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Jaguar Land Rover to build cars in China

Jaguar Land Rover has revealed it is going to build cars in China, starting with either the Freelander 2 or Evoque. Jaguar Land Rover has revealed that it going to build cars outside the UK for the first time (as opposed to re-assembling Freelander 2 CKD kits as it does in India) in a plant just north of Shanghai. As this is China, official permission from the Chinese government is required, but with the joint venture between Chery and JLR now official its seems unlikely to be a problem as JLR will already have agreed to Chery producing JLR cars with Chery badges on.

New McLaren F1 (P12) Official Specs?

We’ve got specifications of the new McLaren F1 (P12) which appear to confirm our earlier reports on its power and performance. Update: It seems the source of this story – an article on Jalopnik – was actually based on a spoof. So all we have is a mish-mash of best guesses and speculation and no new facts at all (see comments at the bottom).

2013 Range Rover: Configurator live & new video

The online configurator for the new Range Rover has gone live, and we have the first official video too. This week saw the reveal of full details on the 2013 Range Rover, and it’s certainly looking set to move the Range Rover to a new level, ten years after the last model arrived. Now we have online a 2013 Range Rover configurator, allowing you to explore all the options available at launch for the new RR.

Italian Grand Prix 2012: McLaren lock out the front row.

McLaren has locked out the front row for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza with Lewis Hamilton on pole and Jenson Button second. Lewis Hamilton grabbed pole position in Monza this afternoon for McLaren  in qualifying for the 2012 Italian Grand Prix, with a second place for Jenson Button locking out the front row for McLaren. It had looked throughout Q1 and Q2 that it would be Ferrari who were dominant and likely to take pole, but Alonso suffered a rear roll bar problem at the start of Q3 and ended at the bottom in tenth place.

Salon Prive 2012: Supercars, Classic Cars & more

The last few days has seen Salon Privé 2012 at Syon Park in London with Lobster, Champagne, Supercars, Classic cars and a great atmosphere. As we’ve said before, Salon Prive is a Garden Party with endless Champagne and Lobster and manicured lawns that just happen to be littered with the finest automotive machinery on the planet. Yes, the tickets are expensive at north of £200, but you don’t just get the chance to be up-close and personal with the finest cars there are, you get an endless supply of Champagne and Lobster and the chance to people watch with a vengeance.

2013 Aston Martin Vanquish: New photos and new video

The new Aston Martin Vanquish is heading for Paris 2012 and Aston Martin has released new photos and video of their range-topper. The 2013 Vanquish gets extra power – it now delivers 565bhp and 456lb/ft of torque – which propels it to 62mph in 4.1 seconds and on to 183mph, sharper new looks with hints of the One-77 and lots of carbon fibre, and a new list price that is still the right side of £200k – £189,995. And perhaps delivering new photos and video of the 2013 Vanquish is Aston Martin’s way of making sure the Vanquish has its moment in the sun ahead of the reveal of the new DB9.

Everything is bigger in Texas, even speed limits

Texas is preparing to open a stretch of toll road this November with the highest speed limit in America: 85 mph. The road between Austin and San Antonio will stretch for 41 miles, in an attempt to alleviate traffic congestion on nearby Interstate 35. There are already roads in Texas and Utah where the posted speed limit is 80 mph.

Autoweek in review: Cadillac tests the ELR, we explore “automotive truisms,” and give thoughts on a 2012 Mercedes-Benz

The upcoming Cadillac ELR was spotted on the road, testing in camouflage. Autoweek explores “Automotive Truisms” with an Aston Martin Vantage V12. Enjoy the sights and sounds of the Aston on-track.

Concept Car of the Week: MG EX-E

The MG EX-E, developed by Austin Rover and unveiled in 1985, is the subject of our Concept Car of the Week. Dubbed "The concept car that's too exciting to keep secret", it was a production-feasible project that would act as a blank canvas for all future Austin Rover creations. Roy Axe, Design Director of Rover, designed the car around the Metro 6R4 and had an aluminum chassis and plastic body.

CDN-GM competition: Phase 1 now closed

Back to school. Not most students' favorite time of year, signaling both the end of summer and a return to the long days of lectures and long nights of sketching. This year, however, it also means a chance to win one of five internships, including housing, at GM's Warren, MI design studio courtesy of the GM Interactive Design Competition 2012 – if you got your entry in on time!

