation of automotive designers. 42 student designers from four European universities were challenged to create models of a futuristic Audi that embodies the idea of "Vorsprung Durch Technik" while working closely with designers and discussing trends and how to create emotional products. The students – from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava (Slovakia), Scuola Politecnica di Design in Milan (Italy), the Offenbach University of Art and Design (Germany) and the Royal College of Art London (Great Britain) – created 46 different models.

Jaguar XFR-S: Official

The barn-storming Jaguar XFR-S – Jaguar’s most powerful saloon car ever – has bowed in at LA. Full details and lots more photos of the new XFR-S. Following on from the XKR-S – and arriving in the same French Blue – the Jaguar XFR-S gets a 40 horse jump over the XFR – and an extra 41lb/ft of torque too – to offer a potentially BMW M5 competing 550HP and 502lb/ft of torque, enough to hit 62mph in 4.6 seconds and on to 186mph (not quite up with the M5, but getting there).

Hyundai Veloster C3 Roll Top Concept: LA Auto Show

Hyundai has unveiled a convertible Veloster Concept – the Hyundai Veloster C3 Roll Top Concept – at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Why tarpaulins? Because the rolling roof on this Veloster – which rolls backwards and forwards – is made from the side tarpaulin used on an HGV.

New Hyundai i30 3-Door: Price from £13,995

Hyundai has announced that the new i30 3-door – the ‘sportier’ i30, will cost from £13,995 in the UK and come in three trim levels - Classic, Active, Sport and Sport Nav. Cosmetically, the i30 3-door gets differentiated from its 5-door sibling by a new front bumper with bigger spoiler, a new back end…and the loss of a couple of doors. There’s also new fogs, new grill and a sport looking back end with LED lights.

Jaguar XFR-S arrives ahead of LA debut

The Jaguar XFR-S – Jaguar’s most powerful saloon car to date – has leaked out ahead of its debut tonight at the Los Angeles Auto Show. We’re hoping that Jaguar has managed to bestow extra power on the very appealing XFR without wrecking the stuff that makes Jaguar saloons so appealing – the dynamic/ride balance – which, if they have, will make the XFR-S a more appealing bonkers sports saloon than the German offerings. The promise is all there with a new butch front end, a more aggressive body kit, chunks of carbon fibre, a huge rear wing for extra downforce, a new diffuser at the back, stiffer springs, a new rear subframe with stiffer bushes, a tweaked active diff and a tweak of the stability control for more fun.

Audi SQ5 costs £43,870 in UK

The diesel Audi ‘RS’ Q5 – the Audi SQ5 – with 309bhp and 0-62mph in 5.1 seconds, will cost £43,870 when it arrives in the UK in spring 2013. That means Audi’s 3.0 litre V6 BiTurbo TDI with a healthy 309bhp and 479lb/ft of torque, enough to deliver the SQ5 to 62mph in 5.1 seconds, on to a top speed of 155mph and deliver an official economy figure (although you’ll never get it) of over 40mpg. The power goes through an eight-speed tiptronic ‘box to all four wheels and you get a sound actuator in the exhaust to give you a non-diesely roar. Audi has also dropped the suspension on the SQ5 by 30mm compared to the regular Q5 S Line for a more sporty manner, and if you opt for Audi’s Drive Select Adaptive Dynamics you’ll also get  Comfort, Auto, Dynamic and Efficiency modes (and an Individual mode too if you opt for HDD SatNav as well) which alter the steering, transmission, throttle and even the exhaust actuator to suit.

BMW i3 Concept Coupe (2012) first photos

BMW has converted its i3 electric hatchback into a three-door. Munich might call it the new BMW i3 Concept Coupe, but essentially it's the hatch minus a pair of doors. Receiving its world debut at the 2012 Los Angeles auto show, which starts later today, the new BMW concept car is another spin-off from the Project i electric car family and proves that Munich plans a whole family of EVs when the range launches in 2013.

Jaguar XFR-S (2012) first official pictures

Here's Jaguar's M5-killer: the new 2013 XFR-S. By taking an already potent XFR and plumbing in the 542bhp engine from the XKR-S coupe, Jag has created a saloon with XJ220 power. The Jag XFR-S was unveiled today at the 2012 Los Angeles auto show.

