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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.

Audi RS5 Cabriolet (2012) first official pictures

Audi has taken its tin-opener to the RS5, to create this RS5 Cabriolet. Powertrain-wise, it's mechanically identical to the coupe, only now there's a soft-top roof that'll fold away in 15secs at speeds of up to 31mph.  Folding the roof swallows 60 litres of the boot's 380-litre capacity, but it's the sonorous engine that we're more interested in... Audi's 2012 RS5 Cabriolet: the performance The drivetrain is unchanged from the hard-top RS5.

Aston Martin Vantage V12 video: automotive truisms

The 2012 Aston Martin Vantage V12 Carbon Black gets plenty of attention in traffic. It's gorgeous and it sounds incredible. But with 510 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, driving it on public roads can be an exercise in restraint.

Opel teases upcoming Cascada convertible

General Motors is teasing a new convertible set to go on sale in Europe early next year. Named Cascada, the four-seat convertible is based on the Opel Astra platform but is slightly larger than the Audi A5. U.S.

Jaguar unveils XJ hybrid test car in U.K.

Jagaur will show off a plug-in version of its XJ sedan at the 2012 Cenex Low Carbon Vehicle event Sept. 5-6 in the U.K. The two-day exhibition showcases low-emission vehicles and other alternative powertrains.

Ford issues third recall for 2013 Escape

Ford is recalling the redesigned 2013 Escape SUV for a third time this summer and the second time to fix a problem that could cause a fire in the engine compartment. The recall covers about 7,600 Escapes equipped with the 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine. About 6,150 of the recalled vehicles are in the United States, and the rest are in Canada.

LA Auto Show Design Challenge to tackle future CHP vehicles

When one thinks of Los Angeles, the near future and police vehicles, one particular conveyance comes to mind — the Syd Mead-designed Spinner from Ridley Scott's 1982 sci-fi classic, Blade Runner. Perhaps cognizant that the time of the film's dystopian setting, 2019, is less than seven years away, the L.A auto show Design Challenge group has set a date of 2025. What will California look like 13 years in the future?

Corvette deemed too much car for some Manchester United players

Apparently, Sir Alex Ferguson, the team's manager, believes that Chevy's most potent offering is a bit more than some of his young players will be able to handle. According to the Daily Mail, Chevrolet has offered the soccer team's top stars their pick of Chevrolet models, but the infamously strict Ferguson has issued an edict that no player under age 23 will be allowed to order a Corvette. Reports that effected players reacted to the news by flopping to the ground and tearfully writhing around could not be confirmed as of this writing.

Opel/Vauxhall teases Cascada mid-size convertible

Opel/Vauxhall has given us a sneak peek of its new mid-size convertible, the Cascanda, which effectively replaces the Astra Twin Top. The Cascanda features a full-size fabric roof that can be opened or closed with one button up to speeds of 30mph and is the latest model to shun a folding hardtop in favor of the lighter and more practical soft option. The company claims this is its first D-segment cabrio for more than 70 years but, unlike them, we haven't forgotten the Cavialier Convertible of the 1980s (see pic).

LA Design Challenge 2012: Highway Patrol Vehicle 2025

The LA Design Challenge has called for design studios from around the world to compete and create the ultimate law enforcement vehicle for the year 2025. Design studios from Bentley and BMW have taken up the challenge while General Motors, Honda, Hyundai and Subaru – entrants in last year's competition  – have returned in a bid to showcase their creativity and talent and be honored in this annual contest. Our world is constantly evolving as new technologies and countries rapidly develop, and as such it creates a real challenge for law enforcement as they strive to keep pace and allow them to do their jobs to the best of their ability.

Volkswagen Golf [w/Gallery]

Volkswagen has unveiled the new seventh-generation Golf in Berlin, 36 years after the original model was first released. As expected the Mk7 is a further evolution of the Golf lineage, adding what appears to be an extra layer of precision to its surfacing and graphics. New production techniques helped the design team reduce its weight by 100kg, and at 4,255mm long the new model is 56mm longer than its predecessor, with a 59mm longer wheelbase of 2,637mm and it is also 13mm wider, at 1,799mm, and 28mm lower at 1,452mm.

