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Which cars Britain really bought in 2013: winners and losers

The UK car registration figures for 2013 are now out – and sales have reached their highest figure since 2007. But what’s hot, and what’s not? Some types of car are selling better than ever, while others have nosedived.

Lexus RC-F (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 08 January 2014 20:00 Make no mistake, Lexus is making a statement with the RC-F. It’s the lairiest-looking production Lexus this side of the now-defunct LFA supercar, and packs an AMG-sized V8 punch to back up the visual aggression. Read on for the specs of what could be a two-door dark horse to worry BMW and smash the unloved Audi RS5.

JLR launches UK recruitment campaign

JAGUAR Land Rover has begun a campaign to recruit hundreds of new workers at its Engine Manufacturing Centre near Wolverhampton. Phase one of the overall plan will see 600 new employees join the company over the next four years, with the long-term aim being to recruit 1,400 extra staff members. The first 600 workers will be employed on the manufacturing line itself, producing parts for complex new engines destined to power cars like the Range Rover Evoque and the Jaguar F-Type.

Stop buying new cars says government adviser

People should stop buying new cars and drive their old ones until they’re beyond repair, says a top government adviser. This news, reported by the Daily Telegraph, comes a day after we reported that new cars sales figures have hit a six-year high. On Bing: see pictures of scrap cars Find out how much a car over 10-years-old costs on Auto Trader Chief scientific adviser to the government’s energy department, David MacKay, said “car manufacturers love us to buy a new car every few years” and that Britain needs to end its throw away culture.

Volvo teases 2015 XC90 with Detroit concept

The Volvo Concept XC Coupe is one of those ghastly SUV lifestyle coupe on stilt things that will be loved by Bob from the office who goes mountain hopping and white water rafting at weekends for fun. OK, that’s a little harsh. Really it’s an indication of how the new 2015 Volvo XC90 will look when it’s released next year.

CAR Most Wanted of 2014: Audi TT

By the CAR editorial team First Official Pictures 08 January 2014 10:30 The Audi TT is Audi's 911. Okay, it’s 15-years-old rather than 50, but it’s the sports car that made the Audi of today. And the all-new, third-generation TT wants to challenge the 911 like never before, with sharper dynamics and more performance, especially in 380bhp TT RS form.

Ex-Paul Walker Fast & Furious Nissan Skyline GT-R for sale at €1 million

Well, this was bound to happen – one of the cars driven by the late Paul Walker during his stint in the ultra-successful Fast & Furious film franchise has gone up for sale at an astonishing price of €1 million. That’s around £835,000. Which is rather a lot for an R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R.

What Car? Car of the Year 2014 winners announced

The annual What Car? Car of the Year Awards took place last night at the Grosvenor House hotel on London’s Park Lane, and MSN Cars was there to report on the winners. There are 16 categories in total, including one overall victor that takes the coveted What Car?

Manufacturers report 2013 sales boom

CAR MANUFACTURERS are reporting strong surges in sales for 2013, with one mainstream brand up by more than 55%. So far Ford, Vauxhall, Skoda, MG, Lexus, Renault, Audi and Mercedes have all reported excellent sales performance, with Mercedes having passed the 100,000 registrations per year mark for the first time in the UK. Largely thanks to the introduction of the Dacia brand this year, the Renault Group has seen a 55.3% rise in sales, to 63,319 units.

Audi TT interior (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 08 January 2014 12:00 If you’re hankering after the new Audi TT, sit tight: this is the cabin that awaits you inside Audi’s new third-gen sports coupe. Although it retains classic TT design cues like triplet central air vents, and the instrument binnacle’s rounded hood, this is a step-change for Audi interior design, nicking cues from the 2013 Sport Quattro concept and pointing to the future of all Ingolstadt’s cockpits. The slim, almost Ferrari 458-like dashboard structure has come about through Audi ditching the central MMI (MultiMedia Interface) screen altogether.

Drivers make New Year Resolutions

MORE THAN half of British drivers have made a New Year’s Resolution, with many promising to drive more courteously or more economically. A survey by motoring organisation the AA found that 14% of drivers will make the effort to drive for greater economy, while 11% said they would walk more to save fuel. A further 6% are aiming to drive less and 5% want to cycle more to cut down on car use.

