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Global car launches at Pebble Beach 2013

Not content with playing host to hundreds of the world’s rarest classic cars, the 2013 Pebble Beach motoring week in Monterey, California, also saw the first global public outings of several new cars and concepts. Here’s our pick of these high-profile unveilings with cars from established mega brands like BMW, Aston Martin and Cadillac as well as exotic specialists like fiercely independent Dutch brand Spyker and Moroccan supercar marque Laraki.

Hyundai puts Michel Nandan in charge of WRC effort

Hyundai has appointed former Peugeot WRC technical director Michel Nandan to head up their assault on WRC. As Hyundai matures in to a credible mainstream force, improving brand perception is crucial to its long-term goals and 2012 is all about improving Hyundai’s brand experience and perceptions of the brand. A part of that focus is to take Hyundai back in to WRC rallying with a much modified i20, where Hyundai are hoping for a better experience than they had when they went rallying a decade ago – which should be a given considering the big strides Hyundai has made in its cars in the last few years.

Range Rover Evoque gets 9-Speed auto ‘box

Land Rover are to fit a new 9-speed automatic gearbox from ZF to the 2014 Range Rover Evoque. Will show at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. There are some of us old enough to remember cars that had three-speed ‘boxes, and it only seems five minutes since five-speed manual ‘boxes became the norm.