Ssangyong relaunches brand with Giugiaro-designed Korando

Korean brand Ssangyong is back from the dead. After looking odds-on favorite to become another automotive casualty of the global recession after Chinese owner SAIC put it into receivership in early 2009, the 4x4 specialist has found a new owner in 2010 – signing a memorandum of understanding with Indian company Mahindra & Mahindra in August – and has just re-launched its brand with a new car designed by Giugiaro. The fourth-generation Korando mid-sized crossover – prefaced by the C200 concept shown at the April 2009 Seoul motorshow – is due on sale in January 2011 pending the expected completion of the Mahindra deal in November this year.

Le Mans 2010: a picture gallery by Alex Tapley

Last month I returned from my second consecutive Nurburgring 24hr race, so I was excited to be getting my first taste of Le Mans last weekend. Two very similar concepts, yet the endurance races at the Ring and Le Mans differ hugely, and both excite for very different reasons. I just hope they stay that way. Here are some of my favourite pictures from the weekend: 1.

MINI John Cooper Works Concept 2014 revealed

MINI has just launched its third-generation Hatch model, and you know what that means. No, not just people moaning about how it isn’t really ‘mini’ anymore – we’re talking about the imminent arrival of a brand new high performance MINI John Cooper Works. And here it is – or at least, here’s the new 2014 MINI John Cooper Works Concept.