Jaguar Shows Frankfurt-Bound C-X16 Sports Car

This is the first official image or rather sketch of the all-new Jaguar C-X16 study which will make its world premiere at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show on September 13.

The British automaker describes the C-X16 as a "production concept" adding that it is a "precursor to future Jaguar sports cars that will aim to set new class benchmarks in design, vehicle dynamics and technology".

Jaguar did not say whether the C-X16 previews a replacement for the current XK or as recent reports suggested, a new and smaller model lightly inspired from the iconic E-Type that would rival the Porsche Cayman and Boxster sports cars.

Among the few details revealed about the C-X16 is that it is designed by the same team responsible for the XJ, XF and XK, headed of course by Jaguar Director of Design Ian Callum, who had this to say about the study:

"Great Jaguars have always been beautiful, innovative and have looked firmly to the future. The finished C-X16 concept has the potential to do these things while retaining the ability to surprise, to excite and invigorate."

Adrian Hallmark, Global Brand Director, was quoted by the British firm as saying: "Jaguar has set in place bold, ambitious plans for the future. This production concept demonstrates the depth of design and engineering ability we have within Jaguar to make these plans come to life – I look forward to sharing this latest, exciting step at the Frankfurt Motor Show."

Expect more information and photos of the new Jaguar C-X16 to be revealed closer to the Frankfurt Show.

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Opel Says Second Generation Ampera Will be Cheaper

Even though deliveries of Opel’s extended-range hybrid aren’t expected to begin until early 2012, the company is already planning the successor to the Chevy Volt’s European alter-ego.
According to British magazine Autocar, the second generation of the Opel / Vauxhall Ampera is scheduled for release in 2015 and, if sources from within the company are reliable, it feature a more radical design and a lower starting price than the current model.
In the UK for example, the Vauxhall Ampera, which is already available to order, costs a rather steep £28,995 –and that is after the government’s £5,000 rebate. Opel engineers say that the battery pack alone costs around £7,000 but improvements in technology in the next four years will enable the company to reduce the cost by 50%.
However, that’s not enough. Opel CEO Nick Reilly said the price of the Ampera will be further reduced by economies of scale due to increased demand and more localized production: “We have an education job to do on the technology of the Ampera, but that will come in time. We hope that it will establish itself as a market leader and we’ll be able to capitalize on that with a cheaper, more expressively designed second generation model”.
Economies of scale could also come from fitting the Ampera’s extended-range powertrain in other Opel and Vauxhall models. If this happens, then the cost of tooling and manufacturing would drop significantly further lowering the costs.
Nevertheless, GM has to first assess sales of the model before it goes ahead with any decision, such as manufacturing its next generation in Europe, as it currently builds it alongside the Volt at its Warren, Michigan plant in the US. So far, things are looking good since 7,000 of the 10,000 units allocated for 2012 are already presold, with 75% of the sales going to fleet customers.
Opel would also like to give the next-gen Ampera a more aggressive style that will be more in line with the other models in its range.
The German firm's designers didn’t have a lot of freedom in the first generation because of the restraints forced on them by the car being a rebadged Volt. If they get the green light, the 2015 model will follow the company's new design “language” , recently previewed in the brand-new Opel Zafira Tourer.

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Seat Introduces New FR+ and Upgrades Cupra R in the Leon's Range

Banking on the success of the Leon FR that, last year, was responsible for one in four Leon sales in Britain, Seat introduced a new FR+ derivative, while also extending the FR badge to a broader engine range.
The Leon FR hatch is now available with a 1.4-liter TSI petrol developing 125-horses and linked to a manual transmission only, or a 2.0-liter TDI diesel with 140-horsepower and the choice of either a manual gearbox or a DSG dual clutch automatic transmission.
The FR badge adds new front and rear bumpers, twin chrome exhaust pipe, trademark silver-painted door mirrors, LED rear-light clusters, sports seats and steering wheel, rear parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlights and auto-dimming rear-view mirror.
The previous FR models have been renamed to FR+. Buyers can choose between a 211HP 2.0-liter TSI petrol and a 170HP 2.0-liter TDI CR diesel.
In addition to the FR's standard features, the FR+ trim adds 18-inch ‘Ibera’ alloy wheels; the SEAT Media System 2.2, which includes satellite-navigation with five-inch colour touchscreen, DAB radio, Bluetooth audio streaming and SD card slot; Bluetooth phone connection; Bi-xenon headlights with AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting System) and front parking sensors.
Seat says that while the retail cost of the extra equipment when specified separately is £2,465 RRP, the price of the new Leon FR+ is up by only £1,070 RRP.
Prices for the revised FR lineup start at £18,205 RRP for the Leon FR 1.4 TSI 125 PS, and rise to £22,615 RRP for the Leon FR+ 2.0 TDI CR DSG-auto 170 PS.
Along with the changes to the FR range, Seat also added some new standard features to its flagship 265HP Leon Cupra R model, including a SEAT Media System 2.2, Bluetooth connectivity, Bi-xenon headlights with AFS and LED rear-light clusters.
The additional equipment not only comes at no extra cost, but Seat actually reduced the car's price by £10 to £25,995 RRP.

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Maserati UK Introduces New Sport Pack

A new sport package has been added to the available options for buyers of Maserati's GranTurismo S Automatic in Britain.

