Alfa Romeo 4C Sports Concept Heading to Goodwood Festival of Speed

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The new Alfa Romeo 4C Sports Concept will receive its UK public debut at the rapidly approaching 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed, which takes place from July 1 to 3.

Seen for the first time at the Geneva Salon in March, Italy’s answer to the Lotus Elise boasts a lightweight chassis with power coming from a mid-mounted 1.75-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivering 200 ponies to the rear wheels. It can complete the 0-62mph (100km/h) sprint in less than 5 seconds and reach a top speed of 155mph (250km/h). Production is set to start in 2012.

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Post Title → Alfa Romeo 4C Sports Concept Heading to Goodwood Festival of Speed

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Mugen’s Supercharged Honda CR-Z Hybrid Prototype Debuts on Film

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With development of the new Honda CR-Z Mugen concept nearing its end, the Japanese automaker decided it’s time to release the first video of the supercharged hybrid model on the road before its world premiere at the 2011 Goodwood Festival of Speed in July.

The prototype CR-Z is the collaborative work of Honda UK and its in-house tuning shop Mugen Euro. The hotted-up hybrid sports car feature modifications to the 1.5-liter i-VTEC petrol engine with the addition of a supercharger as well as to the Honda IMA system.

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Post Title → Mugen’s Supercharged Honda CR-Z Hybrid Prototype Debuts on Film

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Chevrolet Prices New Cruze 5d Hatchback from £13,995 in the UK

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The new Cruze hatchback will arrive in Chevrolet’s UK dealerships next month with on-the-road prices starting from £13,995 (US$23,000), the automaker announced today. Customers can choose from three engines including two petrol units, a 124HP 1.6-liter and a 141HP 1.8-liter, and a 2.0-liter turbo diesel delivering 163-horsepower. All engines can be coupled to either a manual gearbox or an automatic transmission. Read more »

Post Title → Chevrolet Prices New Cruze 5d Hatchback from £13,995 in the UK

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Nissan to Design, Engineer and Build Next Qashqai in Britain

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The second generation of Nissan’s big-selling in Europe Qashqai crossover will be designed, engineered and built in Britain, the Japanese automaker’s CEO Carols Ghosn announced today during a meeting with UK Prime Minister David Cameron. Nissan said it will spend £192 million (US$315 million or €215 million) for the new Qashqai, safeguarding 6,000 jobs, both direct and indirect through the UK supply chain. Read more »

Post Title → Nissan to Design, Engineer and Build Next Qashqai in Britain

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And the Unluckiest Car in Britain is…the Honda FR-V

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Well, the question and the answer have already been given to you in the title, so let us elaborate for a moment. A UK-based car insurance price comparison website called “Confused.com” conducted a study to find out which vehicle make and model had the highest accident rates in Britain in the last five years. The company notes that the statistics you’re about to read show only a snapshot of accident-related claims made by owners of a particular make and model of vehicle.

According to the results, the Honda FR-V, a compact 6-seater minivan marketed in Europe and Japan from 2004 to 2009, topped the list with 2,529 owners of the model making 466 accident claims in the past five years, which is equal to a claim rate of 18.4 per cent, or close to one in five.

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Post Title → And the Unluckiest Car in Britain is…the Honda FR-V

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Volkswagen Announces Super Efficient 68.9mpg Passat BlueMotion for the UK

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Revealed at the Geneva Motor Show this past March, the new generation of Volkswagen’s fuel-efficient Passat BlueMotion is available to order now in the United Kingdom, with first examples scheduled to hit showrooms towards the end of July. The BlueMotion version of the seventh-generation Passat (not to be confused with the US model), itself launched in Europe in January, is offered in both sedan and Estate formats with prices starting at £19,875 and £21,180 respectively. Read more »

Post Title → Volkswagen Announces Super Efficient 68.9mpg Passat BlueMotion for the UK

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Aston Martin to Move Production of Rapide from Austria to the UK

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For the past two years, Aston Martin has been manufacturing the Rapide at Magna Steyr’s facilities in Austria, but that’s about to change soon as today, the British automaker announced that it will move production of the four-door sports saloon to the company’s Gaydon headquarters in Warwickshire, UK. The company said the necessary upgrades at its Gaydon headquarters for Rapide will begin immediately with a view to begin production of the Rapide in the second half of 2012. Read more »

Post Title → Aston Martin to Move Production of Rapide from Austria to the UK

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Opel Officially Reveals 2012 Astra GTC, High-Po OPC Coming Next Year

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This is General Motors’ brand new Opel Astra GTC revealed more than two months ahead of its world premiere at the 64th International Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany, in mid-September. The newest member of Opel’s ever-growing Astra family will go on sale across Europe including the United Kingdom where it will be available as a Vauxhall later this year. Recent reports also suggest it may come to the States under the Buick brand.