Porsche Cayman (2013) first official photos of 981

One of our favourite Porsches on sale is being replaced – and this is it: the new 2013 Porsche Cayman. Essentially a tin-top coupe Boxster, the new 981-series Cayman was unveiled today in the fitting location of Los Angeles. It's the Mk2 Cayman, after 2005's original first spawned a Boxster coupe for the sub-911 masses.

BMW i3 Coupe concept

It may be dubbed a concept but this BMW i3 Coupe is ostensibly the debut of the production version of the innovative new B-segement EV at the LA auto show. The Coupe is a new variation on the now-familiar i3 although in reality it's more three-door than true coupé. At 3,964mm, 1,768mm wide and 1,555mm high, the Coupe is lower than the five-door i3, while its front and rear screens have faster rakes.

Jaguar Land Rover lands Nokia's Damien Dinning

Jaguar Land Rover has acquired the services of Nokia's chief imaging head Damien Dinning, who it hopes will advance its connected car systems. Dinning, who has been with the Finnish technology giant since 2004, took the decision to leave because of his reluctance to relocate his family from the UK to Finland. In an open letter published on PureViewClub he said, "My experience in telecoms and smartphones provides me with a great opportunity to make a difference in a company whose own development is inspiring at a time of great change.

Study finds teens model driving habits after parents

Teen driving habits are heavily influenced by those of their parents, according to a recent study by Toyota and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. Good or bad, teens are likely to model their level of distraction and attention to safety after their parents, according to the national study that surveyed teen drivers ages 16 to 18 and parents of teen drivers. In general, parents who engage in distracting behaviors more frequently have teens who engage in distracting behaviors, according to the study.

TMG Sports 605 concept to debut at Essen Motor Show

While most of us are focusing on the LA Auto Show happening later this week, Toyota Motorsport GmbH is quietly revealing the TMG Sports 650 concept at the Essen Motor Show in Germany. The TMG Sports 650 is a hopped-up, twin-turbocharged V8 version of the normally staid Lexus LS460 sedan. In the concept, power grows from 386 to an impressive 641 hp at 7,450 rpm, while torque jumps to 564 lb-ft.

Former GM exec Joel Ewanick joins Fisker

Fisker Automotive has hired ousted General Motors' global marketing boss Joel Ewanick to be interim chief of global sales and marketing for the maker of luxury plug-in hybrids. Ewanick, 52, will replace industry veteran Richard Beattie, 58, who announced his retirement Monday, Fisker spokesman Roger Ormisher said. Ewanick has been working with Fisker as a marketing consultant for at least six weeks and will fill Beattie's role until a full-time replacement is named, Ormisher said.

BMW i3 Coupe Concept revealed

BMW has revealed the i3 Coupe Concept ahead of its debut at this week’s Los Angeles Auto Show, a 3-door version of the BMW i3. But what is clear is that BMW see a big future in small, economical city cars and the BMW i3 Coupe Concept is a slightly odd effort to inject a bit more flair in to the yet-to-arrive BMW i3. The i3 Coupe Concept is a plug-in EV with a maximum output of 170hp and an almost disappointing (for an electric motor) 174lb/ft of torque, which delivers drive to the back wheels through a single speed transmission (as you would expect for an EV).

Chevrolet Spark EV revealed

The Chevrolet Spark EV – an electric version of the Spark – has been revealed ahead of the Los Angles Auto Show this week with a 130hp electric motor. Key to the appeal of the new Chevy Spark EV is the sort of power and performance you’d normally only see in a little hot hatch. The Spark EV comes with an electric motor that churns out 130hp and a massive 400lb/ft of torque.

2013 Toyota RAV4 leaks ahead of LA debut

The 2013 Toyota RAV4 is due to be unveiled at the 2012 Los Angeles Motor Show tomorrow, but thanks to a leak of photos we already know how it looks. The photos show a new RAV4 that is less boxy and sleeker, taking some styling cues from the new Auris, and looks fit to take the battle to cars like the new Ford Kuga and new Subaru Forester. It may not quite look a “…new generation rewriting the rules in style” as Toyota told us, but it does look more contemporary.

Jaguar XFR-S – tease take 2

The Jaguar XFR-S – a more powerful version of the XFR – will debut tomorrow at the Los Angeles Auto Show, but we get a second tease first. Jaguar’s punt at making the now ageing XFR credible against the new BMW M5 – the Jaguar XFR-S – is getting its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show tomorrow, but ahead of that full reveal Jaguar is teasing interest with its second teaser photo of the most powerful saloon they’ve ever built. Last week we got a front view of the XFR-S with its more aggressive nose (and Jaguar’s favourite ‘Speedy’ blue paint job) and this week we get to see the thumping great carbon fibre rear wing Jaguar has bolted on the back of the XFR-S.

