Vintage Mercedes 300sl R Heater Core W198 on 2040-parts.com

2014 MINI John Cooper Works Concept revealed ahead of Detroit debut

The 2014 MINI John Cooper Works Concept (pictured) will debut in Detroit next month The new MINI was revealed just last month, and it sounds the gong for the start of the race to churn out as many variants on the MINI as BMW can manage. And the first of what will be many variants to come of the new MINI is this – the new MINI John Cooper Works Concept – revealed this morning ahead of a debut in a few weeks at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show. MINI aren’t letting on what’s under the bonnet of the new MINI JCW, but it seems almost certain it will be a more powerful version of the new 2.0 litre petrol for the Cooper S, which gets 189bhp in the Coopper S but will doubtless get something north of 200bhp in the new JCW.

Hyundai i30 GT with 1.6 Turbo planned?

Are Hyundai planning a hot hatch i30 GT? (5-door 2012 i30 pictured) It’s reported that Hyundai are planning a hot hatch GT version of the 3-door i30 due in 2013 with a 200bhp 1.6 litre turbo. With all the progress Hyundai has made in the last few years to become a credible threat to mainstream cars from Europe and Japan, the next step must be in the performance and luxury realm.

Toyota ordered by Japan to address Prius brake complaints

Toyota Motor Corp., already grappling with recalls totaling 8.1 million vehicles on five continents, has been ordered by Japan's Ministry of Transportation to investigate a rash of consumer complaints about braking problems in its popular third-generation Prius hybrid vehicle. The Japanese carmaker has received several complaints about braking in the Prius in both Japan and North America since the end of last year, Toyota spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi said. She did not say when the directive was issued or how Toyota would respond.