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Alfa Romeo reveals new 1.8 litre turbo engine with up to 300bhp

New Alfa Romeo 1.8 litre turbo engine - destined for the Alfa 4C Alfa Romeo are on something of a push to make themselves seem a viable part of the Fiat setup, with a plan to push hard in to America (although that keeps getting delayed) and new product on the horizon. One of those new products is the Alfa 4C which we expected to get a version of the existing Alf 1750 lump with around 250bhp. But it looks like that’s not going to be the case after all.

Toyota ordered by Japan to address Prius brake complaints

Toyota Motor Corp., already grappling with recalls totaling 8.1 million vehicles on five continents, has been ordered by Japan's Ministry of Transportation to investigate a rash of consumer complaints about braking problems in its popular third-generation Prius hybrid vehicle. The Japanese carmaker has received several complaints about braking in the Prius in both Japan and North America since the end of last year, Toyota spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi said. She did not say when the directive was issued or how Toyota would respond.

Uber smartphone app to take over taxi market?

A new smartphone app called Uber is threatening to put the traditional taxi out of business. The smartphone software allows users to ‘order’ a private car, connecting passengers with regular drivers willing to hire out their vehicles. However, these aren’t taxis… On Bing: see pictures of Uber Wifi hotspots for London’s black cabs Uber originally began in San Francisco in 2009, with users able to book and reserve a car driven by a regular member of the public for journeys via text message or the dedicated smartphone app.