McLaren 12C Spider UK debut this weekend

The McLaren 12C Spider – the roadster version of the MP4-12C – gets its UK debut this weekend at the Octane Jubilee Tour of Elegance at Windsor Castle. McLaren’s thoughts may be focused on the debut of the new F1 (P12) at Paris in a few week’s time, but that doesn’t mean the more mainstream MP4-12C and its convertible sibling, the 12C Spider, are pushed aside. After revealing the 12C Spider in July – and taking it off to Pebble Beach in August – it’s now time for the UK to get its first public view of the new convertible McLaren.

MINI Paceman: First production car photo leaks

With the production version of the MINI Paceman due to debut at Paris 2012 we have the first leaked photo of MINI’s Evoque challenger. It could be argued that the Range Rover Evoque has created a new premium SUV niche all for itself, but that’s not going to stop MINI going after a piece of the action. So the MINI Paceman Concept from the 2011 Detroit Motor Show is going in to production as the stylish coupe version of the MINI Countryman, and MINI has been busy teasing it ahead of the Paris reveal.

New Toyota Auris, Auris Tourer Estate & new Verso MPV at Paris

Toyota will reveal the new 2013 Auris, Auris Tourer Estate and Verso MPV at this month’s Paris Motor Show. We’ve already had the reveal of the new Toyota Auris ahead of the Paris Motor Show, but it won’t just be the new Auris that’s on Toyota’s stand. For the first time we are getting a Toyota Auris Tourer (Estate) added to the Auris range and aimed straight in to the firing line of the new Ford Focus Estate and Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer.

Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid EV (PHEV): Details ahead of Paris debut

Mitsubishi has revealed more details on the plug-in hybrid electric Outlander ahead of a debut at the Paris Motor Show. Mitsubishi has been threatening a hybrid version of the Outlander for a few years (we had the  PX-MiEV at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2009 and the PX-MiEV II at last year’s Tokyo Show), but the real production deal – the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV – arrives at Paris. Now, with a public debut imminent, and full production and deliveries planned for 2013, Mitsubishi has revealed more details of their plug-in hybrid as they try to make their reputation for tough off-roaders and bonkers performance cars a bit more fluffy-bunny.

Range Rover (2012) prices and further specs

Ownership of the the all-new Range Rover will start from £71,295 for the entry-level 3.0-litre TDV6 diesel model. The flagship 5.0-litre supercharged V8 model is a good deal more at £98,395, but for that you do get the 503bhp engine from the Jaguar XFR, and 0-62mph in 5.1sec... The new 2012 Range Rover: engine specs Never before has a V6 diesel engine been available in a Range Rover.

2013 Land Rover Range Rover sheds weight with all-aluminum unibody

Land Rover publicly unveiled its redesigned 2013 Range Rover five-seat SUV in London on Thursday, with less weight and better fuel economy than its predecessors thanks in large part to a new all-aluminum unibody structure--the first of its kind in an SUV, according to Land Rover. The company also announced that European Range Rover buyers will get a diesel hybrid option. The Range Rover hybrid will pair a 3.0-liter diesel engine with a 35kw electric motor.

Ford sends Mustang, Edge to Europe

Ford plans to export the Mustang to Europe, and it will likely be the next generation of the famous pony car due within a couple of years. It has also shown redesigned compact and full-size vans it will sell in the United States by 2014. The automaker also showed a lightly restyled Fiesta and a high-performance ST model that go on sale in Europe later this year.

Ford Fiesta [w/Gallery]

The facelifted Ford Fiesta features design cues that bring it in line with the latest Ford global design language and concept vehicles. The biggest changes are to the front of the Fiesta, where its trapezoidal grille has moved further up the front mask and is flanked by new headlamps with LED daytime running lamps, as well as a new 'power-dome' hood (ironic given the new 3-cylinder, 1.0-liter engine). These changes allign it with the new Fusion/Mondeo that will also make its debut in Paris.

Ford Mondeo [w/Gallery]

The new Ford Mondeo will make its debut at the Paris motor show in sedan, hatchback and wagon formats. The European version of the Fusion adds two new variants to the flagship the global D-segment platform. It will also be offered as a petrol Hybrid Electric Vehicle – a first for Ford in Europe.

McLaren P12 hypercar confirmed for Paris debut

McLaren has confirmed its new flagship model, code-named P12, will make its world debut at the Paris motor show, the first time the company has attended an auto show in its recent history. The announcement was accompanied by a teaser image of the car that appears to feature an unusually low scuttle height and a glass canopy. First impressions suggest it may offer some respite from the current crop of rather uneventful-looking supercars.

