Articles by CarsGuide team

A dangerous chase followed with Texas police in hot pursuit.

Gateways are so hard to drive through. And you often see people clip or scuff the sides. It's probably a good idea to head straight through the gate. Or if in doubt, just try and take out the gateposts entirely. They’re only getting in the way, aren’t they?

At some point in the evolution of the Mini portfolio the designers started to reinterpret the new Mini rather than the original.  The latest variation, the Mini Coupe, is a case in point, because it has little in common with the 1960s original designed by the late Sir Alec Issigonis.  The coupe is the fifth variation of the theme and the first two-seater to bear the famous moniker.  Makes you wonder how many more they've got up their sleeve?  Mini's masters BMW claim the coupe offers a depth of driving fun unmatched by any rival in the small car segment.  It will be available in 135kW S and 155 John Cooper Works form. The engines, chassis set-up, weight distribution and aerodynamic properties of the new model all serve the cause of optimum performance.  Making its an active rear spoiler is integrated into the boot lid and pops up automatically when the car reaches a speed of 80 km/h.  At maximum speed the spoiler provides 40kg of extra downforce. With its contrasting coloured roof and odd, stepped rear end the design is sure to polarise opinion.

Production of the millionth Land Rover Discovery comes 23 years after Land Rover introduced its original model. Since it first came to market as a third model to sit between the Range Rover and the Defender, it has carved a market segment and sold strongly. Discovery has picked up more than 200 awards around the world and last year saw record sales of almost 45,000 units across 170 worldwide markets. Up to 83 per cent of UK production is exported from its land Rover's West Midlands manufacturing base. The Land Rover Discovery is one of the world's most practical vehicles it can seat seven passengers, has a load space volume of up to 2,500 litres and is packed with technology including Land Rover's award-winning Terrain Response System, which adapts the vehicle to respond to differing terrains and driving conditions including snow and sand. The success of the Discovery alongside other Land Rover models has helped to create a positive momentum at the company's Solihull operations. The facility now employs around 6,000 people following a recruitment drive launch six month ago, boosting the workforce by 20 per cent to support its expansion plans.

So an update was in order, to help it fend off competition from newer rivals. The entry level V8 Vantage sports coupe has undergone a range of improvements aimed at enhancing the dynamic feel and style of the still attractive car. The 4.7-litre, 313kW entry-level V8 Vantage also offers more performance, more kit and a number of styling changes inspired by the Vantage S. The standard six-speed manual transmission remains, but the optional six-speed Sportshift automated manual transmission has now been replaced with the seven-speed Sportshift II. Further dynamic enhancements centre on the V8 Vantage's chassis, which features developments from the Vantage S. Quicker steering, bigger brakes and wider tyres have all been fitted to further enhance the V8 Vantage and make it more responsive and exciting to drive. A new steering column installation, re-valved power-steering pump and a quicker ratio of 15:1 compared to 17:1 on the previous model ensure the new V8 Vantage steers with even greater precision, handles with more agility and provides more feedback for a completely engaging drive. Stopping power and pedal feel have been significantly increased thanks to new 380mm two-piece ventilated cast-iron front discs and six piston calipers. The V8 Vantage also comes with tyres that are 10mm wider than the outgoing model.

The Japanese brand has announced its re-entry with a new generation Civic to race in the FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) possibly this year. "We have made a decision to enter the WTCC with the European Civic. We will develop a totally new engine for this project," says said Honda CEO Takanobu Ito. Honda has formed a joint partnership with Mugen and J.A.S. Motorsport to build and race the car. Honda R&D is developing a custom made racing engine, while Mugen will manufacture and maintain it. J.A.S. Motorsport will develop the race car, using the new Honda Civic 5 door produced in Honda's manufacturing plant located in the UK. The racing engine is a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder, direct injection, turbo-charged, petrol engine, developed in accordance with FIA's Super 2000 regulations. Honda's ambition is to join the WTCC as early as this season, with a string of "inaugural rounds". Discussions are currently being held with the FIA, but these rounds would include Japan (held on 21 October 2012 at Honda's Suzuka circuit), followed by China and Macau. Honda will then enter a two car team, managed by J.A.S. Motorsport, into every race in the 2013 championship season. This activity is being run independently to the Honda Racing British Touring Car Championship winning team. Three-times BTCC Champion, Matt Neal and Gordon `Flash' Shedden will be behind the wheel of the race-prepared Team Dynamics version of the new Civic and lining up on the grid at Brands Hatch on April 1 for the first race of the 2012 BTCC season. Racing has been a fundamental element of Honda's DNA. and the WTCC is the next chapter in Honda's on-going commitment to world motor sport.

