1966 Honda Cb160 Frame on 2040-parts.com

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.

Smart ForTwo Edition Highstyle hits UK

The Chocolate Brown Smart ForTwo Edition Highstyle hits the UK The Smart Edition Highstyle is a colour throwback to the seventies, based on the ‘Passion’ Spec. You get chocolate brown paintwork and 15″ alloys, with some aluminium-look ‘Highstyle’ badges thrown in. But I suppose that’s the problem with getting older.

Top Gear USA to show on BBC Three +video

Top Gear USA arrives on BBC Three next week. Top Gear is something of a phenomenon. From a rather stuffy show fronted by the likes of William Woollard and Angela Rippon, it has morphed in to the world’s most popular car programme bar none.