Datsun 410 411 Bluebird Front Grille Emblem Badge Genuine Part Nos Japan on 2040-parts.com

European Car of the Year shortlist announced

THE SEVEN CARS that will battle it out to become European Car of the Year (ECOTY) 2014 have been announced. Decided on by a jury of 53 motoring journalists from across Europe, the shortlists is made up of the BMW i3, Citroen C4 Picasso, Mazda 3, Mercedes S-Class, Peugeot 308, Skoda Octavia and Tesla Model S. This is the first time the ECOTY shortlist of contenders has included two electric vehicles with the BMW i3 and Tesla Model S.

Lexus CT200h (2011): UK prices, spec announced

Lexus has revealed prices for its new CT200h - and they're pretty punchy. The base CT200h clocks in at £23,485, rising to a startling £30,635 for the SE-L Premier. Lexus says it's the first sporty hybrid, but can the new CT really woo drivers out of their cheaper Audis and BMWs?  The CT200h is aimed squarely at the A3 and 1-series, but comes with just one drivetrain for now. The Lexus uses Prius hardware, so there's a 1.8-litre petrol mated to an electric motor to produce 134bhp - enough for the 1420kg CT200h to hit 62mph in 10.3sec.

2012 Mini Cooper S Coupe review notes

EXECUTIVE EDITOR BOB GRITZINGER: Just when all the auto pundits thought the big-honkin' all-wheel-drive full-size (at least for Mini) Countryman was the first sign of Mini's impending demise, along comes the apocalypse, otherwise known as the Cooper Coupe. Though people of all ages venture that it “looks cool” or “interesting” or “fun,” none of them have had to drive it or live with it. Let's get out of the way that it can be as fun to drive as a Mini Cooper S, but it's not an improvement over the larger, more functional, more sanely styled model.