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Lotus's glimmer of hope: Proton stands by Hethel

After another painful year of sales for Lotus in the UK – down 58% on 2011 - Norfolk's beleagured sports car brand has kicked off the New Year with the grand unveiling of its new flagship Malaysian showroom, and the thumbs-up from senior Proton company suits that Lotus isn't on its last legs. The announcement comes in the same week Lotus’s sales figures were released for 2012. Showing a substantial 58% decrease in sales and selling just 137 vehicles, Lotus Cars was the worst performer in the UK with a woeful 0.01% share of the market.  Are Lotus's Malaysian owners sticking by the company?

New models to spur sales, J. D. Power says

A flood of new-model introductions this year will help pump sales volume for the industry, according to forecasts from J.D. Power and Associates. Automakers have scheduled 60 new or substantially redesigned model introductions this year, compared with just 36 in 2010, by Power's count.

VW Touareg (2010) first official photos

By Chris Chilton First Official Pictures 10 February 2010 20:00 Volkswagen’s all-new Touareg range includes a clever hybrid version that can hit 62mph in 6.5sec or travel 30 miles on electric power alone.Set for a Geneva motor show unveil in March  2010 alongside the Porsche Cayenne – with which it once again shares a platform and most of its hardware – the new lower, curvier Touareg is 40mm longer than the car it replaces but up to 208kg lighter. Just like Georg Kacher predicted years ago.What's new on the 2010 VW Touareg?There are three engines from launch. Two diesels:• 3.0 V6 TDI, 237bhp, 405 lb ft, 38mpg, 195 g/km• 4.2 V8 TDI, 335bhp, 590 lb ft, 31mpg, 239 g/kmAnd the hybrid:• Supercharged 3.3 V6 TSI, 328bhp, 265 lb ft (374bhp and 428 lb ft with the electric assist), 34.4 mpg, 193 g/kmVW Touareg Hybrid: how clean?Those figures would make the VW hybrid massively less green than the Lexus RX450h (148g/km, 45mpg).