Top Gear’s James May does 259mph in a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport

Top Gear's James May in the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport The Top Gear boys were running rumours around a few days ago that they had been in on the new world record speed for a production car set by the Veyron Super Sport. We didn’t know exactly what they’d done, but we did know none of the three amigos were at the wheel when the Super Sport averaged  267.81mph. So we thought we’d wait and see what came out in the wash before we reported it.

Michelin Challenge Design announces 2009 jury

Michelin Challenge Design, one of the world's top design competitions, has announced its panel of judges for 2009. The distinguished group of automotive design leaders will meet in July at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, to select the vehicle designs and concepts for special exhibition at the 2009 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit next January. This year marks the eighth year for the international competition.

Wild thing: Audi A1 clubsport quattro unveiled

Audi has created a 496-hp version of the A1 small car to celebrate the 30th anniversary of an Austrian festival for Audi, Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen fans. Called the A1 clubsport quattro, the one-off show car gains a heavy dose of rally-inspired styling that is said to preview the appearance of a hot new all-wheel-drive S1 quattro model being developed by Audi as a rival to the likes of the Renault Clio Sport. At the heart of the hatchback is a heavily modified version of Audi's turbocharged 2.5-liter, five-cylinder powerplant shoehorned transversely into the A1's compact engine bay.