Mazda6 estate world premiere slated for Paris

Mazda is set to debut its all-new Mazda6 estate at the Paris motor show following the reveal of the saloon last week in Moscow. The Mazda6, which is the flagship model for the new generation of the automaker's product line, is the second creation – following the Mazda CX-5 compact SUV – to feature the new 'KODO – Soul of Motion' design language.

Redesigned Chevrolet Silverado spied in deep-water testing

The Chevrolet Silverado is one of the best-selling trucks in the United States and has been for some time. A refresh is due for the 2014 model, and through our super-secret backdoor channels, we've received this certified spy shot of the pickup testing through deep water. We don't know much.

McLaren tease the New F1 (P12)

With a debut at the Paris Motor Show on 27th September, McLaren releases the first teaser photo of their new hypercar. We’ve been anticipating the reveal of the new McLaren F1 – the McLaren P12 – for some time, and expected it to appear at Pebble Beach last month. The new car at Pebble Beach turned out to be the McLaren X-1 (although McLaren did take an iPad presentation of the new F1 for the delectation of the privileged few) but now we know for certain that the new McLaren will get its public debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show.

Mercedes tease the 2014 S Class with a work of art

The 2014 Mercedes S Class isn’t due to be revealed until 2013, but Mercedes will be teasing it at the Paris Motor Show with a sculpture. New car model teases usually take the form of dark photos or photos showing obscure detail. But Mercedes are taking a different route with the new S Class with an artistic sculpture.

2013 Mazda6 Estate: Official

Mazda has revealed the Mazda6 Estate ahead of its public debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show alongside the new Mazda 6 saloon. Last week saw the reveal of the new Mazda6 ahead of its public debut in Paris, and we knew that Mazda were planning to unveil the Estate version of the Mazda 6 at Paris too after they revealed it in Japan last month. And here it is.

Vauxhall Cascada Convertible: Aimed at hairdressers?

Vauxhall are teasing a new convertible – the Vauxhall Cascada – that appears to be Astra based but stretched and pushed upmarket. We knew Vauxhall (and Opel, for that matter), were planning a replacement for the Astra Twin Top which we guessed would be the new Astrra Cabrio. But it’s not, it’s the Vauxhall Cascada.

2013 Ford Fiesta facelift revealed

The 2013 facelift for the Ford Fiesta has been revealed with cosmetic tweaks and new engines. Debuts at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. But perhaps Ford wanted more headlines for the facelifted Fiesta than it would get if it was rolled out at the same time as the new Mondeo, so we get details of what Ford has done to the still very good Fiesta to keep it fresh for a few more years.

Ford Fiesta facelift (2012) first offical pictures

Ford's sales chart-topping Fiesta supermini has been treated to its first mid-life set of tweaks. Chief among the changes are a new look for the car's nose, the choice of Ford's downsized 1.0-litre Ecoboost engine, and even more technology on board. The new Fiesta will make its debut on Ford's Paris motor show stand in September 2012, and will trickle through to UK showrooms shortly after.

Vauxhall Cascada (2012) - first photos of new cabrio

Vauxhall today confirmed it will launch a new convertible called Cascada in 2013. Although based on the running gear, it's actually longer than an Audi A5 Convertible – launching Vauxhall and Opel back into the full-size cabrio market for the first time since the 1930s. The new Vauxhall Cascada is 4.7m long, 70mm longer than an A5 cab and 225mm longer than the Astra TwinTop.

McLaren P12 supercar (2012) first teaser shot

Here we have the very first official McLaren teaser shot of the Woking brand's upcoming flagship hybrid supercar, codenamed P12. The picture may appear nothing more than a colourful light show, but we can spot certain elements of the P12's styling. Don't worry - CAR has a handful of tech details behind the new Brit supercar as well.

