Winners announced in Chinese Auto Design Awards 2011

Winners in the fourth Chinese Auto Design Awards have finally been announced. Held at the China Agriculture Film and Television Center in Beijing, the glamourous ceremony saw awards given to two groups; students and automotive manufacturers. Amongst the automotive groups, it was GAC Trumpchi that was awarded the ‘Best Design Innovation Award', whilst Buick's picked up the ‘Golden Dot Award' for its ‘Envision' concept car.

Top Gear in Lucca with Citroen DS3 Racing, Fiat 500C Abarth and Renault Clio RS

The TG boys in the Piazza in Lucca Lucca is considered by those who know it to be Tuscany’s best kept secret. With its 16th century walls all round the town, delightful piazzas and medieval centre it is all a picture-book Tuscan town should be. In fact, even though few know it well Henry James said of Lucca that it is “overflowing with everything that makes for ease, for plenty, for beauty, for interest and good example”.

New Mercedes S-Class Plug-in Hybrid to debut at Frankfurt Motor Show

The new Mercedes S-Class (pictured) will arrive with a plug-in hybrid version in September We’ve known Mercedes were planning a plug-in hybrid version of the new S-Class as far back as 2009, and it now appears it will debut – as a 2014 model – at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. When Mercedes revealed the Vision S500 Plug-in Hybrid Concept at Frankfurt in 2009, they had fitted it with a V6 petrol engine mated to a 44kw motor and a bank of lithium-ion batteries, and promised the hybrid S-Class would do 90mpg, have emissions of under 75g/km and manage 18 miles in EV mode. That means the hybrid S-Class would have performance comparable to the V8 petrol-engined S500 but attract no BIK or VED in the UK.