Aston Martin's race plans

By Ben Pulman Motor Industry 20 March 2007 04:54 It’s only just over a week since Aston Martin was sold, but today it confirmed plans to race at Le Mans. The DBR9 will return to the famous La Sarthe circuit in June. Perhaps this was inevitable, since Aston’s new non-executive chairman is David Richards - the chairman of Prodrive, which develops the DBR9 and its FIA GT3-spec sister car, the DBRS9.

Toyota Auris Hybrid in the UK

Toyota are to produce a Hybrid version of the Auris Toyota are planning on building – in the UK – a Hybrid version of the Toyota Auris. This will feature the same Hybrid platform as the Prius, which will give it a 98bhp petrol engine together with an 80bhp electric motor. But because the Auris is smaller than the Prius, and less well equipped, the new Toyota Auris Hybrid will come in at a lower price, which will pitch it below the Honda Insight – a key marketing advantage.

Ford Mondeo facelift (2011): first news and photos

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 25 June 2010 12:40 Ford has just issued these first pictures of the new, facelifted for 2011 Ford Mondeo. The revised Mondeo will be shown at the 2010 Moscow motor show in late August and will arrive in UK showrooms in October 2010.What's new on the 2011 Ford Mondeo?This is the first time we've seen the full-fat 237bhp 2.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine in the Mondeo; a 200bhp version of the same turbo four will also be offered; and a new 198bhp 2.2-litre Duratorq TDCI engine also joins the ranks.The range-topping 237bhp EcoBoost engine has a CO2 rating 179g/km of CO2 and comes with only one transmission option – Ford's twin-clutch Powershift 'box. Finally, Ford is catching up with the rampant roll-out of DSG gearboxes at rival mass-market specialists Volkswagen.Mondeo styling is fettled all round, too, with a more modern iteration of Ford's kinetic design borrowing cues from the S-Max et al for a crisper look.