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Juke: no joke

2/13/10

You wait for ever for a sub-Golf-sized sporty five-door quasi-off-roader, then two come along at once. The Nissan Juke doesn't look like a Mini Countryman, but they're both aimed at the same (currently non-existent) part of the car market.

Nissan successfully carved a niche with the Qashqai, and now aims to repeat it in a smaller size. Like the Qq, the Juke was conceived in London and is built in Sunderland.

The Juke isn't just smaller - and cheaper - than the Qashqai. Its design pushes the boat out further. From the wheel-arches upward, the body is all a bit sporty. So's the top-of-the-range engine, a new 1.6-litre 160bhp turbo, driving a stepped CVT transmission and torque vectoring 4WD system. That last gadget is what a 911 Turbo uses to put the power to the wheel best able to use it and quell understeer. Nissan is serious about making this decent to drive.

Inside, the painted centre tunnel looks like a motorbike fuel tank. Dunno why, but it's cheery. The air-con, trip-computer and D-mode (throttle, steering and transmission response) are all controlled by a seriously twinkly button-and-colour screen arrangement below the satnav/stereo.

Meanwhile the high seating means a roomy cabin and decent boot. It's a useful little car. Odd, but useful.

http://goo.gl/8Noi

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911 racer goes hybrid

2/13/10

It has happened. The Porsche 911 GT3 racer - that bastion of lightweight, no frills minimalism - has gone hybrid.

This is the 911 GT3 R Hybrid, a track-only racer that's not the work of some aftermarket race team but Porsche itself.

It will compete in the Nurburgring 24-hour race in May - not with the intention of winning the race, says Porsche, but instead as a ?racing laboratory' to discover how a hybrid drivetrain can cope with a full day pounding round the ?Ring.

So how does it work? Well, driving the rear wheels is a familiar-sounding 473bhp, 4.0-litre flat six, but it's up front that you'll find all the newness. The front axle is driven by a pair of electric motors, each of which produces the equivalent of 80bhp.

Unlike most road-going hybrids which draw their energy from battery packs, the motors are powered by an electric flywheel - similar to the KERS technology found in F1 cars - which spins up to 40,000rpm. It ?charges' under heavy braking, and stores energy kinetically. This power is available to the driver in a six-to-eight-second burst after each recharge.

Porsche says the hybrid's four-wheel-drive system gives it better grip than the standard GT3 R, while its improved economy could prove vital in endurance racing.

What do you reckon? Are hybrids the future of distance racing, or will light weight always win out?

http://goo.gl/6guF

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Finally, Audi’s Mini is here

2/10/10

It?s been so long it almost feels like this car has been and gone already, but Audi has finally revealed its new A1.

See more pics of Audi's Mini rival

Like Citroen with its DS3, this is Audi?s Polo/Ibiza/Fabia-based attempt to take a bite out of the small/sporty/luxury market that Mini is defending so fiercely.

And on paper, at least, it looks like a contender. It balances that Mini trick of offering a reasonable level of kit plus a load of custom options to make the car your own (reads ?bump up the list price without you realising?).

Let?s start outside. You?ll note up front the LED daytime running lights ? shaped a little like those on the A8 and R8 to give a little upmarket exclusivity. That A-to-C-pillar roof arch thing can be specified in contrasting colours and the black diffuser at the back is standard on all models.

Inside, aeroplanes are said to be an inspiration (talk about kicking Saab when its down). The dash is supposed to be vaguely wing-shaped, while the vents look like jet turbines. Whatever the marketing-chatter, it looks posh enough (if not quite quirky enough) to distract buyers from the Mini?s retro style.

There are three trim levels, entry-level, Sport and S-Line. Sports seats are standard on ? you guessed it ? the top two, and if you want leather you can have it.

Other interior toys to pluck from the options list will include funky trim colours, heated seats and an LED interior light kit. There?s also a version of the ?infotainment? system found in Audi?s big luxury saloons, which incorporates 20Gb of hard drive space for music and satellite navigation.

Engine-wise, there will be two petrols and two diesels at launch. The headliner will be the 1.4TFSi with 120bhp, capable of 0-62mph in 9.2 seconds, or 9.1 with the optional flappy-paddle gearbox. Your other petrol option is the 1.2TFSi offering 85bhp, 55.4mpg and, for cheaper tax, 119g/km.

Diesels are both 1.6-litre ? one tuned for 104bhp and a claimed 72.4mpg, the other 89bhp and 74.3mpg. The less powerful unit sneaks in at 99g/km CO2.

