News, Motor Show, Supercar, Sports car
Mercedes-AMG has unleashed a new beefed-up R version of its GT supercar. Making its public debut at Goodwood, the new Merc is powered by a 4.0-litre, V8 engine with 585bhp for a 0-62 time of 3.6 seconds, and a top speed of 198mph. Finished in a Nurburgring-inspired ‘Green Hell’ paintwork, the new GT R features a wider track, modified suspension, new aerodynamics front and rear and a lightweight construction - all designed for maximum driving dynamics.
Alfa Romeo has confirmed pricing for the all-new Giulia Quadrifoglio will start at £59,000 OTR. Powered by a new 510bhp V6 petrol engine, mated to an eight-speed paddle shift automatic transmission, the Giulia Quadrifoglio has a 0-62mph time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed of over 190mph. Standard spec includes 19-inch alloy wheels, plenty of carbon fibre and an Alfa Active Aero front splitter. The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio will be available to this summer.
Saloon, Family car, Luxury, News
Check out Massimo Pini's review of the all-new Audi A4. Is it any good? Find out..
Concept car, News, Luxury, Saloon
Rolls-Royce has revealed its ultra luxurious ‘Vision Next 100’ concept. As parent company BMW celebrates its centenary, the special Rolls-Royce explores what luxury mobility might look like over the next 100 years. The concept runs on an advanced suspension that allows the vehicle to almost skim across the road surface while on the luxurious inside, the ‘Spirit of Ecstasy’ emblem has been reimagined as Eleanor - a virtual assistant and chauffeur. The crowning feature has to its the concept’s glass canopy which lifts to allow the occupant to stand as they exit onto the projected red carpet.
Concept car, Hatchback, Hot Hatch, Luxury, Quirky, Technology
The BMW group has revealed a new ‘MINI Vision Next 100’ concept as part of its centenary celebrations. The Vision concept looks to a future where fully automated car-sharing will be available 24/7. Wrapped in a silver skin, like a blank canvas, the car displays different colour as well as personalised messages. On the inside, a new ‘Cooperizer’ centrally-positioned dial acts like the car’a brain, controlling personalised settings for each driver, and features an ‘Inspire Me’ button which checks downloaded user data for a perfectly personalised driving experience.
Sports car, Supercar, Hypercar, Luxury, Electric car
In a World Exclusive, NEWCARNET has secured the first images of a brand new electric hypercar concept – the GVA Eclipse. Designed by a British-led team at China-based automotive design company, Global Vehicle Architecture, the stunning full-sized prototype is projected to be joining the 200mph club thanks in part to a ground-breaking aerodynamic concept. Lifting the side windows upwards allows the bodywork to be sculpted so airflow can be channelled down the sides of the car – similar to the solution adopted by Le Mans racers. Patents are currently pending and the designers bullishly describe the GVA Eclipse as ‘very much production orientated and not just a flight of fancy.’
Family car, News, Motorshow, SUV
MG has confirmed pricing for its all-new GS SUV. First seen at the London Motor Show, the entry level ‘Explore’ model comes with cruise control, automatic headlights and air conditioning - and starts just a fiver short of £15-grand. The mid-range ‘Excite’ model costs from £17,495 and adds DAB radio, Bluetooth and rear parking sensors, while the flagship ‘Exclusive’ model is also available with MG’s first 7-speed automatic gearbox, and gets leather sports seats as well as iGo Sat Nav, for £21k OTR.
Following the launch of Fiat’s 124 Spider, the Italian brands performance division, Abarth, has now confirmed pricing for its beefed up version. Starting at £29 and a half, Abarth has tuned the 1.4 litre engine up to 170 bhp, shaving nearly a second off the 0-62mph time and increasing top speed to 143mph. A limited slip differential joins the standard fit Record Monza exhaust, while the range-topping model, which costs from £31,600 adds a sequential automatic gearbox with steering wheel-mounted paddles. The new Abarth 124 spider arrives in the UK this summer.
Classic car, Convertible, News, Sports car
Fiat has confirmed its new 124 Spider will cost from £19,545. Reviving the historic nameplate, Fiat’s new roadster is powered by a 1.4-litre Turbo Petrol engine sending 140bhp to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, for a 0-62mph time of 7.5 seconds. Available in three trim levels, the Lusso starts at £22,295 and adds 17-inch alloy wheels among other details while an extra £1000 will get you into the flagship Lusso Plus which adds LED headlights as well as a nine-speaker BOSE sound system.
City car, Hatchback, Events, News
The Ford Fiesta is the UK’s best-selling car. That’s according to official figures released by the Society of Motoring, Manufacturing and Traders who revealed the new car market has grown by 2.5% in the last year. Ford’s Fiesta received 8,236 new car registrations this May - 2,507 sales, which is 1.3 percentage points ahead of its nearest rival. The new Fiesta with Ford’s 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine offers fuel-efficiency of up to 65.7 mpg and costs from £10,345 OTR.