This Sport pack is said to enhance the GranTurismo S Automatic's performance by adding the MC Auto Shift software that allows for faster gear changes and a revised exhaust system, which keeps its bypass valves fully open in Sport mode to provide what the company describes as "an even richer sound".
The package also adds a variety of styling features including include body colored side skirts and front winglets, a black grille featuring the Maserati Trident logo with red accents, black mesh side grilles, smoked out headlights, an integrated rear boot lid spoiler and oval exhaust pipes.
The coupe's sportier looks are rounded off with Grigio Mercury Neptune-design alloy wheels.
Maserati says the 4.7-litre V8 continues to develop 440HP at 7000 rpm and a peak torque of 490Nm (361.4 lb-ft) at 4750 rpm offering the automatic coupe a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 5 seconds flat and a top speed of 183 mph (295 km/h).
The package is priced at £3,840, lifting the total price of the GranTurismo S Automatic to £92,480 on the road.

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2012 Ford Focus UK Priced Under £14k

Ford is widening the options for UK buyers of the all-new 2012 Focus by confirming the availability of a new entry-level model called Studio which will be priced at £13,995 when it arrives in September.
The company said the new Studio will replace the Focus Sport, a final special edition of the previous model that has been on sale since October 2010 reacting sales of 15,000 units.
The base model of the new Focus series will be offered as a five-door hatchback powered by a 1.6-liter Ti-VCT gasoline engine delivering a rather feeble 85PS and a combined fuel economy of 47.9mpg UK.
Buyers can choose only from three colors - Panther Black, Moondust Silver and Frozen White.
Standard equipment on the Focus Studio includes 16-inch alloy wheels, a body-coloured rear spoiler, radio/CD player (note that Ford of Europe recently announced that it will phase out CD players in its cars), USB connectivity, air-conditioning, electrically-operated door mirrors and front windows, Ford Easy Fuel 'capless' refuelling, and Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) system.

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MINI UK Launches New Soho Editions

Following the release of the MINI Clubman Soho edition last year, the British automaker decided to name all of its special edition models after London boroughs, districts, streets and landmarks.

As a result, the Soho nameplate has now been applied to the three-door hatchback and soft-top convertible model, both of which will be available in the United Kingdom in Cooper and Cooper D models from now until March 2012.
The Soho editions sport an exclusive ‘White Silver’ metallic paint, which is not available on any other current MINI Hatch or Convertible model, as well as 17-inch Black Star Bullet alloy wheels, Bi-Xenon headlights with black interior reflectors and white indicators.
As for the interior, the two MINI Soho models gain Anthracite headlining, a 3-Spoke sport leather steering wheel and ‘Piano Black’ interior surfaces.

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All-New BMW 1-Series Hatch Prices

The bosses over at BMW's British division have released pricing on the second-generation 1-series hatchback before it goes on sale in the UK on September 17, 2011.

The redesigned five-door hatchback will launch with a choice of three diesel and two petrol engines, with on-the-road prices starting from £19,375 for a 116i ES rising to £24,720 for a 120d Urban or a 120d Sport.
The new 1er is 83mm longer, 14mm wider and 30mm longer in the wheelbase than its predecessor, with BMW saying it offers increased cabin dimensions and greater interior comfort.
In addition, 2012 1-Series has 30 litres more luggage space compared to its forerunner, for a total capacity of 360 litres, which can be increased to a maximum of 1,200-litres by lowering the rear seats.
There are five available engines at launch, all turbocharged. The petrol lineup includes a 1.6-liter unit delivering 136HP in the 116i for a 0-62mph (100km/h) sprint time of 8.5 seconds and a combined fuel consumption of 49.6mpg UK, and 170HP in the 118i (0-62mph in 7.4 seconds, 47.9mpg UK).
The diesel range comprises of a 2.0-liter turbo diesel available in three flavors with 116HP in the 116d, 143HP in the 118d, and 184HP in the 120d.
All models are rear-wheel drive and available transmissions include a six-speed manual or a new eight-speed automatic.
BMW UK said it expects to sell approximately 20,000 1 Series five-door models in its first full year on sale.

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New Mazda MX-5 and Mazda2 Sport Black Editions

The 275-horsepower Mazda MX-5 GT racecar, which competes in the 2011 Britcar Production GTN Championship, has inspired the Japanese firm's UK division to develop a pair of limited edition models based on the MX-5 and the Mazda2 for the local market.

The word "inspired" should be taken very loosely as the Sport Black Editions of the two Mazda models do not feature any performance upgrades and are all about bespoke color choices and additional standard features.
Starting with the MX-5 Sport Black, the special edition model is distinguished on the outside by a Brilliant Black powered retractable hard-top and dark ‘gun metal’ 17-inch alloy wheels, while buyers can choose from three contrasting bodywork hues - Spirited Green metallic, Crystal White Pearlescent and Velocity Red mica.
Inside, the roadster model features a black leather interior with contrasting ‘sand’ color stitching, Piano Black steering wheel and deco panel, a uniquely numbered interior plaque and Limited Edition floor mats.
The MX-5 Sport Black is based on the Sport Tech model with the 160HP 2.0-litre engine linked to a six-speed manual transmission.
Mazda said it plans to produce only 500 examples of the limited edition MX-5, each priced at £22,995 (OTR), or £360 more than the Sport Tech model on which it is based.
Moving on to the limited edition Mazda2 Black, the five-door hatchback is available with the same two-tone color choices as the roadster (a black vinyl roof and Spirited Green metallic, Crystal White Pearlescent or True Red for the body), and also features matt black 16-inch alloy wheels.
Other highlights include the standard front fog lights, privacy glass and a rear bumper in sports trim, plus unique ‘Black Edition’ exterior badging, uniquely numbered interior plaque and Limited Edition floor mats.
Power comes from a 1.3-liter engine with 84-horses.
Production of the Mazda2 Black is limited to 618 units, with prices starting at £12,395 (OTR) for the True Red version and £12,815 for the other metallic and pearlescent colors.

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