Webinars: Autodesk – Virtual Design Workflow in Automotive

The second complimentary Webinar from Autodesk, entitled ‘Virtual Design Workflow in Automotive', has taken place, led by Industry Specialist for Technical Surfacing/Styling Uwe Rossbacher. The design process in the automotive industry focused on virtual models/techniques along with physical 3D models. Each OEM tries to balance both processes in order to get the optimum in efficiency and styling quality.

2013 Range Rover: Price, Performance, Economy, Interior & more…

Land Rover has given the new Range Rover a public viewing in London and delivered details of price, performance, economy and much more. We’ve had the initial reveal of the 2013 Range Rover last month and this morning we had the first video of Land Rover’s new range topper. But now, after a reveal today at the Royal Ballet School in Richmond (that’s London if you’re American) we get much more detail from Land Rover on the new Range Rover.

New Ford Mondeo: Estate, Hybrid and 4WD

The 2013 Ford Mondeo will come as a regular five door and estate but there will also be a four wheel diesel and a hybrid option. We’ve already reported that the new Mondeo will get the 1.0 litre EcoBoost engine as an option – the first time any car in the D Segment has had such a small engine – but there’s more to the new Mondeo than just a headline little engine and an Aston Martin grill. As well as the frugal EcoBoost engine, Ford will also be launching their first hybrid in Europe with a Mondeo Hybrid boasting a 2.0-litre petrol engine with a 35kW lithium-ion battery to trim official emissions and consumption as much as possible.

Ford EcoSport heading for Europe

At Ford’s ‘Go Further’ even in Amsterdam today, it’s been revealed that the compact SUV Ford EcoSport will be sold in Europe. Ford in Brazil has been building a small SUV based on the Fiesta for almost a decade, and the new Ford EcoSport is a new version based on the latest Fiesta platform and already on sale in South America and India. Now Ford has confirmed – to no one’s great surprise – that they will be launching the EcoSport in the UK and Europe in the next eighteen months.

Hyundai celebrates 10 years of 5 Year Warranty – & we get Mint Imperials

Hyundai are celebrating a decade of their 5 year warranty in the UK, a warranty deal that has forced other car makers’ warranties to improve. Before Hyundai became a real mainstream force in the car market they launched a five year warranty on their cars as an unbeatable sign of faith in their product. It’s now ten years since Hyundai rolled out their warranty – which covers everything for 5 years and for an unlimited mileage – and long before Hyundai cars were ready to be mentioned in the same breath as the offerings from more established car makers.

2013 Range Rover: First Video

With the 2013 Range Rover getting its detail reveal today at the Royal Ballet School in London we have the first video. We’ll have more detail later today (we expect) on exactly what Land Rover has achieved with the new Range Rover, especially the effect the huge weight loss has had on the performance of the 4.4 litre V8 diesel, the 5.0 litre Supercharged petrol and the new 3.0 litre diesel. But ahead of those crucial details on the Range Rover we’ve got some D roll footage of the Range Rover which shows us far more than we’ve had so far.

New Ford Mondeo gets 1.0 litre EcoBoost engine

Ford has revealed that the new 2013 Mondeo will come with the new 3 cylinder, 1.0 litre EcoBoost engine with 123bhp. But ahead of that event Ford has revealed that the new Mondeo will come with the option of the new 1.0 litre EcoBoost engine from the Focus and facelifted Fiesta. Yes, a 1.0 litre Mondeo is upon us.

New MINI John Cooper Works GP: Official Deatails

The new MINI John Cooper Works GP was revealed earlier in 2012, but now we get full details of MINI’s fastest ever road car. We had a fair amount of details – and some photos – back in May when the new JCW GP was revealed at the MINI United Festival in France, but MINI were a bit light on detail. But now, with the JCW GP soon to go on sale, we have much more detail and lots of photos.

Ford Mondeo (2012) first official pictures

This is Ford's new Mondeo. Think it looks familiar? You'd be absolutely right - the European Mondeo is basically a rebadged and European-honed version of Ford USA's Fusion model.

Mini John Cooper Works GP (2012) full specs and stats

A cynical marketing exercise, or Mini getting back to its pocket rocket best? Say what you like about the new (deep breath) Mini John Cooper Works GP, but there's no arguing with its raw specification. With slightly more power (up to 215bhp from 208bhp in the standard JCW), it's the fastest Mini yet.