Datsun: Z-series Motor on 2040-parts.com

Hyundai beefs up its WRC team

Hyundai revealed last year that they’re preparing to take on the World Rally Championship (WRC) from 2014 when a rally car based on the i20 will take to the world rally stage to cast some sport fairy dust on Hyundai’s showroom cars. At that time we had little information about the team, but in January we learnt that Hyundai had appointed Michel Nandan to head up their WRC efforts, a good move as Nandon was the technical director for the Peugeot WRC team until 2005, so he knows his stuff. Now we learn that Hyundai is beefing up its WRC team as it prepares for a full season of WRC in 2014.

Abarth 500C EsseEsse & Punto Evo EsseEsse at Paris

The Abarth 500c EsseEsse arrives at Paris Abarth do a very good job of warming up the odd Fiat or two (well, they have been doing it for quite a long time), the most recent offerings being the Abarth 500C and the Abarth Punto Evo which we saw when we trollied off to Goodwood in July. But there is a second flavour of Abarth. Best to think of it as the ‘Chilli’ Abarth; Abarth call it EsseEsse.

Only the top is soft in new Audi A5/S5 cabriolet

Audi is bucking the trend among luxury automakers who are churning out hardtop convertibles, as the new A5/S5 cabriolets that will reach these shores in October will be the old-fashioned, soft-top design. While other manufacturers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and Volvo, among others, offer folding hard-tops, Audi says the compromise necessary to make room for the top and all its mechanical apparatus makes a soft-top the right choice for a small to mid-size convertible. The soft top is well insulated; even during a steady rain during our first drive of the car, the cabin was relatively quiet.