We?ll get our first chance to see the car properly at Geneva next month. Prices are expected to start at around �13,000.

http://goo.gl/f2wh

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Coolest race car ever?

1/18/10

It?s not often we use the phrase ?Is this the coolest race car ever? It just might be??. But in this instance, we think it?s justified.

This is the Honda HSV-010, a V8-powered monster that?s set to take on Nissan?s terrifying GT-R in Japan?s GT500 series this year.

It looks astonishing. Based on the chassis of Honda?s stillborn NSX revival, the HSV-010 (HSV, by the way, stands for Honda Sports Velocity, not Holden Special Vehicles) weighs in at 1100kg and packs a 3.4-litre V8 hoofing out around 500bhp. As per GT500 regulations, a sequential manual gearbox channels all that power to the rear wheels.

The HSV-010 will race for the first time at the GT500 season opener at Suzuka on 20-21 March. We?d expect it to gain a whole bunch of decals and sponsors and stuff by that time, but Honda, please, we beseech you: leave the HSV-010 exactly as it is: naked and matte and carbon-fibrous and generally amazing.

Once more: is this the coolest race car ever? It just might be.

But if you?re not yet convinced, have a listen to this...

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Facelifted 3-Series

1/18/10

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Yet another new 911

1/17/10

If you think you've seen this car before, don't worry, you haven't. We think. This is Porsche's new 911 GT3 R out-of-the-box racer.

It succeeds the 911 GT3 Cup S as Porsche's competition car for the (rich) people and is an evolution of the 911 Cup we showed you a few weeks' back. Like we said, d�j� vu.

Anyway, it's a lightweight (1,200kg), stripped-out special based on FIA GT3 regulations with a 480bhp, 4.0-litre engine.

It's designed with a series of driver aids to help out the amateur racer, including an electronic throttle that blips on the down-change, anti-lock brakes, traction control and a front-wheel-drive hatchback that's less likely to drag a novice backwards into the gravel trap. That last bit's not true.

The GT3 R also features a wider track with pumped up arches and a smooth under-body with rear diffuser. That huge rear wing is adjustable, as is the suspension.

Fancy one? Then head up to Autosport International this weekend for a closer look - and get ready to write Porsche a cheque for the best part of �300,000.

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New Ford Focus: it’s ALIVE!

1/17/10

The third generation Ford Focus is here. At least, it is in Detroit, unveiled today at the North American International Auto Show.

See more pics of the new Focus

We won't see it on the road for a full year - the first new Focuses will arrive in Europe and North America in early 2011, says Ford - but hey, that just gives us plenty of time to get all excited about the car that Ford boss Alan Mullaly describes as his company's most important product in 25 years.

That's because the new Focus will be a properly global car: where previous versions have different significantly from market to market, Ford says the third-gen Focus will be virtually identical across the world.

It'll also provide the underpinnings for as many as 10 other C-segment Fords, including the new C-Max and Grand C-Max which arrive later this year.

The Focus has always been one of the best-handling cars in its class (perhaps the very best-handling, in fact) and Ford says the third generation will be even better: the multilink rear suspension and subframes have been redesigned, and there's a new variable power steering system which should provide more feedback at speed.

There'll be the usual huge array of engines, of course, the most interesting of which is a new 1.6-litre ?EcoBoost' turbo petrol engine which, says Ford, will provide more power than the existing 2.0-litre petrol, but with hugely improved emissions and economy.

But all the talk, we suspect, will concern the styling of the new Focus. We've avoided talking about it so far because, well, you have eyes and you can decide for yourself. Do you reckon the Focus's global aspirations have dulled its styling to the point of anonymity, or are you a fan of its Fiesta-meets-Mondeo lines? Discuss...

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Yes, it’s a Peugeot

1/17/10

Clearly feeling a bit left out of all this coverage from Detroit, Peugeot has released early details of its Geneva show star, the SR1.

Pretty, isn't it? Mainly because it doesn't really look like a Peugeot, which means it isn't trying to be deliberately controversial or sport a large, gormless plastic grin.

Instead we've got a sharp looking petrol-hybrid (Peugeot calls it HYbrid4 technology), mating an electric motor in the back and turbo'd 1.6-litre up front to give a combined 313bhp (95bhp from the electric kit and 218 from the petrol).

It'll run in electric-only mode so you can frighten the crap out of unsuspecting pedestrians, and Peugeot reckons it'll deliver 57.7mpg on the combined cycle and 119g/km of CO2.

Inside, there's a three-seat layout with a single passenger seat placed behind the front pair, while a futuristic crystal-tube display wrestles with old school touches like wood and leather detailing.

