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Once there were Singers, and Jowetts and Rileys, then came the Mini--from the AutoWeek archives

Editor's note: As Mini celebrates its 50th birthday, it's the perfect time to revisit Kevin A. Wilson's insightful look at the fall of the British auto industry. This article was first published on March 8, 1993.

VW's wild new 496-hp Golf GTI

UPDATED: Volkswagen has revealed a 496-hp version of the seventh-generation Golf GTI as part of activities at this year's Worthersee fan meet in Austria – and with it, projected the hot hatchback into the same league as some of the world's most celebrated supercars. Dubbed the Design Vision GTI, the radical new concept showcases a twin-turbocharged 3-liter V6 engine developed for use in upcoming models that, like the new Golf GTI, are based around Volkswagen's highly flexible MQB (modular transverse architecture) platform structure. Set to find its way into selected new Volkswagen models in future years, the direct injection engine replaces the Golf GTI's turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four, and is mounted transversely in the engine bay of the Design Vision GTI.

Alfa Romeo Mito GTA (2009): first official picture

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 23 February 2009 09:19 Alfa Romeo has managed to squeeze a remarkable 240bhp from 1742cc in its new Mito GTA concept car. It's the hot hatch version of the Mito supermini and will form the centrepiece of the Alfa stand at next week's 2009 Geneva motor show.This is the first GTA since the musclebound 147. GTA stands for gran turismo alleggerito  – and this pocket rocket version of the Mito has indeed been lightened and toughened up to give it some serious performance.