Kia Proceed GT (2013) first sketch of Kia's sporty hatch

Here's Kia's answer to Volkswagen's Golf GTi and Ford's Focus ST - the Proceed GT. It's a hot hatch with a 200bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine, and will cost just over £20,000. Look out for its reveal at the 2013 Geneva motor show, with sales starting in summer 2013.

Subaru Forester (2013) first picture and details

Subaru has facelifted the Forester, plumbing in more efficient engines and revising the chassis. The revamped crossover goes on UK sale in summer 2013. For this facelifted car, Subaru says it has improved cabin space, safety and efficiency, but still preserved the Forester's rough-and-tumble usability. Read on for the full details.

MyFord Touch added to 2014 Ford Fiesta

The newest version of MyFord Touch will be available in the 2014 Ford Fiesta when it debuts next year. It will feature a 6.5-inch screen in the small car's center console. The company's SYNC technology will also hit its five-year anniversary next year.

Assemble a winter safety kit for teen drivers

Winter months can be anxious ones for parents of teen drivers. You've already topped off all their cars' fluids, checked the brakes and the tires and run through the entire list of winter-maintenance requirements. Perhaps you've even considered enrolling your teen in a winter driving school.

Infiniti's Smart Move

If you're going to throw props at people for their insight and business acumen, be sure to aim some at Infiniti's new global boss, Johan de Nysschen. Here's why: On Sunday, before the final 2012 Formula One championship race, Infiniti announced it would be the title sponsor of Red Bull Racing going forward into 2013. That in itself is a great coup for the luxury car maker.

Wheels and More offers an extra 45 hp for the Ferrari F12

German tuner Wheels and More has come up with a tuning package for the new Ferrari F12 Berlinetta. It squeezes out 45 more hp for a total of 785 Italo-German ponies. In addition to software tuning used to wring out more power, Wheels and More adds a hand-made exhaust system with valves that can be opened and closed with the push of a button.

Hennessey Venom GT2 to bring 1,500 hp

Hennessey The Hennessey Venom GT2 will debut in late 2013 from Texas tuner Hennessey Performance Engineering. The already-bonkers Corvette-powered Lotus will now house a twin-turbocharged 7.0-liter V8 making an unthinkable 1,500 hp. Hennessey didn't reveal the weight but says that the Venom GT2 has more than one horse per 2.2 pounds (1 hp/kg).

New Subaru Forester UK launch summer 2013

The 2013 Subaru Forester was revealed in Japan earlier this month and Subaru confirm it will arrive in the UK summer 2013. The new Forester does look very like the current Forester, but it does get some cosmetic tweaks with new bumpers, a more defined crease down the flanks and new alloys, mas well as a few extra toys like a new Infotainment Centre and SatNav with reversing camera. But what is also new is that in addition to a 2.0 litre petrol and diesel engine option – both with around 150PS – Subaru has confirmed the 2012 Forester will also get a new a new 2.0-litre direct injection turbo good for 280PS, which should bring a whole new dimension to the Forester experience.

Kia Pro_Cee’d GT Turbo teased

The Kia Pro Cee’d GT – complete with the 1.6 litre petrol turbo from the Veloster with 200bhp – is being teased by Kia. We reported last month that Kia are planning to put the 200bhp, 1.6 litre Turbo from the Hyundai Veloster in to the new Pro_cee’d three door to create a hot little coupe, and now Kia has caught up with that news with the first tease for the Pro_cee’d GT. It’s probably best to take the teaser photo of the Pro_cee’d GT with a pinch of salt – it’s a typically extreme rendering of the car we’ll actually get – but it does demonstrate that Kia want to differentiate the Pro_cee’d GT from the more prosaic models.

Infiniti opening in Brazil in 2014

Nissan’s answer to Lexus, Infiniti, is on a bit of quest to sell its premium cars in every market that can afford them and will open in Brazil in 2014. Infiniti started out as Nissan’s answer to the success of Lexus in North America by launching a range of ‘Premium’ Nissans in the U.S. in 1989, since when it has expanded to Canada, the Middle East, Taiwan, Korea, Russia, China and, in 2008, the UK and Europe.