The hybrid all-wheel-drive system will debut next year on the 3008 crossover model, but it looks unlikely the SR1 will make production - a ?new styling direction' is all, we're afraid.

And, talking of new direction, you might also have noticed Peugeot's redesigned ?lion' badge on the bonnet. No? Neither did we.

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Detroit 2010: a review

1/16/10

The big story at this year's Detroit show is without doubt the staggering turnaround of Ford. The new Focus was the most significant launch of the show, and the new Fiesta has just gone on sale in the US.

In fact, it's too early for either of these cars to show up in the company's American results - the Focus doesn't even hit showrooms for another year. But Ford had an obvious spring in its step at the show.

It's simply a better-run, better-focused company than it has been in living memory. It has the same mission all round the world, and is converging the vehicles rather than making a rag-bag of different ones for different regions of the planet. It even managed to make profits (OK, small ones) all round the world for much of last year, at a time when other car companies were bleeding.

It has weathered the storm and has the cars for a new start. Not just Euro-sized hatches, but bigger cars: the Mustang, strong crossovers, trucks and a fine range of Lincolns. No duffers.

Across the halls, GM was in a different mood. Yes, it launched some nice cars - the Cadillacs and the GMC Granite are striking, and the Chevrolet Aveo isn't bad in a budgety way - but there was no consistent message from the company.

The bosses, who are mostly new, are slashing and burning their way through the old company's culture. They've closed Saturn (dead), Pontiac (dead soon), Hummer (sold) and Saab (probably dead very soon). While Ford is on a growth path, I suspect GM chiefs don't know how much cutting there is left to do. So they kept suspiciously quiet and let the cars do the talking.

Chrysler Group was a right mess. Sergio Marchionne, the chief of Fiat and Chrysler, says that's because while a plan exists, the cars won't come for more than a year and he doesn't want to give his rivals any clues. But boy, the stand looked miserable.

The best they could do was a ?concept' that was a Lancia Delta with a Chrysler grille. That car has done poorly in the country it was designed for, in the brand it was designed for. How will it fare in the wrong continent under the wrong brand?

Away from the Detroit Three car companies, it seemed like everything had to be electric or hybrid, as usual for a show these days. Audi's second, scaled-down e-Tron is all very well (but irrelevant) as an electric car, but the cool bit is it's coming with mid-engined, 2.0-litre turbo petrol power.

The electric BMW 1-Series is a sideshow. VW's coupe concept is no more than the next Jetta with the back doors sealed up, but its hybrid powertrain is for real. Honda finally launched the CRZ hybrid sports coupe, and it has a certain design charm, as does Toyota's little hybrid hatchback.

On the electric score, the most significant thing at the show was a car maker you've never heard of. China's BYD is the car division of the world's biggest lithium ion battery maker. No doubt we all have its products powering our phones and cameras.

BYD has just put on sale in China a RAV-4 sized crossover powered purely by batteries. The car was at Detroit and its design and interior are very close to the global pace. BYD promises to have it in dealers in the US by the year's end.

That would put it ahead of the Nissan Leaf, Renault Fluence ZE, Tesla Model S and all the other high-profile pioneering electric saloons ?for the masses'.

Know this about China. Last year more cars were sold there than in the whole of the US. Its car makers are growing in stature and competence at a similar rate, and they've got their eyes on the world markets. Of course they might stumble, as other Chinese entries to the West have. But if they do it won't be for long.

Another reason GM and Chrysler need to get themselves back in the game pretty damned sharpish.

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Stormtrooper Enzo

1/16/10

Go on, take another good look at that picture. Struggling with your gag reflex? We understand, but stick at it. Somehow this thing gets better the more you stare at it.

It's another tuned wonder from German uber-tweakers Gemballa - a jet-fighter inspired Enzo called Mig-U1.

It looks like an FXX that's wearing a bit too much make-up, and Gemballa claims the long list of aerodynamic changes - including wide arches, reprofiled nose, roof scoop, assorted gills and that massive rear wing - are worth an extra 35kg of downforce at the front and 85 at the back.

Inside, it's a mix of equally in-yer-face Alcantara and leather with some, er, nice red touches. A revised centre console helps house a 950-watt stereo system with seven-inch touchscreen.

Power? Thanks to an upgraded ECU and exhaust you're looking at 700bhp and, apparently, those new alloys save you 16kg over the standard alloys which might help the handling a bit. And perhaps offset that likely quite hefty interior.

There's no word on prices yet, but Gemballa is talking about transforming 25 Enzos, tailored to customer's own taste. Check out its website for what ?taste' means in this context. Mr Enzo, we fear, would not have approved...

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