GM Says Opel Astra Convertible's Replacement to be a Standalone Model Like the VW Eos

Earlier this year, General Motors European arm laid out its plans for the replacement of the Opel / Vauxhall Astra Convertible with a new model that will enter production in 2013 at the Gliwice plant in Poland alongside the new Astra models.

And while we know that the open-top model will be based on the new generation of the Astra compact, what the General didn't say is whether or not it will carry the Astra nameplate.

Up until now, that is, because in an interview with Car Magazine, the European design chief at GM, Mark Adams, said the new convertible will be a separate, standalone model in the likes of the Volkswagen Eos hardtop cabrio.

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Posted on 11.17 / 0 comments / Read More

McLaren Delays MP4-12C Deliveries to Fix Software Glitch

McLaren keeps opening one showroom after another around the world, yet there are stories circulating the web that the Woking-based carmaker has stopped production of the MP4-12C supercar due to safety concerns.

Tony Joseph, director of McLaren North America, admitted that there are some delays, but they have nothing to do with safety: “There are no safety concerns for the delay. We’ve had some quality-related issues in a few cars we wanted to address before we continue to deliver customer cars”, he told Autoweek magazine.

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Posted on 10.46 / 0 comments / Read More

New VW Up! Priced From £7,995 in the UK, Available to Order Now

Even though the new Up! city car won’t be arriving at dealerships before spring 2012, VW today released pricing details for the UK model and opened the ordering books. Pricing for the 3.5m-long three-door model with seating for four starts at £7,995 for the base version and rises to £11,180 for the top-of-the-line White and Black editions. Read more »

Posted on 07.40 / 0 comments / Read More

Awesom-O: TomTom Navigation Launches Top Gear Voice Pack with Jeremy Clarkson [Video]

Gone are the days when you're navigation voice choices were limited to Tom, Dick and Harry Sally. Now we get all sort of options ranging from cartoon and movie characters such as Homer Simpson and Master Yoda to Top Gear presenters like Jeremy Clarkson who loaned his voice to the new TomTom GO LIVE Top Gear edition satnav.

The new navigation package combines Jeremy Clarkson's directions with a Stig-mode and Top Gear selected points of interest such as race track and raceway locations related to the long-running TV series.

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Posted on 06.04 / 0 comments / Read More

What a Joyride: Cops Try to Stop Stolen JCB Forklift

So how exactly do you stop a 10-tonne forklift on a rampage? Well, unless you're willing to accept collateral damages, you either wait for it to run out of fuel or pray that something goes wrong and use it to your advantage.

The police at Nottinghamshire village in in the East Midlands of England were faced with such a situation back in July when Steven Regan stole a JCB forklift and went on a wrecking spree. The incident was captured on film by a police helicopter.

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Posted on 11.05 / 0 comments / Read More

New McLaren MP4-12C Bites the Dust Near the Company's UK Headquarters

While not the first-ever crash involving the McLaren MP4-12C, this incident piqued our interest as it looks like the car in question may have been a brand-new example getting ready for delivery given the blue tape and white plastic covers on the seats, as well as the fact that the accident took place near the brand's headquarters in Woking, UK.

The picture was posted on the UK ClioSport forums by a member that claims the McLaren MP4-12C crashed into one of his friend's car before coming to a halt in front of a fence on the side of the road.

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Posted on 06.15 / 0 comments / Read More

BMW UK Sells Two Millionth Vehicle in Britain 31 Years after it Officially Entered the Market

Some 31 years after it officially opened shop in the British market, BMW UK Ltd has sold its two millionth vehicle, a 530d Gran Turismo. Coincidentally, the company's first car sold in the UK on January 1, 1980, was also a 5-Series, albeit an E12 M535i saloon. Read more »

Posted on 13.59 / 0 comments / Read More

Vauxhall Corsa VXR Nürburgring Edition with 205HP Hits UK Shores

The first examples of the Corsa VXR Nürburgring Edition have landed in Vauxhall showrooms in Britain. The 205HP hot hatch is priced at £22,295 or close to £3,400 more than the standard 192HP VXR that starts at £18,900.

The faster and more-focused version of the Corsa VXR is powered by a re-worked version of the regular model's 1.6-litre turbocharged engine which now produces 205-horses at 5,750rpm and 250-280Nm (184-207 lb-ft) of torque, up from 192HP and 230-266Nm (170-196 lb-ft).

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Posted on 06.44 / 0 comments / Read More

Shocker: British Government Wants to Raise Speed Limit to 80 mph

“Speed kills”, says the cliché. And so do most governments around the world that prefer to keep low speed limits and enforce them by planting thousands of cameras on the roads.

Yet surprisingly, the UK government is proposing a new plan to increase the speed limit on motorways. The announcement came today from Transport Secretary Philip Hammond who announced his intention to raise the national speed limit on motorways from 70 to 80 mph (112 to 128 km/h) as early as 2013.

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Posted on 12.25 / 0 comments / Read More

Kia's Facelifted 2012 Soul Lands in Britain

The refreshed for the 2012 model year Kia Soul is on sale in the UK with on-the-road prices ranging from £12,495 for the basic petrol model to the £17,795 for the fully equipped diesel variant.

The most important change for the 2012 Soul is the presentation of a new 1.6-liter petrol engine and a revised version of the 1.6-liter turbo diesel, both hooked up to a six-speed manual gearbox that replaces the previous five-speed unit. Furthermore, the diesel model is optionally available with a new 6sp auto in place of the former 4sp transmission.

