Ford Focus, Fiesta racers (2011): global motorsport

The new One Ford mantra is spreading to the race track - as the Blue Oval sends its motorsport division global too.  Announced at the 2010 SEMA show, the Fiesta R2 rally car will now be available in North America for the first time. And the all-new Ford Focus touring car (pictured) will race globally - it's anticipated to be in the 2011 British Touring Car Championship. Ford plans to coordinate and support private race teams around the world and is promising to help teams adapt the car to worldwide touring car categories.

Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations buys world’s biggest British car collection

James Hull’s British car collection – new owned by Jaguar Land Rover News watchers and petrolheads may be aware that the world’s biggest collection of British cars has been up for grabs recently as its owner – cosmetic dental guru James Hull – decided he wanted to see his collection in new, safe hands after a run of health problems. And now it has a new owner. James Hull has sold his entire collection to Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Operations in a deal that secures the collection’s future – and keeps it in the UK – for a price that is doubtless well below the much-vaunted £100 million it’s though to be worth.

Volkswagen prices 2014 Passat 1.8T

Volkswagen is debuting a new engine in its U.S. lineup, a 1.8-liter four-cylinder turbocharged and direct-injected TSI engine known internally as EA888, and the first car to receive it will be the 2014 Volkswagen Passat. The Passat will stay the same on the outside for the 2014 model year, but the new 1.8-liter engine promises to deliver as much power as the outgoing 2.5-liter engine it is replacing, 170 hp, while gaining seven more lb-ft of torque for a total of 184 lb-ft.