Ski-doo Jacket on 2040-parts.com

Alfa Romeo US relaunch delayed

Alfa Romeo Giulietta - American launch delayed until 2013 It’s getting on for two years since we reported that Alfa Romeo were going to relaunch themselves in the US after an absence of twenty years, to give Americans an Italian alternative to the likes of Audi, BMW and  Mercedes. A quality European alternative with Italian flair was the logic. But within a month of the announcement that the US was to be beguiled by Alfas once more came the news that the MiTo wouldn’t be going on the American sojourn.

VW E-Bugster convertible concept car at 2012 Beijing motor show

Volkswagen, one of the biggest players in China's swelling car market, chose Beijing to unveil its latest E-Bugster - a good look at the forthcoming convertible version of the Beetle. We saw the E-Bugster in tin-top form at the 2012 Detroit auto show; now they've gone and chopped the top fully for Beijing. It's a two-seater speedster version of the Beetle hatch, driven by an 85kW electric drive system; essentially, the powertrain of this car is what will underpin the 2013 Blue-e-motion electric Golf.

Audi Q8 confirmed, or is it the Audi Q9?

We’ve long wondered when Audi would get round to expanding its range of ‘Q’ badged SUVs to include sporty coupe SUVs as well as a new range-topper bigger than the Q7. But Audi Chairman chairman, Rupert Stadler, said back in 2011 that Audi was inclined to ignore the sector above the Q7 and instead concentrate on more compact SUVs. Which makes sense for the European market, but does it makes sense for China and the USA?