Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid race car revealed

Porsche will bring its latest hybrid know-how to the racetrack in the form of the new 911 GT3 R Hybrid, revealed here for the first time prior to a planned public premiere at the Geneva auto show in early March. Developed by a team of engineers at Porsche's Weissach R&D center, Porsche plans for the stripped-out race car to act as a rolling laboratory. The German carmaker wants to explore the potential of hybrid drivetrains in a racing environment before an expected announcement that it will return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a factory capacity, perhaps in 2012, with a race car boasting technology based on that used in the 911 GT3 R Hybrid.

MG CS SUV Concept heading for Shanghai Motor Show

MG are still struggling to make much of an impact on the car landscape, but one car that could change that is a funky urban crossover / SUV to give cars like the Nissan Juke a run for their money. That looked to be on the cards last year when MG turned up at the Beijing Motor Show with the MG Icon, an SUV.Crossover Concept that took the ‘Ugly but Cute’ style cues from the Juke but grafted on a nose that looked like it could have come from MG’s sports car past. The Icon was a decent effort – and even won an award for ‘Best Concept’ at Beijing from Autoweek – but it looks like MG has decided the design of the Icon was just a bit too radical, so they’ve toned it down with a new concept heading for this year’s Shanghai Motor Show – the MG CS Concept.

Warning to car owners ahead of peak MOT time

DRIVERS OF cars three years old and over are being warned of potential MOT pitfalls in the month of September. Due to the registration plate change in September and March each year these months also see a peak in the number of MOT tests, confirmed by statistics provided by the Vehicle Operator Services Agency (VOSA). Data has also revealed that a key area for MOT failures is vehicle lighting, which can be looked at ahead of the test.