February 4, 2012

Ken Block Sn*Drift Fiesta Rally video

The Ken Block Monster Ford Fiesta Rally car

We have video of Ken Block in the Monster Ford Fiesta Rally car driving practice runs for the Rally America Sn*Drift event in Michigan. We’re big fans of Ken Block’s abilities here at Cars UK Towers. We’ve run a couple of Ken Block Videos before, including the Ken Block Gymkhana 2.1 video and the Ken Block on [...]

Citroen C1 and Peugeot 107 hit by Toyota recall

The Peugeot 107 Recall

Peugeot Citroen has become embroiled in the Toyota sticking throttle mess and are recalling Citroen C1s and Peugeot 107s. Update: We have heard from Citroen who tell us just 36 C1s in the UK are affected by the sticking accelerator problem. Update 2: We’ve now heard from Peugeot who say 6,000 Peugeot 107s in the [...]

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics WILL be the new BMW M1 – probably

A BMW Executive has revealed that the VISION EfficientDynamics Concept from the Frankfurt Motor Show will ‘Probably’ go in to production – as the BMW M1. After BMW revealed the Vision EfficeintDynamics Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, the motoring press (Cars UK included) speculated on whether the Vison ED could become BMW’s [...]

Honda Jazz / Honda Fit recall – faulty electric window switch

The Honda Jazz Recall

Honda is recalling almost 650,000 Honda Jazz / Honda fit models for faulty electric window switches which can cause a fire. 171,000 UK Honda Jazz affected. It’s not exactly on the scale of the Toyota recall for a sticking throttle, but nevertheless the announcement by Honda that they are recalling almost 650,000 (MY 2002-2008) Honda [...]

Lamborghini LP650-4 Roadster – the paint job +video

One of the first owners of a Lamborghini LP650-4 Roadster has decided that the standard Grey and Orange paint job is not to his liking. So far we’ve only seen one Lamborghini LP650-4 Roadster in the wild. And that was one of Lamborghini’s own cars in the States. But that’s hardly surprising – they’re only [...]

Toyota accelerator recall – explanation, advice +video

Following on from the recall announced by Toyota yesterday for sticking accelerator problems we have some advice and a video. Not surprisingly, we’ve had emails and comments left on Cars UK from owners of Toyotas worried about the ‘Sticky Throttle’ recall announced yesterday for Toyota cars in the UK and Europe, not to mention the [...]

Alfa Romeo Pininfarina Concept at Geneva Motor Show

The Alfa Romeo Pininfarina Concept

Pininfarina are to showcase a Concept at the Geneva Motor Show based on an Alfa Romeo to celebrate the anniversary of the two companies. The promise of upcoming goodies at the Geneva Motor Show are starting to come thick and fast as we get closer to the show (starts 2nd March). The latest news is [...]

Toyota accelerator UK recall announced

Toyota has now announced the recall of UK versions of their cars with the sticky accelerator issue. They are contacting owners to arrange the modification. Yesterday we reported on the huge problem Toyota has had with faulty accelerator mechanisms on cars in the US, and the news that in addition to the 2.3 million cars [...]

Audi A7 – Spy Video

The Audi A7

The Audi A7 – a four door coupe – will launch in 2010 and we have spy video of the A7 winter testing in Norway. The Audi A7 seems to have been coming for a long time now. A swoopy, four-door coupe it’s yet another of Audi’s attempts at niche-filling, and is aimed straight at [...]

Suzuki Kizashi – Geneva launch

The Suzuki Kizashi

Suzuki are to launch their Mondeo-sized Kizashi at the Geneva Motor Show in March featuring a 185bhp 4-pot petrol engine. What’s the Suzuki Kizashi, I hear you ask? Well, it’s Suzuki’s attempt at making a D Segment Car (think Ford Mondeo or Vauxhall Insignia) and so far it’s only been available in Japan and North [...]

VW R Performance Division to launch

It’s being reported that Volkswagen are to emulate Mercedes, Audi and BMW by creating a performance division – R GmbH. I’m not sure that the reports that Volkswagen are to create a specialist division for performance cars, R GmbH, will make any difference at all to the products hitting the roads. But I’ve been known [...]

BMW 335iS (2011) Press Release

The New BMW 335is Coupe and Convertible Special high-performance models exclusively for North American marketplace. Woodcliff Lake, NJ – Confirming what may have been this year’s worst-kept auto industry secret, BMW announces the introduction of the BMW 335is Coupe and Convertible, each destined to take a place in history among the line of desirable, often [...]