Fashion designers make their mark on Opel/Vauxhall Adams

Vauxhall has joined forces with fashion designers Louise Gray, James Small and Fred Butler by giving them the chance to personalize their own Adam car. Each designer had their own Adam to customize and they set about the task of using it as a canvas to express their own signature style. Gray, whose designs are typically colorful and bold, used foil-printed silk crepe and large sequins to personalize her car; Small's smooth, brightly- painted Adam represents his printed menswear line, while Butler's vibrant geometric design conveys his personal style.

Mercedes-Benz previews S-Class via 'Aesthetics S' sculpture

Mercedes-Benz has previewed the next-generation S-Class by continued its series of sculptures with ‘Aesthetics S', set to be unveiled at the Paris motor show. The new relief-like sculpture is set to display the automaker's view of the design of the future luxury saloon through projected images that give a glimpse of the upcoming sedan. Depictions of the four previous S-Class models from the past – the model series W189, W108, W126 and W221 – it can also convey the impact of the S-Class tradition.

Marvel’s Captain America car by Daniel Simon [w/Video]

Automotive designer and futurist Daniel Simon has had his vehicle design from ‘Captain America: The First Avenger' featured in a short animation. This 10-wheeler 1942 supercharged V16 Coupe, the personal car of Marvel's villain Johann Schmidt (the Red Skull), is 7,620 mm long and was inspired by cars such as Mercedes' 540K and the G4. The director's instructions for the car's size  led to a truck chassis having to be used for the practical film version.

Nissan launches new Note with digital flipbook

Nissan has developed an inventive way of advertising its new Note hatchback on its Japanese website – using a digital flipbook called ‘Long scroll, Long Drive, Long Life'. The start of the flipbook sees a couple getting into the Note and as you scroll down, the car begins to weave through Tokyo roads, while information at the side of the screen tells you in detail about the car's features and performance. Get your finger ready to scroll and check out the full experience here.

2013 Ford Mondeo debuts on Thursday – but is it time for a name change?

Ford will reveal the new Mondeo on Thursday at the ‘Go Further’ event in Amsterdam as well as news of major product acceleration. We saw the first photo of the new Ford Mondeo back in January, shortly after Ford revealed its North American sibling – the Ford Fusion – at the Detroit Motor Show. At that time, especially as the Fusion had already been properly revealed, we assumed the new Mondeo would debut at Geneva in the Spring, but it didn’t.

Peugeot 208 XY heading for production

It’s been revealed that the luxury concept of the new Peugeot 208 – the 208 XY – will be at the Paris Motor Show in production guise. At this year’s Geneva Motor Show, Peugeot revealed a pair of concept cars based on the new 208 – the 208 GTi and the 208 XY. Yesterday we revealed that the new Peugeot 208 GTi was heading for this month’s Paris Motor Show ready for production, and now it seems it will be joined by its luxury sibling concept, also ready to go in to production – the Peugeot 208 XY.

NEVS completes Saab purchase

National Electric Vehicle Sweden AB (NEVS) has completed the purchase of the assets of Saab, but can’t use the Griffin logo. It looks like the Chinese, Japanese, Swedish Consortium NEVS has finally completed the process of acquiring the assets of bankrupt Saab, but it hasn’t quite got all it wanted. We reported last week that the process of acquiring Saab had been delayed as there were still issues over the rights to the Saab log, a logo owned by Scania and Saab Aerospace.

Ford Focus (2012) - the best-selling car in the world

Ford's Focus has overtaken the Toyota Corolla in the sales charts. Unremarkable, you might say? Not when you realise this is the global sales mantle, making the Focus the best-selling car name on the planet in the first half of the year.

Mercedes 'Aesthetics S' sculpture (2012) previews S-class

Mercedes is previewing its next 2013 S-class flagship, but not with a concept car or series of shadowy teaser shots. No, Merc has instead opted to create a sculpture showing the profile of the next S-class. It's titled 'Aesthetics S', and together with its 'exciting projection display', it'll be shown at the 2012 Paris motor show later this month.