Outerwears 14in A/cl W/5in Element Blue 10-1004-02 on 2040-parts.com

Driven: Volkswagen Golf Mk7

Walking up to the seventh-generation VW Golf, redesigned flip key in hand, you're in no doubt that this is a) new or – perhaps more importantly – b) a Golf. It's the "200 meter test" lead exterior designer, Andreas Mindt tells us and, while we're suspicious of the idea of self-conscious ‘iconic design', you have to concede he's right. In fact the Mk7 Golf's pared-back graphics and a return to a true two-box proportion create a more accurate vision of what we imagine when we think ‘Volkswagen Golf' than either of its two most recent predecessors.

The next F1: McLaren plans replacement for supercar

Formula One powerhouse McLaren secretly has begun work on a replacement for its legendary F1 supercar, while it also gears up to become a mainstream sports-car maker. McLaren's Technology Center in Woking, England, has built some 2,000 McLaren SLR supercars a year for Mercedes-Benz, but McLaren boss Ron Dennis reportedly has his sights set on producing 1,000 of its upcoming Ferrari F430-fighting P11s a year starting in 2011. The number, Dennis said, will rise to 4,000 cars by mid-decade as future models such as the Porsche 911-challenging P8 come on line.

2013 Range Rover Hybrid confirmed

Jaguar Land Rover Director Hybrids and Electrification, Peter Richings, has confirmed the Range Rover hybrid will launch in 2013. From the new, entry-level 3.0 litre diesel Vogue to the 5.0 litre V8 Supercharged Range Rover Autobiography,  all the new Range Rovers offer more performance, more off-road ability (or certainly easier off-road running thanks to the new automatic Terrain Response) together with lower emissions and improved economy. But although the new 3.0 litre TDV6 Range Rover will offer 196g/km emissions and manage 37.7 mpg there is going to be a new Range Rover Hybrid that cuts emissions to just 169g/km.