BMW 335iS (2011) prices +video

BMW has released pricing for the 2011 BMW 335iS plus we have the first video of the 335iS on the move. Normally we would have made the headline ‘BMW 355iS US prices’, but as BMW has decided that the new 335iS is going to be a North America car only we guess that anyone looking [...]

Nissan Qashqai production increased – jobs created

The Nissan Qashqai Production

Nissan is to increase production at their Sunderland plant to cope with demand for the 2010 Nissan Qashqai creating 400 jobs. We thought the original Nissan Qashqai was a decent car. It looks set to improve in a number of important areas when the 2010 Qashqai hits showrooms in March, and it seems that the [...]

Mercedes SLS AMG – production begins

The Mercedes SLS AMG Production

Mercedes has started full production of the SLS AMG ready for the first cars to arrive with customers at the end of March in Germany. I don’t know why – as Mercedes hadn’t previously announced it – but we guessed that they’d already started to put the Mercedes SLS AMG in to production ready for [...]

Toyota sticky pedal fiasco recall – now it’s Europe

The Toyota Sticky Pedal Recall

Toyota are now having to recall cars in Europe to address the issue of faulty accelerator mechanisms. 2.3 million cars in the US are affected. Toyota has been having huge problems with sticking accelerator issues on their cars in the US. It seems a faulty mechanism does – under certain circumstances – stick on or return too [...]

Porsche BlueSport back on – but we knew that

The Porsche BlueSport

VW boss Martin Winterkorn has again been quoted as saying that Porsche will build a ‘Baby Boxster’ – the Porsche BlueSport. Last year it was a case of ‘Spot the BlueSport’ as rumours ran wild over which parts of the VW Group (what happened to re-naming it Auto Union – another of last year’s rumours?) [...]

Ford B-Max to go in to production

Ford-isosi-max-thumb

Ford are to start production of the Fiesta based B-Max crossover at their plant in Romania with the help of a €400 million Euro loan from the EIB. It’s been a while coming, but it looks like Ford’s replacement for the Fusion is now ready to go in to production in Romania as the Ford B-Max, sitting [...]

MINI E – the testers are ‘Mostly Happy’

BMW are reporting that the lessees of the MINI E are reporting a positive response and are ‘Mostly Happy’ with the electric MINI. I know, we’ve run stories on how the lessees of the MINI Es running around at their expense to evaluate the car for BMW have had more than a gripe or two about the [...]

Citroen DS3 R3 coming

Citroen has given the green light to a ‘Hot’ version of the new DS3 – The Citroen DS3 R3. The Citroen DS3 is only just starting to hit the roads. And it does look to be a credible alternative to some of the other up-market compact cars on the road. But so far no news [...]

BMW X5 – luxury used car of the decade

The motor trade bible – CAP – has declared the BMW X5 to be the luxury used car of the decade. The X5 has been a big hit in the UK since its launch a decade ago. More than 65,000 X5s have been sold here in that time, and it was the first BMW to [...]

Alfa Romeo MiTo Maserati – the courtesy car

The Alfa Romeo MiTo Maserati

Alfa Romeo have created a Limited Edition MiTo – the Alfa Romeo MiTo Maserati – to be used as courtesy cars by the Maserati dealer network in Europe. As you’ll know if you read here regularly, we like the Alfa Romeo MiTo. Sure, it has its faults (what car doesn’t) but it’s very stylish, remarkably well put [...]

Peugeot 308 CC THP 156 automatic launched

Peugeot has fitted a new engine and gearbox in the 308 CC to create the new Peugeot 308 CC THP 156 Auto, offering more power and performance. A bit of a mouthful, we have to say, this new Peugeot 308 CC THP 156 auto. They may have to make the car wider to take all [...]

Spyker buys Saab – the deal really is done

GM has finally found a deal it can live with and Spyker are to take control of Saab. I know, you’ve seen headlines that say something similar once or twice before. But finally – after what seems an age of negotiation and a real flurry of activity yesterday – the deal for Spyker to buy [...]

Lamborghini – lighter and quicker

Lamborghini has decided that it has reached the upper limit of horsepower with its cars and will in future concentrate on aerodynamics and weight saving. The horsepower wars are just about over. The Germans lead the way with ever bigger displacements and outputs, but the seriously misguided attempts by Governments around the world to penalise [...]