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Cars 2 Premiere: A closer look at Finn, Holley and Rod

Cars 2, which opens on Friday, stands to be one of the top box-office hits of the summer. Many of our favorite characters are back, such as Lightning McQueen and Tow Mater, but there are also a bunch of new rides rolling onto the big screen. Some, like Grem the Gremlin and Acer the Pacer, take obvious inspiration from real cars.

BMW 1-series M Coupe (2011) MotoGP safety car

BMW's M Division has unleashed a track version of its upcoming 1-series M Coupe, which made its debut as the 2011 MotoGP safety car at the season-opening MotoGP race in Qatar on 20 March. BMW 1-series M Coupe MotoGP safety car – the lowdown Visually there have been some changes over the roadgoing 1M, which is due to go on sale in April 2011. The new louvred bonnet is made from carbon fibre, there’s an additional front splitter fitted to the bumper, plus polycarbonate side and rear windows, and an adjustable rear wing. There’s a light bar on the roof for official signaling duties and the package is wrapped in a suitably-loud M colour scheme Inside there's a partially stripped-out interior with a bolt-in roll cage replacing the rear seats, a pair of lightweight Recaro racing buckets up front with six-point harnesses, and a fire extinguisher.

Ampera grabs green award

VAUXHALL'S Ampera extended range electric vehicle has been honoured as Green Vehicle of the Year by fleet decision-makers at the prestigious 2012 Association of Car Fleet Operators (ACFO) Awards. The awards, which are voted for online exclusively by the ACFO membership, are highly-prized because unlike many other awards they reflect the day-to-day operational experience and expertise of fleet decision-makers. This prize is the latest in a long line of over 40 top gongs for the ground-breaking Ampera, which include the current European Car of the Year, What Car?