1 Pirelli Scorpion Verde 255/55/18 Tire (z3620) on 2040-parts.com

Kia Rio (2011): first sketches of new supermini

It never rains, it pours in Kiaworld, it seems. Not long after showing us the new Kia Picanto city car last week and the KV7 concept car at this week's 2011 Detroit auto show, today Kia publishes these first design sketches of the new Rio. It's Kia's supermini to compete with the likes of the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa and VW Polo.

SRT Viper combines Time Attack package with Anodized Carbon look

SRT has just debuted a very special Viper at the New York auto show, combining the Time Attack Group with the exclusive Anodized Carbon Special Edition package. Just 50 examples of the of the SRT Viper Anodized Carbon Special Edition package will be made, with just 10 models carrying the Time Attack Group package. Like a number of special editions from Chrysler, this model emerged due to customer demand, with Chrysler taking the functional chassis and aerodynamic parts from the Viper Time Attack Special Edition and making them available in the GTS price class.

Mercedes S 500 Plug-In Hybrid price & specs – costs from £87,965

The Mercedes S500 Plug-in Hybrid arrives in the UK It’s more than a year since the Mercedes S500 Plug-in Hybrid was revealed, and now it’s finally going on sale in the UK and, if your pockets are deep enough, it offers a perfect ‘cake and eat it’ car. Under the skin there’s a 3.0 litre V6 biturbo delivering 329bhp and an electric motor adding a further 116bhp which together give the S500 Plug-in the ability to blat to 62mph in just 5.2 seconds but return official economy of 100.9 mpg and emissions of a measly 65g/km. That combination means that you won’t have to pay Boris to drive through London, and your BIK rate will be a very modest 5 per cent, making the S500 plug-in Hybrid a perfect choice for every board member in the country currently paying 35 per cent on their petrol S500, BMW 7 Series or Audi A8.