Retro style, street-rod flair made PT Cruiser a star

The recipe was simple. Use an existing small-car platform, mix in some nifty retro styling inside and out, build it in a low-cost country, and command a higher price. When it made its debut at the 1999 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Chrysler PT Cruiser with its street-rod flair was an immediate sensation.

Bentley Continental GT V8 S (& GTC V8 S) revealed

The Bentley Continental GT V8 S (pictured) has been revealed The Bentley Continental GT V8 has only been around for eighteen months, but it has garnered accolades in that time as a more focused Continental GT, despite its loss of power (and cylinders) compared to the original W12 engine. But now Bentley are capitalising on the V8′s favourable feedback with a more powerful version – the Bentley Continental GT V8 S – to add an even more sporty note to the GT’s offerings. The V8 S still keeps the twin-turbo V8 it shares with Audi, but it now gets a boost in power to deliver 521bhp and 502lb/ft of torque.

CAR 20 Most Wanted of 2014: BMW i8

By the CAR editorial team First Official Pictures 12 December 2013 15:00 There's no more exciting way to start our top 20 most wanted countdown than with a BMW supercar. This is no petrol-powered M1 successor three decades late, but a sexy hybrid capable of a 4.5sec 0-62mph sprint, or a fairy-tale 114mpg. The i8 started life as a finger-in-the-air 2009 concept; in 2014, the mid-engined 2+2-seater goes on sale with its layout intact, the only big change being the loss of transparent bodysections.