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Mini previews John Cooper Works concept before Detroit auto show

A new Mini John Cooper Works concept will bow at the Detroit auto show in January. It gets exclusive gray paintwork, red accents, new aerodynamics and new 18-inch JCW light alloy wheels. Mini says the concept has a longer wheelbase and wider track than the outgoing model, which is hardly surprising -- the Mini gets less Mini every year.

Lexus CT 200h: Supercharged CT 200h at New York

Fox Marketing prepares a supercharged Lexus CT 200h for the New York Motor Show We’ve constantly bemoaned that Lexus are so obsessed with hybrids that they’ve forgotten there’s a world of people who want more from a car than a mere transport appliance. Which is rather sad. More than the rest of the range, we’ve complained that the Lexus CT 200h is lumbered with the 1.8 litre Atkinson cycle hybrid from the Prius as its only powertrain option.

AutoWeek Design Forum: Audi studies details

Some say the devil is in the details, but the details are where Audi sets itself apart from the luxury field. Achim Badstuebner, Audi's head of exterior design, says the maker of sports and luxury cars is always focusing on small things--such as door handles, the C-pillars and its familiar five-spoke wheels--for design demeanor. "It should have the same power as that Audi DNA," he said on Thursday at the AutoWeek Design Forum.