GM’s European subsidiary is confident about its new Astra GTC with Vauxhall going as far as to claim that it will “lay down the gauntlet to VW’s Scirocco and Renault’s Megane Coupe with a heady mix of dynamic excellence, dramatic design features and competitive pricing".

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Post Title → Opel Officially Reveals 2012 Astra GTC, High-Po OPC Coming Next Year

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Real Life Cars 2 Characters Dock at London’s Motorexpo

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The imposing fleet of 50 Jaguar E-Type models isn’t the only attraction to arrive today at London’s Canary Wharf for the free-to-visit Motorexpo as Disney and its Pixar studio sent two real life characters from the upcoming Cars 2 movie, which is set to hit UK theaters in 3D on July 22. The full-size film-star cars are the Lightning McQueen racer and the Finn McMissile Aston Martin, voiced in the movie by actors Owen Wilson and Michael Caine respectively. Read more »

Post Title → Real Life Cars 2 Characters Dock at London’s Motorexpo

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Convoy of 50 Jaguar E-Types Run Through the Streets of London

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It’s not every day that you get to see a Jaguar E-Type on the road let alone 50 well kept and restored examples of what many regard as the most beautiful car ever made. And that’s exactly what happened today when a fleet of 50 privately owned Jaguar E-types in both coupe and roadster formats travelled in convoy through the streets of London on their way to the 2011 Motorexpo in Canary Wharf marking the sports car’s 50th birthday. Read more »

Post Title → Convoy of 50 Jaguar E-Types Run Through the Streets of London

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U Spy: 2012 Mini Roadster Testing in Britain

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The new Mini Roadster isn’t expected to reach showrooms before late next year, but Carscoop reader Klaus M. has spotted a prototype model in a swirly camouflage at a roundabout near Oxford in South East England. Caught by surprise, Klaus managed to shoot a single photo of the 2012 Mini Roadster but promised to keep an eye open and send us more photos in the future.

Mini has already revealed plans to debut the Coupe version of the series at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show this September, with sales to follow towards the end of the year. The ragtop Roadster model will follow at a later date.

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Post Title → U Spy: 2012 Mini Roadster Testing in Britain

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Project Kahn’s Range Rover Autobiography RS600 Cosworth

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Not a month goes by without British tuner Project Kahn releasing some kind of tune for a Land Rover model. Their latest effort takes on the more luxurious Range Rover Autobiography Edition with a new package called the RS600 Cosworth.

The makeover starts with a bespoke Nara Bronze finish and continues with a Project Kahn aero body kit that includes a new front bumper with an integrated chin spoiler, front day time led lights and unique fog lamp bezels, side skirts, bespoke door handles and a redesigned rear bumper housing the quad tail pipes of the sport exhaust system. The company also adds a set of 22-inch RS wheels wrapped around in chunky high-performance tires.

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Post Title → Project Kahn’s Range Rover Autobiography RS600 Cosworth

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MG Preparing an Array of New Models to Conquer Europe

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SAIC Motor Corporation, the owner of MG Motors, plans to develop several new models for the British brand in order to boost sales outside its home market in China. The Chinese owner of MG Motors has already spent £1 billion ($1.64 billion) to re-launch the MG and Roewe brands (former Rover) and intends to invest another £2.2 billion ($3.6 billion) to achieve annual sales of 700,000 by 2015.

In 2010, the two brands sold 160,397 cars, most of which were delivered in China, with only 2,000 units exported to other markets. This past April, MG launched its new mid-size MG6 in the UK, the first new car to be assembled at the British firm’s Longbridge plant in 16 years. The company said that when it completes the development of a diesel version, it will offer the car to rest of Europe. "We will not go into mainland Europe without a diesel," UK managing director, William Wong, told Autonews.

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Post Title → MG Preparing an Array of New Models to Conquer Europe

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All-New Hyundai i40 Tourer Priced from £18,395 OTR in the UK

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Hyundai has priced its entry into the medium family estate car market, the new i40 Tourer, announcing that it will take from £18,395 (equal to US$30,340 or €21,100) for UK buyers to park one under their house. In comparison, the Ford Mondeo Estate starts from £18,955 for the 1.6i 120HP model, while the Vauxhall Insignia Sports Tourer from £19,350 with the 1.8-liter engine.

