Mini reveals John Cooper Works Concept at Detroit auto show

Today at the Detroit Auto Show Mini debuted the new 2014 John Cooper Works Concept. The JCW (as the cool people call it) is the performance version of the Mini, and the debut of the concept included a rock band and impressive amount of smoke courtesy of a fog machine. The JCW concept was decked out in traditional John Cooper Works style, and that meant an exclusive color scheme with red color accents over Bright Highways Grey paint, and 18-inch light alloy wheels.

VW Passat Alltrack 4motion (2012) goes on sale

Volkswagen is launching its own cut-price rival to those mud-loving Allroad models from Audi in May 2012 – the new Passat Alltrack 4motion. It's a Passat estate in a Barbour and green wellies, its ride height hoiked up and with 4motion all-wheel drive boosting traction for soft-roading and pulling horseboxes over slippery grass. VW quotes a two-tonne towing capacity – 200kg greater than an equivalent Passat estate.

Dacia Sandero really is cheap – from just £69 a month

Renault has boasted about how cheap their Sandero and Duster are, and with monthly payments from just £69, they right. Admittedly, you do need to stick a deposit of £1,845 down if you want to pay just £69 a month, but even if you can only rustle up £699 you can have the duster for £99 a month. At that sort of price – thanks to a deadline offering from just £5,995 – it’s about as cheap a way in to a new car as you could hope for.