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DRB-Hicom reject offer for Lotus

DBR-Hicom – owners of Proton and Lotus – have rejected an offer for Lotus and are intent on nursing it back to health. The rumours surrounding the fate of Lotus - especially after the Dany Bahar saga – have been rumbling around the car world for a long time. Will DRB-Hicom – who bought Proton, owners of Lotus, in 2011 – cut and run, or will they see Lotus as a possible jewel in their crown to be nursed back to health?

Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro with 496bhp at Worthersee

Audi A1 Clubsport quattro at Worthersee gets a huge 496bhp It’s Wörthersee Tour 2011 time – heaven on earth for VW Group nutters – and this year Audi has put together a very warm A1 with 496bhp – the Audi A1 Clubsport Quattro – to tantalise and torment Audi-philes. Tease and torment because there’s not much chance the A1 Clubsport will make it in to production any time soon, although it’s always possible something similar could see the light of day as the Audi RS1 – a tempting proposition. But first we’ll have to see the Audi S1 quattro.

BMW ‘i’ Brand 46 dealer network for i3 & i8

Each i-Brand centre will have specialist technical capabilities so they can work on the i range of cars and their high-voltage batteries, and BMW say there will also be a wider network for servicing and maintenance of their electric cars. The first of the -Brand cars to go on sale from BMW will be the city car i3 (which will also come with the option of a range extender engine to make it truly useful) later in 2013 followed by the i8 supercar. Prices are yet to be confirmed even for the i3, but we’re expecting the i3 to start around the £35k mark and the i8 – when it does arrive – costing something closing in on £100k.