Mercedes has revealed its new E‑Class estate and the more powerful AMG E 43 4MATIC version. Available with a choice of petrol and diesel engines, the new model features up to 1820 litres of boot space despite its new, sportier roof line. The AMG E 43 features plenty of sporty-styling, runs on 19-inch AMG alloys and is powered by a 3.0-litre V6, mated to 9-speed automatic gearbox for a 0-62mph time of 4.7 seconds on to a limited top speed of 155mph.
Audi has launched its all-new A5 and S5 Coupé at the company's headquarters in Ingolstadt. Lighter and more economical than the outgoing model, the new A5 Coupé is powered by a choice of petrol and diesel engines, with the highlight being the S5’s 3.0-litre TDI engine which pumps out 354PS enabling a 0-62 time of 4.7 seconds. Undergoing both a technological transformation and styling evolution, the A5 Coupé has been aerodynamically optimised, while interior space is more generous. Oder books open at the end of the summer with pricing yet to be announced.
Events, Concept car, Motor Show, Quirky
Ever wondered how Goodwood owner and resident Lord March gets his breakfast? Well, to celebrate Ferrari’s attendance at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed, a California T Handling Speciale - set to be showcased at this year’s Festival in late June - was driven by drift record holder Mauro Calo as he sped around the estate collecting the necessary ingredients for a good fry up. The Handling Speciale package adds a new stiffer suspension and modified gear-shifts for a sportier gear selection.. and it certainly seemed to help drift expert gather his groceries.
Concept car, Motor Sports, Sports car, Hot Hatch
Renault Sport celebrated its 40th anniversary by revealing a special Clio R.S. 16 concept car. Revealed at the Monaco Grand Prix, Renault’s F1 driver Kevin Magnussen took the Clio R.S. 16 for a spin around the famous circuit. Featuring a wider body and 19-inch wheels, the Clio concept is powered by a 275-horsepower 2.0-litre unit borrowed from the Mégane R.S. Trophy-R - along with the cooling and transmission - while the suspension was reworked to match the car’s performance characteristics.
Events, Sports car, Quirky, Saloon, Coupe, Classic car
Falken Tyres enlisted the help of a drift school to put its products through an extreme test. Among the souped-up Japanese imports, one 18-year-old car enthusiast brought along his heavily modified Morris Marina shod with Falken Sincera tyres. Underneath the fading Green paint of the 900kg car lies a Ford Mondeo Zetec engine, Sierra gearbox and uprated suspension. Drift champion and Falken team driver James Deane enjoyed a slide in the old Marina but may just stick with his 750 horsepower Nissan.
Coupe, Sports car, Motor Sports
Nissan has confirmed its updated GT-R will cost from £80,000 when it goes on sale in the Autumn. And to test the performance enhancements made to the 2016 model, Nissan took it for a spin around the Spa F1 track, in Belgium. The changes include a revised chassis and more power from its twin-turbocharged 3.8-litre engine. A Track Edition NISMO GT-R will also be available for just under £92,000.
Concept car, Hatchback, SUV, Hybrid, Electric car
Volvo has unveiled two new small concept cars - the 40.1 and 40.2 - both built on a new compact platform. The SUV and hatchback mark the official launch of Volvo’s new small car strategy. The Swedish company plans to expand into the market for premium small cars, aiming to compete with its global competitors in the next four years. The concepts feature a bold exterior and interior design as well as ‘industry-leading’ connectivity and autonomous drive technologies, while the new range will also include electric and plug-in hybrid models.
Concept car, Classic car, Events, Sports car
BMW has revealed a beefy ‘2002 Hommage' concept car - paying tribute to the classic 2002 model first seen 50 years ago. The one-off was conceived for this years concours event at Villa d’Este and features a low slung sporting silhouette and, like the original model, is distinguished by just two single headlight units. Aerodynamic details include large spoilers front and rear, while huge moulded wheel arches house 20-inch light-alloy wheels, as well as recalling the Trans Am race variants of the classic 2002 turbo.
As headline sponsor of London’s Clerkenwell Design Week, Renault chose the event for the UK debut of its all-new Scenic which took centre stage in Spa Fields Park, forming part of a showcase of leading product design from around the world. The 5-seater Scenic features some unconventional MPV design cues, a two-tone colour scheme and huge 20-inch wheels fitted as standard across the range. A choice of petrol, diesel and Hybrid engines will be available when the Scenic goes on sale later this year. The Clerkenwell Design Week is open until 26 May.
Concept car, Events, Supercar, Sports car, Technology
The Infiniti Concept Vision GT made its first-ever appearance outside of China, at London’s Copper Box Arena. Its UK debut came at the launch of the new Sony Playstation 4 game - GT Sport - in which the car will star alongside other manufacturers supercar concepts. The design project went much further than hand sketching and digital refinement, to include thorough calculations of technical features such as aerodynamics and engine performance. GT Sport for the PS4 is released in November.
