SEMA 2008 show report: Volkswagen Passat CC

By Ben Whitworth Motor Shows 07 November 2008 09:00 Volkswagen’s sobriety took a back seat at the SEMA show in Las Vegas this week – it pulled the covers off a pair of muscle-bound Passat CCs, a racy 295bhp Tiguan and a grunty diesel Jetta aimed at cajoling the American market into turning its back on gasoline. The unambiguously named Performance CC – designed by Volkswagen’s California-based design centre – gets a shot in the arm from a three-stage turbo boost to its 2.0-litre TSI engine. In Eco mode you get a modest 222bhp and 236 lb ft of torque, GT mode hikes those outputs to 252bhp and 268 lbs ft, while the Full Power stage unleashes 311bhp and 313 lb ft.

RIP Sergio Pininfarina 1926–2012

Sergio Pininfarina died last night at his home in Turin. He was 85 years old. Born in Turin on 8 September 1926 to Pininfarina's founder Battista Farina, Sergio was instrumental in growing the company during his almost 50 years at the helm of the most famous Italian design house.

Geneva Show 2014: All Change For Renault’s Twingo

FRENCH car maker Renault is set to shake up the city car market with the third generation of its Twingo model. In a bold move, this latest Twingo adopts a rear engine and rear-wheel drive layout. Engineers believe such a plan affords the car more cabin space and, potentially, a more engaging driving experience.