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Happy New Year! Our Top 12 Car News stories of 2012 – month by month

Happy New Year to one and all from all of us here at Cars UK. We take a look back at the top car news story on Cars UK for every month of 2012. As it’s New Years Day 2013, it seems the right time to take a look back at the top car news stories of 2012.

One Lap of the Web: Mock the Week Edition

-- Mazda Europe designer Peter Birthwhistle talks about the future of Mazda: potential hybrid and electric powertrains for the Skyactiv-obsessed company, and how we'll all be driving Mazda-branded pods in the 22nd century. But he also mentions, rather interestingly, how certain Mazdas capture a quintessentially long-hood, RWD look -- and not just the Miata, either, which is RWD. No, it's the exhaust systems on those Skyactiv engines that force a longer, larger hood compartment, and the "long, flowing looks" not usually found on FWD engines.

Lamborghini Murcielago LP650-4 Roadster (2009)

By Ben Pulman First Official Pictures 13 March 2009 16:30 Another week, another special edition Lamborghini - but this is the Murcielago LP650-4 Roadster, the most powerful Raging Bull this side of the new SV. Not a bit of it – this LP650-4 has 641bhp, 10bhp on the standard car. The peak torque figure and the four-wheel drive system remain unchanged, so the 0-62mph sprint time remains pegged at (a hardly lethargic) 3.4 seconds, but the top speed is up a few units to 205mph.