Mclaren Gt Umbrella on 2040-parts.com

BMW X1 US launch delayed – because the new X3 is so good

BMW X1 - not in the US until late 2012 It would have been inconceivable just a few years ago that there could ever be a market in the US for a car like the BMW X1. But times have changed and even Americans see the benefits of a (much) smaller SUV, so BMW was originally planning on launching the X1 in the US around now. That X1 launch got put back until later in 2011 because the Leipzig plant – which builds the X1 – was running at capacity to meet the demands from Europe.

Jaguar F-Type V8 R planned by Arden

German tuners Arden are planning to deliver a Jaguar F-Type V8 R ahead of Jaguar with the promise of a 550bhp version on offer. The new Jaguar F-Type isn’t going to start arriving in the hands of customers for a few months yet, but that small detail isn’t going to stop the world’s car customisers planning a tweak or three to Jaguar’s new sports car. Arden – German tuners of British cars – has revealed plans to make the new F-Type V8 S in to something akin to what we expect Jaguar’s own top-end F-Type V8 R to deliver when it arrives – around 550bhp.

SEAT lets the train take the strain

SEAT by Train from the Martorell Factory to the Port of Barcelona The building of this project started in 2005 -  a joint venture between SEAT and Autometro – as an innovative way to transport cars from the factory to the port, and has made a big difference to the traffic on Catalan roads in that time, taking more than 20,000 lorries off the roads and racking up a big saving in SEAT’s carbon footprint. Throughout 2008 the rail link transported cars on twice daily runs on double-decker carriages over 400 metres long, carrying more than 170 cars at a time. Try doing that on the roads!