Peugeot 308 RCZ (2007): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 31 July 2007 12:00 Peugeot's TT: the 308 RC Z If you're designing a mid-sized coupe from scratch, it's hard to ignore the head-swivelling, original Audi TT. Peugeot clearly thinks so - its Frankfurt show star, the new 308 RC Z unveiled today, looks like a Chinese facsimile of the Mk1 TT, especially viewed in profile. Maybe that's why Peugeot introduced a clumsy kink in the waistline (a la Hyundai Matrix), to disrupt the Germanic body language...

McLaren lock out front row in Australian F1 Grand Prix qualifying

Lewis Hamilton is on pole with Jenson Button alongside for the 2012 Australian F1 Grand Prix Lewis Hamilton is on pole with Jenson Button alongside for the 2012 Australian F1 Grand Prix after qualifying in Melbourne. Most of the pit lane thought McLaren had got it wrong with their new nose – a sleek nose instead of the stepped one almost all the rest of the field have this year – but as far as the opening qualifying of the 2012 F1 circus they seem to have got it just right. Hamilton set a stunning lap to open final qualifying, with Jenson Button managing to almost match his team mate with a lap just 0.152 seconds behind to make the front row a McLaren lock-out.

Alfa Romeo 4C on track with Giancarlo Fisichella (video)

Giancalrlo Fisichella takes the Alfa 4C round Balocco (pictured) The Alfa Romeo 4C – Alfa’s baby supercar – is due on sale next month following its UK dynamic debut at Goodwood, so to get a bit of adrenaline flowing in the veins of potential buyers, Fiat grabbed Ferrari test driver Giancarlo Fisichella and stuck him behind the wheel of the 4C to play at the Balocco test track, Fiat’s proving ground. And we have to say, the 4C doesn’t just look good, it sounds great and looks to be as light and nimble as expected. In many ways, the Alfa 4C is an Italian take on the Lotus Elise, but it manages to do it with a huge dose of Alfa flair, both in its design and its execution.