By
Tim Pollard

First Official Pictures

01 October 2010 12:00

Jaguar delivered one of the surprises of the 2010 Paris motor show with the new C-X75 supercar concept car. The C-X75 is designed to showcase Jag’s new design direction now that the modern Ian Callum-led look has been rolled out across the Jag XF, XJ and XK sports cars.

But the new Jaguar C-X75 (‘C’ for concept, ‘X’ for experimental, ’75’ to mark the brand’s 75th anniversary) is also a technological statement. Jag has spotted the kudos granted to Porsche for stealing the Geneva 2010 show with the 918 Spyder – and realises that its graceful, paceful cars require a green balance. The C-X75 is

By
Tim Pollard

Motor Industry

27 September 2010 11:14

Ford president and CEO Alan Mulally today told British business leaders how he saved Ford from the worst recession for a generation. He also outlined how the Ford range will shrink from 97 models sold globally to just 20.

Mulally gave the keynote speech to the Confederation of British Industry in London, where business bigwigs heard how Ford became the only Detroit car maker not to collapse into bankruptcy. The address was titled Ford’s Renaissance.

Just 20 Ford models globally? That’s some cut!

Indeed. It’s all part of the One Ford plan kicked off by Mulally soon after his appointment

By
Tim Pollard

Spy shots

23 September 2010 10:53

Jaguar is readying a new facelift for the XF exec. It’s hard to believe, but the XF four-door will be four years old next year – so Jag is about to give it a cosmetic flourish to keep it fresh against the newer German competition (the new A6 lands in 2011, too, don’t forget).

Insiders say the new facelift will be ‘extensive’ and our new spy shots taken this week in the UK reveal a Jag XF with heavy disguise wrapping the front and rear.

Although wrapped in a ’60s psychedelic camouflage, our judgment is that Jaguar will fit new headlamps and tail

By
Tim Pollard

First Official Pictures

20 September 2010 10:00

Forget everything you know about Lotus. Forget the Elise, the Exige, the Evora. This is the Elite, a Ferrari California rival and a signpost to an all-new Lotus as envisaged by ex-Ferrari man Danny Bahar, CEO of Lotus since October 1st.

It looks a bit tight for the engine back there?

Ah, yes, here’s a thing: the Elite is front-engined, not mid-engined as is the formula for every other current Lotus. It’s also a folding hard-top 2+2, will cost around £115,000 and will definitely go on sale in 2014. Still, at least it’s rear-wheel drive.

Why change

By
Tim Pollard, Ben Pulman, Sarah-Jayne Harrison and Adam Sloman

Motor Industry

09 September 2010 14:00

Welcome to CAR Magazine’s news aggregator as we round up the daily stories in the auto industry. Top tip: news summaries are added from the top hour-by-hour

Thursday 9 September 2010
• VW boss Martin Winterkorn is tipped to have his contract renewed as chief executive. Winterkorn’s current deal expires at the end of 2011, but a new three-deal (he is 64, so isn’t expected to be offered five-year contract) should be sorted by February (Financial Times, subscription required) 

Wednesday 8 September 2010
• Chinese car maker Geely will lose its brand name by 2012, allowing its sub brands Gleagle,

By
Tim Pollard

First Official Pictures

07 September 2010 15:00

Do not retune your computer monitor. This is the new, second-generation Bentley Continental GT unveiled today. It might look like a gently polished version of the familiar Conti silhouette that’s plagued football grounds and London’s swankier west end districts since 2003, but trust us: the new Bentley Continental GT is a properly new model.

For a start, every body panel and piece of glass in the Mk2 Conti is different. Dirk van Braeckel and his design team in Crewe have taken the familiar Continental design and sharpened it. This car is the same but different. There’s even a new 4.0-litre V8 engine added

By
John O’Brien

Motor Industry

04 August 2010 11:11

Welcome to CAR Magazine’s news aggregator as we round up the daily stories in the auto industry. Top tip: news summaries are added from the top hour-by-hour

Wednesday 4 August 2010
• Nissan has announced sales figures of 47,490 units across Europe in July, equating to a 7.6% increase over the same period in 2009, with an increased market share of 15% (Nissan)
• Bob Grace has been appointed President, Jaguar Land Rover China. Previously Overseas Operations Director, Grace is now in charge of Land Rovers expanding operations within China (Land Rover)
• Volvo’s new Chinese owners, Geely, have suggested they want Volvo to compete with top-end BMWs and Mercs.

By
Sarah-Jayne Harrison

Motoring Issues

23 July 2010 15:18

Jaguar Academy of Sport held the first of many ceremonies in London this week – and signed up 35 young British athletes with cheques and certificates to help develop their sporting talent.

The academy was launched in March 2010 and is designed to nurture young British sporting talent by offering a bursary to athletes between the ages of 14-24. Awards will take place annually.
 
Winners at the 2010 awards include 15-year-old Leanne Stephens. She received her first GB vest when she beat the World No. 8 at table tennis. Now a member of the GB Paralympics training group, she is ranked number one in the UK

By
Daniel Puddicombe

Spy shots

13 July 2010 12:06

Two Freelander scoops in two days! Yesterday we brought you spy pictures of the disguised Freelander in an M42 car park. Today we’ve gone one better by revealing the 2011 model year Land Rover Freelander in an Italian brochure. Many thanks to CAR reader JoeMax for sending us these photos.

It looks the same as the current Freelander. What’s new on the 2011 model?

Got your microscope ready? The face of the new 2011 Freelander is subtly different to the outgoing 4×4. The new car’s grille is the typical Land Rover mesh affair but now raised up in line with the headlamps in one continuous horizontal band. It’s

By
the CAR road test team

Long Term Tests

12 July 2010 16:00

Long-term update - 12 July 2010

Popular car this, at weekends. With a long family jaunt on the cards and the 5-series GT otherwise disposed, I needed something big to transport a young family of four to the south coast. Cue a begging email to keeper Chris Chilton and a set of keys to the Range Rover Sport.

I don’t care what anyone else says about big SUVs, but as pure family transport they rule. The Range Sport simply swallows everything we throw at it: cots, buggies, bags galore. It all goes in the vast boot, and I love the split