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Mazda 2 (2015): first pictures of Mazda's mini

By Jed Maxwell First Official Pictures 17 July 2014 05:00 Mazda has unveiled official pictures of its all-new Mazda 2 replacement, due in 2015. Despite being labeled as the ‘Demio’ in the official Japanese pics, Mazda’s small Fiesta rival will continue to be known as the Mazda 2 in Europe - but unlike the last generation it will only be available as a five-door hatchback. Made in Hofu in Japan, the Mazda 2 adopts the firm’s Kodo design language that was first seen on the Mazda 6.

Driven: BMW i8

When BMW unveiled the Vision EfficientDynamics concept at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show, we wrote: "for our money, it's the first time a major carmaker has really attempted to communicate ‘green' technology in an aesthetic sense." Fast-forward five years and we've swapped the show halls of the IAA for a beauty spot on the north-west coast of Scotland. And, while the car's name has changed to i8, our sentiment towards this genre- and era-defining car remains. Admittedly the production car's design execution hasn't received the universal praise of its concept forebears, but, on a remote outpost of the British Isles, a Protonic Blue i8 couldn't look more exotic.

CDN-GM Interactive Design Competition 2014 now open!

Car Design News and General Motors are pleased to announce the 2014 edition of the CDN-GM Interactive Design Competition is now open for entry. This is the fourth running of the contest that challenges the design students of North America to create GM's future, with the guidance of professional designers and fellow students. Up for grabs are six, three-month paid internships that offer the chance to work alongside GM's design teams at the world-famous Tech Center in Warren, MI.

Honda's Asimo robot is ready to work in your home

TECHNOLOGY giant Honda has shown that a robotic personal assistant that can help you in and out of the home is no longer solely the subject of science fiction, with the debut of its latest ASIMO robot. The humanoid machine has been upgraded so that it can now run, hop and even pick up and interact with objects in the world around it. Honda has been working on robotics since the 1980s, and this latest incarnation of ASIMO is the most advanced the company has ever produced, with improvements made to movement and reactions.

New Mazda2 To Debut At October Paris Show

JAPANESE car maker Mazda has taken the wraps off its latest generation Mazda2 model. The compact hatch will be given its public debut at the Paris Motor Show in October. Taking many of its styling cues from the recently launched Mazda3 and mid-size Mazda6, the firm’s new small car also boasts a full range of its ‘Skyactiv’ technology focused on improving driving dynamics and boosting efficiency and economy.

Smart ForTwo (2015): it's the Smart Mk3

By James Clark First Official Pictures 16 July 2014 19:30 Daimler this evening unveiled the new 2015 Smart ForTwo - the third iteration of the world's most recognisable city car. Retaining many of the details that made the original ForTwo so popular, the new Smart features all-new tech with a fundamentally new architecture. City driving is the ForTwo’s bread and butter.

Phone use penalty 'could double'

THE PENALTY for using a mobile phone while driving could be doubled under proposals being examined by the Government as part of a safety drive, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe has called for offenders to be handed six points on their licence rather than the present three, meaning a ban from getting behind the wheel if caught twice in three years. Mr McLoughlin said it was an "interesting suggestion" that he was considering in an effort to end the "appalling" number of people killed and seriously injured in accidents where a phone was being used in the hand.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster (2014) unveiled

By James Clark First Official Pictures 16 July 2014 10:42 Aston Martin has revealed the roadster version of its most driver-focussed model, the V12 Vantage S. The car will be mechanically identical to the Coupe, featuring the brand’s 565bhp 6.0-litre V12. It’s enough to propel the V12 Vantage S Roadster to 60mph in just 3.9 seconds and onto a wind-in-the-hair-troubling top speed of 201mph.

Mini wins 'Car of the Year' award

THE BRITS finally enjoyed some success this summer as the latest Mini was named Auto Express magazine's Car of the Year 2014 at a lavish ceremony in London’s West End. This third-generation version of the Mini is built in Oxford, with engines made in Hams Hall near Birmingham and body panels coming from Swindon. As well as winning the overall Car of the Year Award, the Mini was also named Best Premium Small Car.

Jaguar 'villainy' ad banned

A SECOND JAGUAR ad has been banned in as many months for promoting speed and unsafe driving. The video on Jaguar Land Rover's YouTube channel was titled The Art Of Villainy and featured actor Tom Hiddleston playing a suave villain while driving a Jaguar F-Type in an underground car park and on a public road. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) received a complaint that the ad was socially irresponsible because it featured and encouraged unsafe driving.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster arrives with 565bhp – the quickest Aston Roadster ever

The new Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster arrives The Aston Martin V12 Vantage S – revealed in 2013 – has lost its roof and turned in to the quickest open-top car Aston Martin has ever produced. The Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster gets the same 5.9 litre V12 as the tin-top model, which means a 0-60mph of 3.9 seconds (0-62mph 4.1s) and a top speed of 201mph, both figures just below the coupe but enough to make this the fastest production Aston Roadster ever. The V12 engine also offers delicious lumps of torque, with 457lb/ft – and most of that available almost from tickover – all delivered to the back wheels through the Graziano 7-speed automated manual ‘box.