Official: MSN Cars helps Vauxhall set multiple world records!

Vauxhall has become an official World Speed Record holder after the FIA and MSA confirmed an average speed of more than 125mph in its 3,000-mile 24-hour speed trial event. The news also means that MSN Cars contributor Richard Aucock has become a World Speed Record holder – he was one of the drivers in the team of 12 that piloted the two cars around Bedfordshire’s Millbrook Proving Ground late last autumn. Chasing a World Speed record: 125mph for 24 hours in a Vauxhall Astra!

Seat Leon Cupra (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 08 January 2014 07:00 This is the new range-topping Seat Leon: the Leon Cupra, and it’s the new fastest front-wheel drive car on sale. The hot hatch performance model has up to 276bhp, and performance to embarrass bona fide sports cars. With prices ranging from £26k-£28k, the Leon Cupra costs much the same as a Golf GTI – but packs a more socking punch – and a proper limited slip differential.

New 2014 SEAT Leon Cupra: in pictures

Stop! Move away from the Volkswagen website. Before you place an order for a new Golf GTI, you might just want to take a look at the all-new 2014 SEAT Leon Cupra - which includes the most powerful series production car the Spanish marque has ever made.

Rolls-Royce Ghost V-Spec (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 08 January 2014 14:00 The Rolls-Royce Ghost V-spec has been unveiled as the brand’s new performance model. Strictly, it’s not a powered-up, hard-core model in the vein of, say, a Nissan Skyline V-Spec (though wouldn’t that be wonderful?), but a special edition to celebrate the Ghost’s fifth birthday. So don’t expect to see this Ghost hauling itself around the Nurburgring Nordschleife in the near future.

Watch the Corvette Z06 live reveal here

Chevrolet announced it will be video streaming the reveal of its much-anticipated 2015 Corvette Z06 from the Detroit auto show floor, and you can catch the whole event below. The preview starts at 9:30 am on Monday, January 13 and will also include the first official look at the upcoming C7.R Corvette race car. You may recall the spy photos of the Z06 we captured testing earlier this year, and the single teaser image Chevy released of the upcoming hi-po Corvette indicates some of the cosmetic changes.

Audi, Honda, Hyundai, and GM to bring Android to cars

General Motors, Audi, Honda and Hyundai have joined forces with Google and Nvidia to form the Open Automotive Alliance (OAA), their overarching goal being the integration of Google's Android software into automotive infotainment systems. The OAA will use Android's open development model to bring a greater variety of functions to car infotainment systems, which have noticeably lagged behind smartphones when it comes to capability due to long development periods, fast changing technology, and a glut variety of incompatible systems. The alliance's first order of business will be to develop new Android platform features to enable the car to become a connected Android device.

Vauxhall Astra GTC gets new 1.6 litre 197bhp engine

Vauxhall Astra GTC gets new 1.6 litre 197bhp engine If you want a quick Vauxhall, you’d normally opt for a VXR. But the new 1.6 litre turbo petrol Vauhall has fitted to the Astra GTC may make you think otherwise. Vauxhall has taken the 1.6 litre petrol turbo from the Cascada and planted it in the Astra GTC where it manages to be 30 per cent more powerful than the old 1.6 litre and still manages to improve economy and emissions.

2013 UK automotive sales highest since 2007

By Damion Smy Motor Industry 07 January 2014 10:48 The UK car market is showing further buoyancy with 2,264,737 sales in 2013, up from 2,044,069 in 2012. The 10.8% increase makes the UK the best performing market in Europe, exceeding its forecast by posting its highest sales figures since 2007. Top of the charts once again is the Ford Fiesta, which sold almost 13,000 additional units than in 2012, with its stablemate, the Ford Focus, graduating to the runner-up spot to push the Vauxhall Corsa third.

What you missed before CES even started

CES officially opens Tuesday, January 7, but the news started happening the day before. What do we mean? Everything from jumping robots to an all-electric formula race car took a bow in Las Vegas on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show.

Would you get into a cab that looks like this?

