New Range Rover Sport takes on Pikes Peak – and wins

The new Range Rover Sport takes on the Pikes Peak Hillclimb Pikes Peak is an unforgiving Hill Climb, spanning 12.42 miles and 156 corners, rising to 4,300 meters above sea level with oxygen levels at the top down to just 58 per cent of those at sea level, making it incredibly hard for both man and machinery to function. But despite the challenge, Land Rover has taken the new Range Rover Sport up Pikes Peak in a new record time for a production SUV, covering the 12.42 mile course of twists and turns in just 12m 35.61s at an average speed of 59.17mph. You won’t be surprised to learn that Land Rover choose to use the new RRS with the 5.0 litre Supercharged engine for the record run, but apart from fitting a roll cage and harness seatbelts, the Sport had no modifications at all.

Fiat previews the 500X small crossover

Fiat gave an unexpected sneak preview of a crossover variant of its 500 minicar. The model, which will be called the 500X, will go on sale in Europe in early 2014 and shortly after in North America. Fiat brand global boss Olivier Francois showed a full-size styling model of the 500X during the media launch on the 500L small minivan in Turin, Italy, on July 4.

MINI Goodwood Rolls Royce Tribute parks up in Harrods’ window

MINI Goodwood sets up shop in Harrods The MINI ‘Inspired by Goodwood’ has taken up residence in Harrods’ window to celebrate the first customer deliveries. The MINI ‘Inspired by Goodwood’ is another of MINI’s marketing moves to fill every niche for MINI it can; the Goodwood for those who want a MINI trimmed out like a Rolls Royce. For those prepared to fork out £41k – that’s £18k for the Cooper S donor car and £23k for the Rolls Royce bit – you get a Cooper S with the bonnet off a MINI One, Rolls Royce coloured paintwork, posh alloys and an interior that takes more than an average herd of cows to cover.