Dorman W37236 Rear Wheel Brake Cylinder on 2040-parts.com

MINI Paceman: First production car photo leaks

With the production version of the MINI Paceman due to debut at Paris 2012 we have the first leaked photo of MINI’s Evoque challenger. It could be argued that the Range Rover Evoque has created a new premium SUV niche all for itself, but that’s not going to stop MINI going after a piece of the action. So the MINI Paceman Concept from the 2011 Detroit Motor Show is going in to production as the stylish coupe version of the MINI Countryman, and MINI has been busy teasing it ahead of the Paris reveal.

Nissan Versa hatchback previewed by Japan-market Note

The Nissan Versa hatchback will be redesigned, with styling similar to that of the new Note subcompact that the automaker revealed in Japan on Monday. Nissan said the Note will go on sale in Japan this fall and in Europe in 2013. The carmaker did not say when the Versa hatchback will go on sale, but the car is expected to reach showrooms early in 2013.

Car-buying confidence hits new high

THE NUMBER of people who believe they will buy a new car in the next three years has jumped to 71%, according to the latest AA Car Purchase Index; up from 55% last year. Of the 19,786 survey respondents who said they were going to buy a new car, 42% said they would choose a petrol engine, with 38% saying definitely diesel. A further 13% don’t know what fuel type they will opt for, but 7% will choose some kind of hybrid and 1% will go fully electric – a total of exactly 100 respondents.