Nissan is hell-bent on taking over the world's taxicab fleets with its NV200 van. First, it invaded New York with a thoughtfully redesigned, nearly luxurious yellow cab, all but ready for its hard-earned medallion (but not quite). It hopes to fare better in London, seeking a place among the 22,000 black cabs that fill the city's streets.

BMW i8's design explained [w/video]

BMW has released a new YouTube video describing how the i8's design attempts to forge a new relationship between functionality and form. The video explains how the i8's design targets practicality – with aerodynamics and fuel efficiency in mind – while maintaining a sporty and dynamic look. A number of cues such as the long wheelbase, short overhangs and sweeping roofline are identified as features that make the i8 such a unique design.

Your guide to the 2014 Detroit auto show

It's time for the 2014 Detroit auto show, when the Motor City opens its doors to the world and puts on an event competitive with the best anywhere. It's like Christmastime for enthusiasts. This year's show promises to be a good one, with everything from a new F-150 pickup to a new Lexus sports car to the mighty C7 Corvette Z06.

2014 Dodge Dart Blacktop to debut at Detroit auto show

The 2014 Dodge Dart SXT will get the Blacktop treatment at the Detroit auto show next week. The company offered the same styling tweaks last year on the Journey, Durango and Grand Caravan. The Blacktop trim adds 18-inch gloss black wheels, gloss black side mirrors, and a sportier interior to the small sedan, as well as a black split-crosshair grille, dark headlight bezels and a few other bits.

2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 details leak, and it's going to have 620 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque

We won't get a complete look at the specs of the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 until it makes its official debut at the upcoming Detroit auto show, but a web coding blooper means we get a sneak peak at some of its vital stats before the reveal. Specifically, it's set to get 620 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque -- a big boost over the 450 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque the base 'Vette enjoys. How did this happen?

The future is cloudy

Last night before CES opened here in Las Vegas we met the principals of a start-up company called Driver Cloud. They said they had an idea about using the cloud to operate a package delivery service the same way other sites do ride sharing – you'd send out a notice on their network that you needed a package delivered and a bonded, licensed Driver Cloud truck owner would deliver it for you for a fee. The service, called Gofr, would work in conjunction with Driver Cloud's ride sharing component, called Chofr.

New 200hp engine for Vauxhall Astra

The Vauxhall Astra GTC is now available with a 1.6-litre direct injection engine that produces 200hp – making it the most powerful non-VXR Astra ever. The new four-cylinder Ecotec engine is the same as that used in the convertible Vauxhall Cascada. On Bing: see pictures of the Vauxhall Astra GTC Find out how much a used Vauxhall Astra GTC costs on Auto Trader Vauxhall claims the new engine is one of the most refined units in the segment, and also points at its improved performance and fuel economy figures over the previous 1.6-litre turbocharged motor.

Motorist Still At Wheel With Record Points Tally

THE Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has discovered a motorist has accrued a record 45 penalty points on his driving licence in a nine-month period and is still on the road. Obtaining the figures from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) following a Freedom of Information Act request, the IAM has uncovered the worrying tale of a driver from Liverpool who racked up the points tally for eight offences of either failing to disclose the identity of the driver or for speeding between October 1 2012 and June 20 2013. His total exceeded the previous still-driving record of 42 points.

Extreme sports safety kit to inspire Volvo technologies

SWEDISH car maker Volvo is aiming to develop new safety technologies based on processes used to make extreme sports safety gear. The firm has announced a partnership with POC, another Swedish company, which designs lightweight, strong and high-tech safety equipment for climbers, snowboarders, mountain bikers and other extreme sports fanatics. The initial focus will be on the relationship between cars and cyclists, with the specific aim of developing a one-way method of communicating that the driver has seen the cyclist.

Power Boost For Vauxhall’s Sporty Astra GTC

VAUXHALL has boosted the performance of its three-door Astra GTC with the inclusion of a new 1.6-litre turbo petrol motor. Slotting in below the firm’s hot VXR variant, this latest addition to the Astra range boasts 197 horsepower and is the same unit that also powers Vauxhall’s premium drop-top, the Cascada. On-paper performance figures promise a brisk driving experience, with the 1.6 turbo Astra GTC topping out at 143mph and capable of sprinting to 60mph in 7.3 seconds.