Alfa Romeo 4C

The production version of the Alfa Romeo 4C will make its debut at next month's Geneva motor show, two years after the concept appeared. Largely unchanged from the prototype, the 4C retains its mid-engined layout, short and wide proportions (less than 4,000mm long, 2,000mm wide, 1,180mm high and a 2,400mm wheelbase) and broadly similar surfacing. The changes appear to be more focused around productionized details.

Is the Volkswagen BlueSport Roadster back on?

There was talk that VW needed at least three of its brands to take the BlueSport project in to production, and there was talk not just of a VW Bluesport but also a SEAT BlueSport, one from Skoda, another from Audi and even a Porsche BlueSport. But in the end, not a single part of VW’s vast group seemed enamoured enough with the BlueSport to take the project forward. But it now looks as though the idea of the BlueSport is far from dead, with VW’s design boss, Walter de Silva, declaring that he’s a big fan of the BlueSport project, and he’s far from the only one in the VW Group who feels the same.

Mansory Panamera revealed

The Mansory take on the Porsche Panamera But Mansory has a big market in the Middle East and their tastes are less conservative than ours on the whole. Where we’d rather talk quietly but carry a big stick, the Middle East market wants the world to know just how big their stick is from the get-go. Horses for courses.