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Posted on 10.06 / 0 comments / Read More

New Chrysler Delta Hatch Goes on Sale in the UK [71-Photos]

The new Ypsilon supermini is not the only Lancia model to wear Chrysler's winged badge in Britain. Joining the Ypsilon's voyage across the British channel is the Lancia Delta hatchback that went on sale today as a Chrysler with a starting price of £16,695 OTR.

The move is part of the Fiat-Chrysler alliance's decision to market all Lancia models in the UK under the Chrysler brand name.

Chrysler is marketing the new Delta a C-segment model with D-segment interio space and features. The five-door model measures 4520mm in length and rides on a 2700mm long wheelbase.

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Posted on 13.12 / 0 comments / Read More

New 2012 Honda Civic Hatchback Priced from £16,495 in the UK

Honda has released UK pricing and equipment levels for the new Civic, which made its world premiere at the 64th International Auto Show in Frankfurt earlier this month. Buyers can order their car now with first deliveries set to take place in January.

In Britain, the ninth-generation Civic will be available with three engines and a choice of four trim levels. Prices for the five-door hatchback start at £16,495 for the entry-level 1.4-liter petrol model and top out at £26,595 for a fully equipped 2.2-liter diesel.

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Posted on 10.17 / 0 comments / Read More

Color me Matte: New Renault Clio RS 200 “Ange & Démon” Edition to be Produced in…666 Units

Renault is playing the good versus evil card with its new limited run Clio Renaultsport 200 “Ange & Démon”, which is French for Angels and Demons. Deviously, the bespoke version of the Clio RS will be produced in a…fiendish 666 units worldwide - as most of you already know, that's the number of the Beast in the Book of Revelation.

Buyers can choose among three different matte shades, including Toro Red, Givre Nacré and Hologramme Grey, all of which feature a gloss black finish for the roof, upper tailgate, rear spoiler, rear diffuser, F1-style blade in the front bumper, the door handles and exterior door mirrors.

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Posted on 07.57 / 0 comments / Read More

New Chrysler Ypsilon Supermini Makes its Debut in Britain [50 Photos]

The Fiat-Chrysler alliance has said that the two groups will work hand-in-hand towards the development of all future models, with the Italian branch handling the smaller and compact / medium segments and the American, the medium and larger categories.

We'll have to wait to see the first (real) results, but for the time being, the group is making use of one brand's vehicles to supplement the lineup of another brand through the age-old approach of rebadging.

Following the European premieres of the Chrysler 200, 300 and Town & Country with Lancia badges and names, the table has turned around with Chrysler welcoming a Lancia model into its range, the new Ypsilon supermini. But it's not for U.S. consumption.

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Posted on 06.58 / 0 comments / Read More

English Champion Jumps Over 3 MINIS in a Promo for the 2012 London Olympics Edition [Video]

England long jump champion and London 2012 Olympic Games hopeful, J.J. Jegede succeeded in his attempt to jump over three Minis in an event that took place at Potter’s Field, London, to promote BMW’s sponsorship of next year's Olympic games.

If you think it was an easy task because the three Minis abreast measure a little less than six meters, while in ideal conditions, a top-level athlete can manage a seven- to eight-meter jump, consider that a car's rooftop is not as forgiving as a sandbox…

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Posted on 14.25 / 0 comments / Read More

MINI Launches Special Edition Series Dedicated to the London 2012 Olympic Games

Following in the footsteps of its Bavarian parent company, the MINI brand is celebrating next year's London 2012 Olympic Games with the release of a new limited edition series based on the three-door hatchback model.

The British firm plans to build 2012 examples of the special edition series in Cooper, Cooper D, Cooper S and Cooper SD trims, which will be available in a choice of three colors Chilli Red, White Silver or Lightning Blue.

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Posted on 10.04 / 0 comments / Read More

British carmaker Ginetta to Unveil a New 310HP, Carbonfiber Sportscar

[Ginetta G40R Pictured Above]

Unless you are into boutique car manufacturers, there's a good chance you've never heard of Ginetta. Yet the British company has existed for more than half a century: it was founded by four brothers (Bob, Ivor, Trevers and Douglas Walklett) in 1958.

Since this isn’t a history lesson, we’ll move forwards a few decades. More specifically in 2005 when Ginetta was acquired by LNT Automotive, a company owned by businessman and racing driver Lawrence Tomlinson. Soon after, the moved the company to new premises and introduced a new car, the G50, while also announcing a one-make racing series.

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Posted on 08.43 / 0 comments / Read More

Project Kahn Turns its Focus on the RS

Aftermarket British tuner Project Kahn has released a mild upgrade package for the now obsolete Ford Focus RS. The company left the hot hatch's 305HP-strong 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five intact, and concentrated on the styling aspect of the tune. Read more »

Posted on 07.57 / 0 comments / Read More

Another Day, Another Shade for Ford's Transit SportVan Limited Edition

Like clockwork, Ford of Britain has just unveiled another version of its special edition Transit SportVan, this time 180 examples if the commercial model finished in a new livery with metallic silver bodywork and graphite racing stripes.

Color is the only differentiating factor among the previous versions of the Transit SportVan, which was first launched in 2007.

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Posted on 05.32 / 0 comments / Read More

Caterham Launches New Company, Will Introduce Brand-New Models

Back in April, when the owners of Formula 1’s Team Lotus acquired British sports car maker Caterham, they promised to “have all the ingredients and the launch pad to take Caterham to new exciting horizons with innovative products and greater brand exposure.”

True to their word, Caterham's new owners announced on Monday that they are creating a new, standalone engineering business named CTI (Caterham Technology and Innovation).

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Posted on 14.15 / 0 comments / Read More