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Mini Crossover Concept: the first photos

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 09 September 2008 23:00 Here's the first look at the new Mini Crossover Concept – proof, at last, that BMW will indeed build a 4x4, SUV-lite version of the Mini. The Crossover concept car will be shown at the 2008 Paris motor show (where else?) and previews the production Mini SUV due in 2010. Mini Crossover Concept: the first official pictures Pore over these first official photographs carefully, because the new Mini Crossover Concept shows closely how the trendy brand's new SUV is shaping up and also reveals how the future face of the Mini brand is evolving.

VW to intro Passat BlueMotion Concept at Detroit auto show

While performance heads are anxiously awaiting the North American debut of the hot-heat Mk VII Golf R at the Detroit auto show, Volkswagen's Passat BlueMotion Concept offers never-before technology in the Yank/Canuck family sedan segment: a four-pot motor with cylinder deactivation. Based on the EA211 1.4L turbo motor we sampled last year in the Euro-market Audi A3 sedan, the Passat BlueMotion Concept's engine is capable of shutting down the middle two cylinders during cruise, and features the Jetta Hybrid's gearbox, a twin-clutch unit capable of decoupling from the engine during off-throttle coasting. In the Passat's application, the 1.4 puts out 150 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque; VW suggests its highway fuel economy will stand at 42 mpg.

Cyclists urged to make themselves visible

CYCLISTS have been warned to take precautions to make themselves easier to see, in time for the darker evenings of winter time. The clocks are set to wind back by an hour this Sunday, bringing darkness down on homeward commutes and making collisions involving cyclists statistically more likely. A survey of 1,000 cyclists, carried out by Autoglass, found that 48% had been caught without lights or high-visibility clothing when the clocks go back.