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CAR Most Wanted of 2014: Mazda MX-5

By the CAR editorial team First Official Pictures 03 January 2014 18:30 It’s still the ultimate sun-loving, value-packed roadster that’s untouchable this side of a Porsche Boxster. The rear-drive, two-seat MX-5 is an icon and, frankly, fans cringe that it’ll be messed up, such is its consistent excellence.  Mazda’s SkyActiv philosophy should keep standards up, by bringing the 2014 roadster’s weight down. Mazda’s ethos is to optimise every component, from chassis architecture to drivetrains, to boost efficiency and driveability.

Mercedes AMG GT revealed – but just the interior

The interior of the new Mercedes AMG GT The Mercedes SLS is coming towards the end of its shelf life and, although it’s not getting a direct replacement, the new Mercedes AMG GT will fill the void left by the SLS. Due to be revealed at the Paris Motor Show in October, Mercedes has decided to throw in a bit of a sneak peak at the AMG GT ahead of that and take a bit of the gloss off some of the new reveals at the New York and Beijing Motor Shows this month. So we get a look at the interior of the AMG GT in two photos (above) which show a cabin that makes it clear the AMG GT has a healthy dose of Grand Tourer in its nature, with lashings of leather and technology to make the AMG GT’s cabin a pleasant place to be.

Jaguar hybrid cars due in 2013-14

Jaguar will launch its own hybrid vehicles soon after Land Rover, CAR can confirm. Parent company Jaguar Land Rover is developing battery-assisted hybrid versions for both brands but its strategy puts part-electric Land Rovers first on the launchpad in 2013.Hybrid Jaguars – set to include the XJ and XF, but eventually every model – are therefore likely to be on the market by 2013-2014, using a similar eight-speed ZF hybrid transmission to petrol-electric BMWs.The staggered roll-out of battery Jags and Land Rovers makes sense: heavy 4x4s have come in the firing line from green protestors who label them Chelsea Tractors. Hybrid Land Rovers will trim emissions and – in plug-in hybrid mode – enable even big bulky Range Rovers to drive in zero-emissions mode into central urban areas emitting nothing more unsaintly than an electric whir.So which Jaguars will go hybrid first?It's likely that the largest models such as the XJ will receive the hybrid power packs first; large cars reap the greater benefit and can more easily swallow the additional cost, put at around £10,000 in today's money.JLR's Midlands engineering bases in Whitley and Gaydon now employ 100 engineers in the expanding hybrid powertrain business unit launched 18 months ago.