640327-1 Turbocharger Assembly on 2040-parts.com

Audi A1 prices start at £13,145 in UK

Audi’s new A1 supermini has gone on UK sale today, priced from £13,145 for a 1.2 TFSI SE trim model to £18,280 for a range-topping 1.4 TFSI auto. That pitches the A1 slightly above the Mini, whose boggo First three-door kicks off at £12,620. But study the two rival supermini ranges from Audi and  BMW more closely and you’ll see they’re quite evenly matched.

Mercedes SL (2012): aluminium saves 8% weight

Mercedes' new 2012 SL will weigh a solid 140kg less than today's SL roadster - a significant saving of some 8%. This crash diet has been enabled by the adoption of aluminium for the new SL. The learnings from the SLS gullwing are now trickling down to the higher-volume SL, which will be revealed in December 2011.

First Sight: Infiniti Emerg-e

It's a month before the Geneva motor show and amongst the usual pre Motor Show commotion I receive a string of cryptic emails about an Infiniti electric sports car concept. The name Emerg-e is only revealed as I drive to the secret preview at Park Royal Studios in West London to meet the big three in design – global design director Shiro Nakamura, Francois Bancon of advanced design and head of Nissan Design Europe Victor Nacif. This is clearly a critical car for Infiniti.