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Kia preparing a range of sporting models

Kia is quietly readying a string of sportier models to pep up its humdrum image, CAR has learned. The burgeoning sports car plan is likely to sire everything from hot hatches to standalone sports cars. On our trip to Korea this week, sources at Kia HQ confirmed a range of performance models, designed to mix some excitement into a brand that now commands respect from mainstream buyers after its crawl upmarket to the volume market alongside Europe's mass-market brands.

918 a match for Ferrari and McLaren in corners, says Porsche

Had you forgotten about the third contender in the hybrid supercar wars, given the furious competition betwen Ferrari and McLaren? Porsche’s hybrid 918 Spyder is that third competitor, which mates a 4.6-litre normally aspirated V8 to an 84bhp front-drive electric motor and a 127bhp EV motor helping drive the rear tyres. It costs £768,026, and though Porsche won’t quite admit as much, you can still buy one of the 918 being produced - unlike the sold-out LaFerrari.

Crackdown on bogus claims helps insurance costs fall by 12%

CAR INSURANCE premiums have plunged at a record rate of 12% year-on-year amid a tougher clampdown to combat bogus motor accident claims which add to the costs of everyone's policies. The typical quote for annual comprehensive car insurance cover was £568 in October, marking a 4.5% drop on July and a 12.4% fall on a year ago, according to the latest AA Insurance premium index, which takes the average of the five cheapest quotes on the market. This is the biggest annual slide that the AA has on its records, which go back to 1994, and marks a sharp turnaround for motorists following a period of strong increases, with premiums rising by more than 40% just two years ago.