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We’re feeling a bit like the UK’s small but merry band of carmakers have been sharing a few too many real ales recently. Not only do we have a new Lotus Elise to celebrate, and the fastest ever Bentley drop top, we’ve now got the fastest ever Jaguar XKR to add to the list.

Speed merchants
According to Jag, buyers if the current XKR have been a bit narked that their speedy coupes are limited to 155mph. So Jag has responded by developing the optional Speed Pack which lifts to top whack to... Read More

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For the 2011 model year, Lotus has evolved the design of the Elise to fit in with the Evora. So there’s a nice new front clamshell, rear bumper and engine cover; new headlights with very on-trend daytime running lights and some new lightweight wheels.

Add lightness. And more aero efficiency
As it’s a Lotus, this facelift isn’t just because the old Elise’s youthful good looks were starting to sag – the new front end yields a 4% reduction in the coefficient of drag, resulting in better fuel economy.

Engine update
There’s a new engine for the base model Elise too. Lotus has taken advantage of Toyota’s new Valvematic 1ZR-FAE 136hp 1.6 litre engine. The unit gives the same power but a little less torque than the outgoing 1.8-litre unit,... Read More

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The Nissan Micra has dubious honour of being the car that many people both learn to drive and end their driving career in. And now there’s an all-new one, which will make its glittering debut at the Geneva Motor Show.

V for Victory
Nissan’s ‘new global compact car’ is the first car to feature Nissan’s all new V platform which has been developed to be seriously tough, to cope with any road the globe can throw at it, whilst also being light weight to benefit emissions.

On sale dates
Sales of the new car will begin in Thailand in March, because that’s where the car will be built, with European sales starting in the autumn. And if you’re heading to Geneva, you’ll also be interested to note that the new... Read More

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The Panamera V6 will be officially launched at the Beijing Motor Show in April, where punters at the show will be able to marvel at its direct injection 300hp, 400Nm V6 goodness. You can have your V6 as a normal rear-wheel-drive Panamera, or a Panamera 4, which has Porsche’s clever 4x4 system. Both cars get the seven-speed PDK with start stop as standard.

Green and mean
The V6 Panamera is actually pretty fuel efficient. The two-wheel-drive car manages 30.4mpg and 218g/km, while the Panamera 4 averages 29.4 mpg and 225g/km. You can opt for 19-inch low rolling resistance tyres which cut CO2 by 5g/km too.

Lightweight stuff
Helping the Panamera’s quest for greenness are the axles, doors, bonnet, wings and the rear tailgate which are all made of aluminium. The V6 is... Read More

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Proof that it wasn’t just a fluke, Peugeot has got its mojo back. Fact. Hot on the heels of the rather decent 3008 and 5008 roads cars, and swoopy SR1 concept car, this is the 5 by Peugeot which previews the forthcoming replacement for both the 407 and 607.

Styling details
The 5 by Peugeot is a little bigger than the 407 and is about the same size as a current Ford Mondeo. We’re fans of the fact that the concept features a sensibly proportioned front grille, instead of the great, gaping ones that grace the front of the current Peugeot range.

Light me up
The LED lights are cool too, but as lights are super-expensive to make, we doubt they’ll make the cut for production. However we hope the car’s rear three-quarter looks... Read More

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Honda has finally shifted the remaining units of its last special edition Civic Type R, the Championship White. So to celebrate, here’s another limited run CTR, this time with help for Honda’s tuning partner MUGEN.

Limited numbers
200 MUGEN CTRs will be built, each featuring such luxuries as gloss black door mirrors, 19-inch alloys and plenty of MUGEN badges. Honda must have a job lot of Championship White paint, as all of the specials come in this colour, and all feature a MUGEN bodykit and limited slip diff too. The 201hp engine remains untouched.

MUGEN = AMG
The purpose of this particular edition is to continue where the very special and frankly ludicrously overpriced MUGEN CTR from last year left off and keep building the reputation of MUGEN as Honda’s... Read More

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Porsche normally gets plenty of flack for launching ‘facelifted’ cars which don’t look any different to the one they replace. But BMW is fast becoming the master of the blink and you’ll miss it facelift.

Puts the B in subtle
Following on from the X5 and 3 Series Coupe, the 2010 BMW M3 has now got – drum roll please – some new rear lights! And that’s about it really. But, as ever, things aren’t that simple.

Two BMW firsts
For the first time ever, the M3 now has Stop Start so you won’t waste any precious super unleaded at the lights. You get this tech on both the six-speed manual and, also for the first time in a BMW, the dual clutch box too, which means the 420hp M3 will return exactly the same 22.8mpg with the manual and... Read More

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If you’ve always hankered after a big, cheapo saloon, Hyundai is about to oblige by bringing a new D-segment car to market that’s based on this i-flow concept.

Any more info?
We don’t know much about the i-flow yet –Hyundai is keeping the full details under wraps until Geneva. But what we do know is that it was designed by the firm’s European styling bods in Rüsselsheim, Germany, and that it features the latest incarnation of Hyundai’s ‘fluidic sculpture’ design language.

And the production car?
Using our powers of deduction, the i-flow should manifest itself as an i40 that’s based on the same underpinnings as Kia’s swoopy Cadenza/K7 saloon. Which we don’t get. Boo. More details when we get them.

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Citroën might have given its Geneva Motor Show concept a silly name, but there’s no hiding that the DS HIGH RIDER gives a spangly, glitzy motorshow-ified version of the DS4 that’s due to launch late this year.

DS4 and C4
The DS4 shares its face with the new C4, which will debut at the same time as the DS model. But while the C4 will remain a more conservative hatch, the DS4 will be quite the luxury barge – the poshness gap between the C4 and DS4 will be larger than with the DS3 and C3.

Size matters
In terms of the looks, we’re suckers for Citroëns and the DS4 hits a pretty sweet spot. Despite its beefy, SUV-esque looks, the concept measures 4.26m long, 1.82m wide and 1.48m high, making it a tiny bit smaller than the current Ford Focus. Read More

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The Porsche 911 hybrid is four-wheel-drive. As normal, the usual 480hp race-tuned flat six powers the rear wheels. But up front there are two electric motors which develop 60kw each.

Flywheels not batteries
The hybrid system doesn’t use batteries – Porsche doesn’t think the tech is good enough – so instead it uses an electric flywheel power generator that’s mounted inside the cockpit beside the driver.

Push to pass
The flywheel can spin at speeds of up to 40,000rpm and can supply boost to the  motors for around six seconds per charge, which is great for quick overtakes or defending a position in a race. The system is charged back up whenever the driver applies the brakes as the motors act as generators.

Williams F1 tech... Read More

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