What is it?

A mid-life refresh of Bentley’s hugely successful Continental GT coup. Unsurprisingly, the changes are relatively subtle, with revised front and rear lights, a more chiselled look to its lines and an all-new interior. Technical changes include a more powerful, more economical W12 engine with power increased by 20- to 567bhp. That allows the Continental GT to reach 62mph in 4.6 seconds and onto a 198mph top speed.

Why’s it here?

To introduce a range of changes that will filter down the entire Continental range in time. The new 2011 model will come with a new look, a more efficient W12 engine and improvements like a wider track front and rear to enhance the driving experience. The big news will be the availability of

With the Paris Motor Show only a day away Lexus has revealed more details of its CT 200h. The Audi A3 and BMW 1 Series rival is due to arrive in the UK early next year.

Fitted with a 1.8-litre engine developing 98bhp and an electric motor taking the total output to 134bhp, Lexus claims a 0-62mph time of 10.3 seconds. The CT 200h can also run for up to a mile and a half on battery power alone at speeds of up to 28mph. Provisional figures for economy and emissions are 68.9mpg on the combined cycle and 96g/km respectively.

Lexus has promised a high standard of ride comfort and handling. To achieve this it has engineered the body to be rigid with a low centre of gravity. Suspension

What do you get if you put a tuned Audi S3 engine into a car that weighs less than your Sunday lunch? You get the KTM X-Bow R.

There are no official performance numbers yet, but this X-Bow might win a 50-yard race with an arrow fired from an actual crossbow. It’s got 300bhp, and the engine is placed lower in the chassis to the benefit the centre of gravity and hence of cornering speed.

A number of performance enhancing changes will accompany the engine transplant, though we’re not told what they are yet. We do know, however, that they’ll be available as aftermarket parts for existing X-Bows.

The R will come in two flavours, named Sport and Race, the latter revoking the car’s

We all thought it was going to be called the S1, but Audi has proved us wrong. In a break from tradition, the flagship performance version of the A1 supermini will simply be referred to as the A1 1.4 TFSI S line.

No prizes for guessing that it’s powered by the Volkswagen Group’s existing 1.4-litre TFSI engine, but this time it’s tweaked to deliver 183bhp and 184lb.ft of torque.

In a pint-sized hatch like the A1, that means 0-62mph in a swift 6.9 seconds and a top speed of 141mph. Running costs will be reasonable too at 39.9mpg and 139g/km.

Power will be channelled though Audi’s seven-speed S tronic gearbox and the company is promising plenty of upmarket extras. LED interior and exterior lighting,

Aston Martin has revealed a Gulf Oil liveried racing car so slick that the company reckons it will take overall honours at the 2011 Le Mans 24-hour race.

The British manufacturer is no stranger to taking prizes away from the legendary race, having won the GT class in 2007 and 2008.

But thanks to rule changes for the 2011 event, which aim to put diesel and petrol powered LMP class racers on an even keel, Aston finally thinks it can take the overall crown.

The Aston LMP1 has been designed from the ground up on a brand new chassis and with a bespoke racing engine. No technical information has been released as yet, but it’s the first purpose built racing chassis Aston has made

The new generation Smart Fortwo is on sale now. There are revised looks, an updated interior and lower CO₂ emissions – it’s available from 8,780.

Visual changes include new front and rear aprons, side skirts and a fuel filler finished in body colour. There are new wheel designs too. To make the coup easier to use it is now possible to open the lower tailgate with just one of the handles rather than both.

The interior features a restyled dashboard with a fabric-covered instrument panel housing new-look dials. There are new patterns for the upholstery and extra storage from a new glove box and net pockets on the seat side bolsters. The audio system has been improved with the pulse version offering USB and iPod connectivity while the passion