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Honda goes social with the Sounds of Civic songwriting contest

It seems all automakers are tapping the social-media networks these days. From the Ford Mustang Mayhem package to the Toyota Prius plural campaign, conventional wisdom is there's nothing a few thousand Facebook fans can't handle. The latest automaker to hop the train is Honda, which is sponsoring a creative songwriting competition called the Sounds of Civic to mark the debut of the 2012 Honda Civic.

VW New Compact Coupe at Detroit motor show 2010

This is Volkswagen’s New Compact Coupé (or NCC for short), a new coupé concept car just unveiled at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. And although it’s just a show car for now, this gorgeous A5-alike two-door is expected to go into production within the next two years. Under the bonnet is a 148bhp/177lb ft direct-injection and turbocharged 1.4-litre TSI engine, which drives the front wheels via a seven-speed DSG gearbox.

Hyundai Veloster Turbo gets 400bhp

Hyundai in the US has created a Veloster for this year’s SEMA show – the Hyundai Velocity – with a 400bhp Cosworth makeover. SEMA show cars are always extreme and always completely over the top, but they do show just what can be done with mainstream cars when car makers are let off the leash of marketing constraints. This year Hyundai is out playing, and as well as creating a Genesis Coupe with Cosworth power they’ve also taken the new Hyundai Veloster Turbo and created a 400bhp monster SEMA car.