MINI to Compete in 2011 WRC Series With Prodrive-Built Countryman

MINI to Compete in 2011 WRC Series With Prodrive-Built Countryman
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MINI has officially announced that it will enter the World Rally Championship (WRC) next year, teaming up with Prodrive and running a Countryman crossover. The MINI Countryman WRC is being developed by the legendary Prodrive race team (which helped Subaru win six championships) to run part of the 2011 season as it prepares for a… Continue Reading...

Celebrity Designer MINIs are the Belles of the Life Ball in Vienna

Celebrity Designer MINIs are the Belles of the Life Ball in Vienna
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If you’re going to hit the red carpet, you’d better be dressed by a designer. And not just any designer will do – it has to be household names. It’s a good thing MINI kept this in mind as it strutted its stuff down the red carpet in Vienna. Making a fabulous debut at the… Continue Reading...

Aston Martin Teases One-77 In Upcoming Test Drive Unlimited 2 Video Game

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Aston Martin Teases One-77 In Upcoming Test Drive Unlimited 2 Video Game
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The Test Drive video game/driving simulator series is quite possibly one of the oldest out there. Yes, long before Gran Turismo or Forza Motorsport even existed; hell long before the original Playstation or Xbox were out there was Test Drive. It may not carry the same prestige as our console counterparts, but Test Drive Unlimited… Continue Reading...

Top Gear Host James May Awarded Honorary Doctorate

Top Gear Host James May Awarded Honorary Doctorate
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James May, one third of the popular BBC show “Top Gear” and the presenter known as “Captain Slow”, was awarded an honorary doctorate at his alma matter of Lancaster University. May, who graduated with a degree in music, took a somewhat different path, despite being a passionate musician. Stints at major car magazines, the Channel… Continue Reading...

No Range Rover Diesel For North America

No Range Rover Diesel For North America
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In a move that’s hardly shocking to North Americans, Range Rover insiders told Autocar that the all-new TDV8 diesel engine will not be offered in North America. While the new TDV8 offers significant gains in emissions and fuel consumption over the previous diesel unit, it still fails to meet U.S. emissions standards, which are in… Continue Reading...

MINI to Announce WRC Entry This Week

MINI to Announce WRC Entry This Week
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Rumors that MINI will enter the World Rally Championship have been swirling for almost a year now, but that could all end later this week. According to the most recent reports, MINI will confirm its intentions to join the WRC series later this week with renowned British racing firm Prodrive set to take over operations… Continue Reading...

Lotus Esprit Teased Again for Paris Auto Show Debut, And There’s More?

Lotus Esprit Teased Again for Paris Auto Show Debut, And There’s More?
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With 73 days until Lotus unveils it’s “New Era” at the Paris Auto Show, the British sports car maker has once again teased us with a possible successor to the iconic Esprit. In a press release that looks back at the year 1975, Lotus recalls the movie Jaws, the birth of David Beckham and…. the… Continue Reading...

MINI Minor Concept to Debut at Geneva Auto Show

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MINI Minor Concept to Debut at Geneva Auto Show
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MINI will unveil a new concept car at the Geneva Auto Show next March that will foreshadow a future model to slot in underneath the current Cooper range and compete with the likes of the Smart fortwo and Toyota iQ. Possibly called the MINI Minor, the concept car will be based on a shortened version… Continue Reading...

MINI Countryman Specs Released

MINI Countryman Specs Released
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MINI‘s Countryman SUV is likely going to have some tough competition from the Nissan Juke, but the announcement of some specifications for the newest MINI should take away from some of the buzz that Nissan’s strange-looking crossover has been enjoying. The Countryman’s engines will be familiar to most car fans, with a 1.6L, 122 horsepower… Continue Reading...

REPORT: Lotus F1 To Use Renault Engines In 2011

REPORT: Lotus F1 To Use Renault Engines In 2011
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Lotus F1, the Malaysian upstart team trading on the name of the famed British sports car maker, is apparently switching from Cosworth to Renault power for the 2011 season. With Renault powering the dominant Red Bull Racing entry, the factory works Renault team, and a host of other teams, Lotus is hoping to acquire some… Continue Reading...

Jaguar Land Rover to “Nearly Double” Model Lineup Says CEO

Jaguar Land Rover to “Nearly Double” Model Lineup Says CEO
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With recent confirmation that Jaguar is planning to add new models to its lineup, company CEO Carl-Peter Forster has made clear plans that Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will expand in a big way. “Over the next few years we plan to nearly double our vehicle selection,” he said in an interview with Automotive News publication… Continue Reading...

Camo Wrapped Range Rover Evoque Prototypes Dispatched to Key Cities in PR Offensive

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Camo Wrapped Range Rover Evoque Prototypes Dispatched to Key Cities in PR Offensive
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In an effort to drum up interest in its first completely new model in years, Land Rover is dispatching 10 Range Rover Evoque models to major cities in key markets. Included on the list are London, New York, Sao Paulo, Paris, Milan, Madrid, Berlin, Sydney, Shanghai and Moscow. But this is more than just a… Continue Reading...

