Fxr Racing Podium Mx Pant 23 on 2040-parts.com

Bentley Continental GT3 Road Car? Probably not

Despite reports to the contrary, it seems highly unlikely that Bentley will produce a road going version of the Continental GT3. The Continental GT3 is just a concept at the moment - although it will become a proper track car – but it has already had Autocar gazing in to its crystal ball to suggest that Bentley will be building a GT3 for the road, with a 700bhp W12 and 4WD, and will sell it in limited numbers. But that doesn’t add up to us.

Mini Beachcomber concept

BMW's Mini division has revealed the Beachcomber concept, which is set to make its public debut at the NAIAS in Detroit early next year. Inspired by the Mini Moke from the 1960s, the four-seat Beachcomber concept features a removable hard and soft top and removable doors. Measuring less than four meters long, it is said to preview the forthcoming Mini SUV due in 2010.

Kia Soul EV revealed at the Chicago Motor Show

The new Kia Soul EV (pictured) has been revealed in Chicago The Kia Soul EV is Kia’s first effort at a proper mass production EV, and if you’re looking for an electric car it does look promising. Due to go on sale later in 2014 in the US – initially in California, New York and Oregan because of their charging infrastructure – and, Kia promised, the UK and Europe later in 2014 or early 2015, the Soul EV offers a real world driving range of 80-100 miles from a recharge taking half an hour for 80 per cent on a rapid 50kW charger or up to 5 hours for a full recharge from a UK 240 volt supply. The range is helped by Kia’s third-generation regenerative braking system which manages to capture 12 per cent of the car’s kinetic energy, feeding it back in to the battery as electricity during braking and coasting, with four different regeneration modes.