The estate version of the i40 will arrive in British showrooms this September followed shortly after by the sedan model, which was unveiled at the Barcelona International Motor Show in May.

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Post Title → All-New Hyundai i40 Tourer Priced from £18,395 OTR in the UK

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STaSIS Engineering Gives the Audi S5 Cabriolet a Power Boost

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North American aftermarket specialist STaSIS Engineering has released a new performance package for the Audi S5 Cabriolet in the UK. The STaSIS Engineering S5 Cabriolet Challenge Edition features an upgrade kit that includes an engine tune, Ohlins performance suspension, monobloc brake calipers and a limited-slip differential. Read more »

Post Title → STaSIS Engineering Gives the Audi S5 Cabriolet a Power Boost

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London Mayor to Whack President Obama’s Motorcade with the Congestion Charge

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Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week or so, you’d have seen that hi-larious [sic] video of one of the Barack-mobiles getting stuck on a ramp outside the U.S. Embassy in Ireland. The U.S. President’s eight ton, “Beasts” are monsters of cars, built to withstand bullets, bombs and probably reporters’ shoes (yes, I went there).

In a cute footnote to this story, notorious car-hater environmentally-conscious London Mayor Boris Johnson is considering levying a congestion charge on each car in President Obama’s motorcade, the cost of which would be £10 (US$16) per vehicle. A spokeswoman has stated that they will not be paying the charges if billed.

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Post Title → London Mayor to Whack President Obama’s Motorcade with the Congestion Charge

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Study Says Men Seven Times more Stressed than Women in Traffic Jams

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A new research by satellite navigation company TomTom reveals that men’s stress levels rise seven times higher than a women's when stuck in heavy traffic. British psychologists reached this conclusion after testing volunteers for the rise in stress chemicals in their saliva when caught up in a traffic jam.

The study found that women's stress levels increased by 8.7 percent, while men's soared to 60 percent in the same traffic jam scenario. According to UK specialists, this could prove unhealthy as it puts pressure on the heart and causes dizziness and breathing problems. However, many of the volunteers had no idea they were experiencing stress. 67 percent of the women and 50 percent of men said they did not feel any stress after 20 minutes in heavy traffic, even though the readings showed otherwise.

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Post Title → Study Says Men Seven Times more Stressed than Women in Traffic Jams

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Eagle Speedster is a Beautiful Tribute to the Classic Jaguar E-Type

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Eagle is a British restoration specialist that dedicates its activity exclusively to the Jaguar E-Type. As the iconic sports car celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2011, Eagle has thought of a very special way to celebrate the occasion: the one of a kind Eagle Speedster, a roadster models that combines the beauty of the classic E-Type with the company's technical expertise and craftsmanship.

The car was commissioned by U.S. collector Rick Velaj, who wanted something "a bit special". Eagle designer Paul Brace penned a sketch, Velaj loved it and the rest came naturally. Everything on the E-Type Speedster is custom made. Like the 1960's Jaguar E-Type, Eagle's car sports classic finishing, with every detail being designed and customized, from the unique shape of the all-aluminum body, adapted from an original body by RS Panels, right through to the custom made windshield glass.

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Post Title → Eagle Speedster is a Beautiful Tribute to the Classic Jaguar E-Type

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New Suzuki Swift gets a Diesel Option in Britain

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If you want to be successful in Europe, diesel options are a must for any carmaker, even more so in the mainstream segments. Following the launch the gasoline powered versions of the new generation of the Swift last summer, Suzuki has now added a diesel option to the supermini’s range. The Swift DDiS features a revised 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine rated at 75-horsepower and 190Nm (80 lb-ft) at 1,750rpm. Read more »

Post Title → New Suzuki Swift gets a Diesel Option in Britain

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New On-The-Spot Fines to Target Britain’s Persistently Reckless Drivers

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The UK Department of Transport (DoT) intends to crack down on reckless drivers by granting its police force the power to issue on-the-spot fines for acts such as tailgating, undertaking (bad pun alert) and, “cutting up” other road users. These penalties will range from £80 to £100 (US$130 to US$162) and also apply to those caught using mobile phones.

It’s all part of a crackdown on what UK Transport Secretary Philip Hammond deems, “persistently dangerous drivers,” and will also encompass drunk and drug-affected road users as well.

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Post Title → New On-The-Spot Fines to Target Britain’s Persistently Reckless Drivers

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