Toyota sets Nurburgring record... for fuel economy

WHATEVER else you might say about Toyota, it seems the brand has a sense of humour. Driving enthusiasts will hand their (petrol)heads in shame after Toyota completed the 12.9-mile German track at an average of 698mpg. The embarrassingly pedestrian time of 20 minutes and 59 seconds was set by motor journalist and Japanese car expert Joe Clifford, and since Toyota is the first to shame itself with a fuel economy run at the heart of performance car testing, it automatically sets a new efficiency record.

Latest Honda Asimo robot makes its European debut

By James Clark First Official Pictures 16 July 2014 13:02 First unveiled back in 2000, Honda’s Asimo humanoid robot has taken literal steps, hops and jumps forward since its introduction - and the most recent incarnation made its European debut this week. This new, smarter Asimo can now recognise multiple faces and voices of people simultaneously, and can think on the move. It’s now clever enough to change course to avoid a collision with another moving object.

Smart Forfour (2015): first official photos

By James Clark First Official Pictures 16 July 2014 19:30 The Smart ForFour is back - and this time it's twinned with the new, rear-engined Smart ForTwo rather than a bitsa Mitsubishi. The second-generation Smart ForFour was unveiled at an event in Berlin tonight, and marks the return of Daimler to the affordable family hatchback segment. With weak sales and an indistinct DNA, the first Smart ForFour was a sales flop and lasted only a couple of years.

Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo racer (2015) teaser photo

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 16 July 2014 12:34 Sant’Agata has issued this solitary teaser photograph of the new Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo race car, as it undertakes its first shakedown testing. The track Lambo took to the Piero Taruffi Vallelunga circuit in Italy for its latest run-out ahead of its race debut in 2015. The Huracan Super Trofeo will be raced in all three Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Series in Europe, Asia and North America, where it will rub shoulders with older Gallardo racers.

Auto Express New Car Awards 2014 winners announced

Which are the best new cars on sale? Well, the experts at Auto Express let their views known at Auto Express New Car Awards 2014 last night. Some of the results were easy to predict, whereas others were something of a surprise.

UK car owners 'buy with their heart, not their head'

CAR BUYERS in the UK are an emotional lot and more let their heart decide which car they will buy rather than their head. Even drivers who think they make a decision using their head are often found to let more emotive considerations sway their final choice. In the Hiscox Head versus Heart study, common sense factors such as fuel economy, value for money and reliability are often over-ruled by heartfelt matters including comfort, speed and design.

Spada, The long story of a long tail is Waft's latest book

Spada, The long story of a short tail is the new book from Waft publishing. As the title suggests, this latest project from the creators of Masters of Modern Car Design charts the remarkably prolific career of Italian car designer Ercole Spada. From the legendary Zagato-era Aston Martin DB4 and Alfa Romeo TZ1 that established his trademark cropped tail, to the 2008 Codatronca supercar that bore his name, via the 1980s BMW 5 and 7 Series, this 304-page hardback covers them all in fine detail.

Porsche 911 Turbo S Exclusive GB Edition revealed – price from £150,237

The Porsche 911 Turbo S Exclusive GB Edition – a£150,237 911 Turbo S The Porsche 911 Turbo S Exclusive GB Edition is a £150,237 celebration of 40 years of the 911 Turbo – exclusively for the UK – with some unique styling created by Porsche Exclusive. As a celebration of 40 years of the 911 Turbo, the new special edition for the UK manages to hark back to the original Turbo with its unique styling which includes a gloss black spoiler at the back, 20″ Sport Classic alloys, door handles and mirrors. There’s also a Porsche logo and stripes down the side and privacy glass, with the interior getting black leather and carbon fibre, a GB Edition plaque complete with Union Jack on the glovebox lid, red stitching and red seat belts.

BMW on course to hit more than 2 million sales in 2014

BMW is on track to sell more than 2 million vehicles in 2014 By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 15 July 2014 07:11 The BMW group has said it is on track to pass more than 2 million vehicle sales in 2014. The milestone is proof that the company's diversification with its growing BMW brand, and expanding Mini and Rolls-Royce sub-brands, is working. Global sales and marketing chief Ian Robertson gave a sales update during a trip to Incheon in Korea this week.

