Hypertech Max Energy on 2040-parts.com

New Skoda Octavia vRS hatch & estate revealed

The 2013 Skoda Octavia vRS has been revealed (vRS hatch pictured) The Skoda Octavia vRS – the latest version of Skoda’s quick and appealing take on the VW Golf GTI – has been unveiled ahead of its debut at the Goodwood FoS in July, and it looks a cracker. Available as either a hatchback or estate – and as a diesel or a petrol – the Octavia vRS manages to repackage the Golf GTI and Golf GTD in to one Skoda, offering good performance (the vRS is a bit slower than the GTI to 62mph at 6.8 seconds but has a 2mph higher top speed), good looks and the promise of prices starting not much above £20k. The petrol vRS gets the Golf GTI’s 217bhp 2.0 litre TSI and the diesel vRS the 181bhp 2.0 litre TFI from the Golf GTD, both with a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard and a six-speed DSG as option, sports suspension, XDS differential, quicker steering and multi-link rear suspension.

Dodge Dart unveiled at 2012 Detroit show

If you want confirmation that Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne is shaking up his American patient look no further than the new Dodge Dart. It's a new compact car for Dodge - based on the underpinnings of an Alfa Romeo Giulietta. It's an important launch for Dodge and this sector accounts for 15% of all US car sales.

Video: A Caterham Supersport and a snow-covered road

Anyone born before the automakers started trying to push front-drivers on us knows that rear-wheel drive and a set of decent tires will get you just about anywhere you want to go, even in deep snow. Skeptical? Take it from EVO magazine, which posted this video of editor Henry Catchpole enjoying a Caterham Supersport in all its sideways glory.