Mansory Rolls-Royce White Ghost is Surprisingly Subtle

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Mansory Rolls-Royce White Ghost is Surprisingly Subtle
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German luxury and exotic car tuner Mansory has released details of its latest project, a modified Rolls-Royce Ghost and we’re surprised to report that it’s not an outlandish exercise in extravagance. Unlike past models, like the baby-pink Bentley or brilliant blue Panamera, Mansory opted to release what it calls the Rolls-Royce White Ghost, with a… Continue Reading...

MINI Canyon 3-Door Under Consideration, Based on Countryman

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MINI Canyon 3-Door Under Consideration, Based on Countryman
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After the positive reception given to the Beachcomber concept, MINI is interested in bringing a similar model to market, but one that could take the form of a 3-door Countryman. According to BMW company insider Scott27, MINI just doesn’t see a market for the Beachcomber concept, due to its 4-doors and niche-market appeal – namely,… Continue Reading...

Jaguar Green-Lights Roadster, 3 Series Rival

Jaguar Green-Lights Roadster, 3 Series Rival
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In a recent interview with a German automotive trade publication, Jaguar CEO Carl-Peter Forster confirmed production plans for a new small roadster model, as well as a rival to BMW’s 3 Series sports sedan. Previous reports have suggested a new convertible sports car, known under the names F-Type, E-Type and XE Concept, will debut at… Continue Reading...

BMW And MINI Get New Special Editions For The Japanese Market

BMW And MINI Get New Special Editions For The Japanese Market
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The original Mini was an immensely popular car in Japan, and the new one seems to be doing well in its position as a “premium” compact car. To help generate excitement after 4 years of the same body style, MINI is launching the Saville Row edition, which, ironically, is only available in Japan. Sporting a… Continue Reading...

CEC Wheels Six Car Bullrun Team Includes Mercedes SL63 With Black Series Conversion

CEC Wheels Six Car Bullrun Team Includes Mercedes SL63 With Black Series Conversion
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CEC Wheels has just announced their fleet of six vehicles attending this year’s Bullrun Rally. Starting from New York City and ending at Las Vegas, Nevada, we’re fairly confident this year’s Bullrun (which has just gotten underway) will be full of crazy antics. This year’s all star lineup from CEC Wheels consists of a pair… Continue Reading...

Rolls-Royce Sales Up Despite Economic Downturn

Rolls-Royce Sales Up Despite Economic Downturn
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Ordinary folk may be suffering through a recession, but Rolls-Royce announced that their production run is sold out until at least September, with the Phantom unavailable until October. Rolls-Royce claims that they are producing cars at “record” levels, which for the niche manufacturer is still a relatively low output of 15 cars per day. The… Continue Reading...

McLaren Has 2700 Hand Raisers For New MP4-12C Supercar

McLaren Has 2700 Hand Raisers For New MP4-12C Supercar
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McLaren’s upcoming MP4-12C supercar has attracted roughly 2700 expressions of interest from prospective buyers, enough to fill two years worth of production. McLaren boss Ron Dennis has been actively promoting the MP4-12C, claiming that its performance, build quality and dealer service surpass anything else in its category. The McLaren brand and unique powertrain (a 3.8L… Continue Reading...

Italian Superstars Series Brings V8 Heavy Metal to the Race Track [video]

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If “regular” Touring and GT class race cars are just too small and too low budget for your taste, then you need to check out the Italian-based Superstars Series, which pits the heavy metal of Grand Tourers against each other in a 10 race season at some of Europe’s (and South Africa’s) greatest racing circuits…. Continue Reading...

PSA Peugeot-Citroen To Revive Talbot Brand For Low-Priced Cars

PSA Peugeot-Citroen To Revive Talbot Brand For Low-Priced Cars
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Peugeot and Citroen’s parent company, PSA, is planning to bring back the long dormant Talbot (seen above, in rally trim) brand to compete with Renault’s low cost Dacia brand. It’s unclear whether the new Talbots will be all-new offerings engineered from scratch, but PSA President Philippe Varin stressed that despite their low price, the cars… Continue Reading...

Lotus Appoints New Chief Technical Officer as COO Departs for VW

Lotus Appoints New Chief Technical Officer as COO Departs for VW
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Lotus has just announced the appointment of a new Chief Technical Officer, while subsequently confirming the departure of the recently hired Chief Operating Officer Frank Tuch. Tuch is leaving for Volkswagen, but not without importing important information to the team at Lotus. According to Lotus ECO Dany Bahar, “We were able to reach a mutually… Continue Reading...

Lotus to Unveil Four New Concepts at Paris Auto Show

Lotus to Unveil Four New Concepts at Paris Auto Show
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Details of what exactly the “New Era” for Lotus will entail have begun to slip out with reports that the automaker will show-off four new concept cars at the Paris Auto Show this Fall. According to some reports the vehicles will include a successor to the Esprit, two new front-engined GT cars and a new… Continue Reading...

Lotus Terminates Dealer Network As Brand Moves Upmarket

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Lotus Terminates Dealer Network As Brand Moves Upmarket
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As part of its attempt to re-position the brand as a competitor to Ferrari and Aston Martin, Lotus is axing its entire European dealer network in an effort to revamp the level of customer service provided by its sales centers. Lotus CEO Dany Bahar alerted dealers that their contracts would not be renewed on July 18, 2012… Continue Reading...