Road Kill

CAR OWNERS have raised a stink after driving on a road littered with meat in upstate New York. Dozens of chunks of meat were discovered on the road in front of a shopping centre in Queensbury, about 60 miles north of Albany, the Post-Star of Glens Falls reported. Police believe the meat fell off a truck that might have been heading from a farm or slaughterhouse to a rendering plant, but no one has come forward to claim it.

Range Rover & Range Rover Sport updated for 2015

The Range Rover (pictured) and Range Rover Sport updated The Range Rover and Range Rover Sport both seem like ‘new’ Range Rovers, but that’s not stopping Land Rover from updating both models for 2015. Under the bonnet, the SDV8 gets tweaked to deliver an extra 29lb/ft of torque – now with 545lb/ft – and a fuller torque curve between 1700 and 3300rpm. The effect of that extra torque is an improvement of 6.5 per cent in in-gear acceleration from fifth to eighth gear and better towing ability.

Who's Where: Toyota design chief moves to head-up Yamaha design

Akihiro Dezi Nagaya has moved from his position as chief designer at Toyota to Yamaha Motor Company, where he will take up the post of chief general manager of design. The move became effective on 1 July, and sees Nagaya move from his position as CEO of Tecno Art Research, a freelance design office for Toyota projects located in Nagoya, Japan. His replacement at Tecno Art Research is Hiroshi Kawahara, Toyota's former general manager of advanced design.

London to increase pedestrian crossing countdowns

MORE PEDESTRIAN crossings will get "how-long-have-I-got?" countdown signs as part of a new safety action plan for London's roads. The pedestrian countdowns will be extended to include around 10% of the capital's crossings, Transport for London (TfL) said. The plan also includes trials of innovative collision detection software on London buses this summer.

Jaguar XE (2014): spec, information teased on Jag's baby

Jaguar has started what is sure to be a long, sustained dripfeed of information on its new XE compact exec saloon ahead of a planned debut on 8 September 2014. Today's announcement reveals some of the engineering secrets of the Jaguar XE and is designed to whet the appetites of those premium car buyers ready for a change from their 3-series, A4s and C-classes. The Jag XE borrows suspension from elsewhere in the family, the company confirmed today.

'Teach children to drive' says insurer

BRITISH children should be taught how to drive at school to help reduce road deaths and serious injury among young drivers. Insurer Flexed says we should follow the example of schools in the USA and introduce driver education lessons. These classes will teach basic driving skills, road etiquette and safety, which will improve awareness and also help with improving driving test exam results.

New Jaguar XE London reveal on 8 September – more XE details revealed

The new Jaguar XE will be revealed in London in September The new Jaguar XE – the new smaller Jaguar that aims to take the fight to cars like the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C Class – will be revealed in London on 8th September, and Jaguar are promising the new XE will be “true sports saloon with class-leading dynamics, refinement and technology”. Jaguar want us to see the XE as a spiritual successor to the Mark II Jaguar, a car that redefines the sports saloon and is a proper drivers car. It’s a big aim, but it looks to have a lot of promise.

£70 fine for seven-second parking gaff

A CHARITY worker has learned a pricey lesson after being fined £70 by a council for a seven-second stop on zig-zag lines outside a school. Joyce Sale was dropping off charity concert leaflets at the primary school when she was captured by a parking camera car operated by Birmingham City Council. She then received a council letter in the post with details of the penalty notice, working out at £10 for every second her car was stopped.

Nimbus e-Car: the eco camper of the future

Following on from the super-cute Porsche-alike Carice Mk1electric car we brought you recently, today we have news of a futuristic family adventure car that might just rival the Carice for sheer "awwwww". Meet the Nimbus e-Car concept. It’s like a Volkswagen Transporter Kombi for the hippies of 2020.

New 2015 Mercedes S 65 AMG Coupe revealed – price from £183,065

The new 2015 Mercedes S65 AMG Coupe arrives The range-topping Mercedes S65 AMG Coupe has been revealed, and offers up its credentials as the perfect alternative to the Bentley Continental GT W12 with its 621bhp V12 delivering performance of 0-62mph in a 4.1 second whoosh. Even with its AMG badge, the S65 AMG Coupe is probably best thought of as the luxury take on the more aggressive and sporty S63 AMG Coupe – just as the V8 Continental GT is the sporty side of the Bentley Continental range – with its more effortless take on performance and power. There’s no doubt you get plenty of power and torque from the big V12, with 621 bhp and 737lb/ft of torque – driven to the back wheels through Mercedes’ seven-speed Speedshift automatic ‘box – on tap, enough to get to 62mph in 4.1 seconds and on to a 155mph limited top speed – but in a more creamy and effortless way than the S63.