Power Boost For Vauxhall’s Sporty Astra GTC

VAUXHALL has boosted the performance of its three-door Astra GTC with the inclusion of a new 1.6-litre turbo petrol motor. Slotting in below the firm’s hot VXR variant, this latest addition to the Astra range boasts 197 horsepower and is the same unit that also powers Vauxhall’s premium drop-top, the Cascada. On-paper performance figures promise a brisk driving experience, with the 1.6 turbo Astra GTC topping out at 143mph and capable of sprinting to 60mph in 7.3 seconds.

Dodge Hornet nears reality

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 25 January 2007 06:56 Isn’t the Dodge Hornet just another look-at-me concept car? The waspishly named – and styled – Hornet concept was shown at last year’s Geneva Motor Show, but it’s edging closer to a showroom near you. Thomas Hausch, Chrysler group’s international director for sales and marketing, told CAR Online that plans were moving apace for a production version of the butch supermini.

Peugeot 308 CC (2008): first photos

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 11 July 2008 09:26 Peugeot – the pioneer of folding hard tops – today unveils the new 308 CC. It's not a radical coupe cabriolet, but it's a gentle evolution of the 307 CC blueprint: a four-seater family hatch turned convertible.The French company invented the first production opening metal roof back in the 1930s, after a few coachbuilders toyed with low-volume concepts, and then brought them to the mainstream with the 206 CC in 2001. The new 308 CC follows the same formula with a metal roof that somersaults into its loadbed in 20 seconds to leave a completely flat (if long) rear deck.Gobbling boot space as it goes?Naturally, the  boot shrinks when the roof is lowered, dipping from 465 litres to 266 when it's stowed.