Mercedes Mercedes E-class Chassis Brain Box 210 Type, Transmission; (rh Rear E on 2040-parts.com

Toyota Land Cruiser at 2009 Frankfurt motor show

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 14 September 2009 10:53 Toyota is giving its new Land Cruiser a world debut at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show. Incredibly, Toyota’s big 4x4 is about to enter its sixth decade of tough mud plugging. Although the cosmetic changes are more subtle, the new 2010 Land Cruiser is designed to be better to drive on and off road with more creature comforts, claims Toyota.

Koenigsegg One:1 – First official details

We have the first official details on the new Koenigsegg One:1, the most extreme Koenigsegg produced to date, a series of 5 cars for China. The Interwebs have been full of speculation about a new Koenigsegg in the last few days – the Koenigsegg One:1 – which has surfaced after a brochure scan for the One:1 was leaked online (above). The general consensus has been that the One:1 is a new customisation programme for Koenigsegg, allowing buyers to customise their cars in an even more extreme way.

Jaguar hybrid cars due in 2013-14

Jaguar will launch its own hybrid vehicles soon after Land Rover, CAR can confirm. Parent company Jaguar Land Rover is developing battery-assisted hybrid versions for both brands but its strategy puts part-electric Land Rovers first on the launchpad in 2013.Hybrid Jaguars – set to include the XJ and XF, but eventually every model – are therefore likely to be on the market by 2013-2014, using a similar eight-speed ZF hybrid transmission to petrol-electric BMWs.The staggered roll-out of battery Jags and Land Rovers makes sense: heavy 4x4s have come in the firing line from green protestors who label them Chelsea Tractors. Hybrid Land Rovers will trim emissions and – in plug-in hybrid mode – enable even big bulky Range Rovers to drive in zero-emissions mode into central urban areas emitting nothing more unsaintly than an electric whir.So which Jaguars will go hybrid first?It's likely that the largest models such as the XJ will receive the hybrid power packs first; large cars reap the greater benefit and can more easily swallow the additional cost, put at around £10,000 in today's money.JLR's Midlands engineering bases in Whitley and Gaydon now employ 100 engineers in the expanding hybrid powertrain business unit launched 18 months ago.