1972-74 Dodge Challenger Grille Face Trim on 2040-parts.com

New baby Jaguar to be called XE

Jaguar has revealed its new small saloon rival to the BMW 3 Series will be called XE. The new Jaguar XE, which will be revealed this year before going on sale in 2015, will be the first all-aluminium car ever launched in the premium small saloon sector – and prices are expected to start from £30,000. Jaguar is promising a range of cars that stretch from a sub-100g/km model (something the BMW 3 Series doesn’t yet achieve) to one that can reach a top speed of 186mph (a speed that’s also faster than every 3 Series).

WRC Mini Concept (2010) first official pictures

While the Mini Countryman might be destined for suburban mumsville, BMW has confirmed the new model will also terrorise the countryside in the form of the WRC Mini from 2011, with IRC champ Kris Meeke at the wheel. Officially launched at the 2010 Paris motor show in concept guise, the WRC Mini will be engineered and run by motorsport doyen Dave Richards and his Prodrive outfit, although customer packages will be available too, allowing independents to compete in the car. Not so much – this is no time for misty-eyed Paddy Hopkirk odes.

Peugeot 308

Despite the continuation of the nameplate – unique in the company's recent history – this Peugeot 308 is an all-new competitor in the European C-segment hatchback market. The new 308 sits on PSA's new EMP2 modular platform, which will underpin future Peugeot and Citroën C- and D-segment cars in much the same way as the VW Group's MQB chassis. The upshot for the designers is its flexibility, specifically in terms of proportions.