Small car models from Volvo are to be dropped as the company declares it is time to take on the Germans. "The Germans are in our sights,'' says Volvo vehicle line director Hakan Abrahamsson at the launch of the V40 hatchback."We are aiming at the premium Audi and Mercedes-Benz hatchbacks but we think we will have better equipment and more value. We will also have the best fuel consumption in  the class - 3.6 litres/100km from our 110kW turbo-diesel version. That's equivalent to 94 grams of CO2 per kilometre and to my knowledge, it's best in class.''The Volkswagen Golf is also considered a rival but he says the V40 "is better'' than the BMW 1-Series. The V40 hatchback - which starts production in May, the same time as it stops making the S40 and V50 - may also be developed into a small SUV and even a sedan.Mr Abrahamsson hasn't ruled either out. "We have invested heavily in the platform,'' he says. "That's because we are on our own. We have no association with other car makers since we split from Ford. "So we have to consider economies of scale.''However, Mr Abrahamsson says it would be expensive to engineer the platform as an all-wheel drive. "The hatchback market is very strong and it suits the front-wheel drive design because it's light and that makes it light on fuel.''The V40 is the result of an intense four-year program in design and engineering. It is also the result of design and lifestyle clinics, including long-term collaboration with a group of 25 young people in London.The V40 will challenge the competition in the premium hatchback class with sharpened features and characteristics from larger models in the Volvo range wrapped in a sleek, compact package.First impressions are of a modern, expressive car with a Scandinavian luxury look and feel, a high-quality aura and meticulous attention to detail. The new, fully graphic instrument cluster with personalised layout and information should enhance the driving experience. Volvo says V40 boasts class-leading driving dynamics thanks to focused attention to a number of vital areas.The chassis is designed to offer the agile, connected experience that creates driving pleasure. Engine variants available in V40 will include everything from Volvo's first diesel with CO2 emissions of 94 g/km to the turbocharged T5 petrol engine with 187kW and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds. All models will feature start-stop and braking energy regeneration, no matter whether they are fitted with a manual or automatic gearbox.V40 features a class-leading safety and driver support package, including Volvo's groundbreaking Pedestrian Detection with Full Auto Brake and several other new features. Among the new features are a world-first pedestrian airbag, Lane Keeping Aid with auto steering, and an ingenious Park Assist Pilot that makes parallel parking easy.The City Safety low-speed collision avoidance system has been further developed and it now operates at speeds up to 50 km/h.Volvo says the new V40 is the most intelligent and safe Volvo model so far. All its features are designed around the driver, helping him or her stay alert and well informed to avoid collisions and dangerous situations.Sales target internationally is a conservative 90,000 units with 85 per cent of the total volume going to European customers. It will be built in Volvo Car Corporation's plant in Ghent, Belgium.

After the debut of the Kymco Like 50 and 125 into Australia last year, there has been demand for a more powerful yet still classic styled option - the Like 200i. It is the ideal combination of classic vintage nostalgia and modern Kymco technology. The Like 200i has Kymco's CVT `Twist & Go' automatic transmission and is powered by a fuel injected 163cc engine. Boasting front and rear disc brakes, a glove box and 12 inch alloy wheels the Like 200i is a cheeky looking package. The headlights are chrome-plated and positioned on the handlebar to enrich the aesthetics of the retro design. Kymco's front fender covers a stable suspension system offering a controlled, comfy ride. The front indicators have also been integrated into the scooter body to enhance the classical design, while the rear indicators are separated from the tail lamp for rear view safety. With plenty of under-seat storage, along with a colour matched top box as standard equipment for shopping, owners will be able to get their errands done. Kymco says the Like 200i has the power to cruise down freeways and highways on weekends, while remaining agile and swift through the city streets. Kymco scooters have the added bonus of being economically and environmentally friendly on the roads. Easy parking, fuel efficient and time saving - what's not to... err, like. The Like 200i is available through authorised Kymco dealerships in four colours: red, white, black and pale blue.

The Ferrari F12 Berlinetta ratchets up the supercar bar with unprecedented performance from its new engine, combined with innovative design that redefines classic themes along with extreme aerodynamics.The mid-front-engined sports car is the most powerful and high-performance Ferrari road car ever launched. Ferrari's traditional transaxle layout has been revised to match the more extreme performance of the car.The wheelbase has been shortened and the engine, dashboard and seats have been lowered in the chassis, while the new layout of the rear suspension and gearbox enabled Ferrari's engineers to make the rear volume of the car smaller.The overall result is a very compact car with a lower centre of gravity that is further back in the chassis, and a high level of aerodynamic efficiency. Scaglietti, renowned for its expertise in aluminium materials and construction, designed an all-new spaceframe chassis and bodyshell using 12 different kinds of alloys, some of which have been used for the first time in the automotive sector, and employing new assembly and joining techniques.This has resulted in a 20 per cent increase in structural rigidity while reducing weight (1525kg) with 54 per cent over the rear.The F12 Berlinetta's naturally aspirated 6.2 litre, V12 engine delivers 544kW with a torque peak of 690Nm, 80 per cent of which is available at 2,500 rpm. The engine revs to 8,700 rpm and is mated to a F1 style dual-clutch transmission, which has closer gear ratios developed specifically for this car's performance.The Berlinetta's technical specifications are completed by Ferrari's latest generation carbon-ceramic brakes and the evolution of the magnetic suspension control system.The result is that the new Berlinetta accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 3.1 seconds and from 0-200 km/h in 8.5 seconds. It also completes a lap of the Fiorano circuit in 1'23", faster than any other Ferrari road car.The design of the car is a result of the collaboration between the Ferrari Styling Centre and Pininfarina. It's gorgeous.The Ferrari F12 Berlinetta will arrive Australia in early 2013, when local prices and specifications will be announced.

This year will see cars put through more stringent tests -- and those that fail will lose on fleet sales. Government and other large fleets will now only accept five-star rated passenger cars and four-star rated light commercial vehicles. "Cars and light commercials that fail to meet those levels will lose the fleet sales to the Federal Government and some other very large multinational companies," ANCAP spokesman Nicholas Clarke says. He points out this is not just good news for the workers driving those cars, but also for the public in whose hands they end up as the second owner. "These vehicles are driven for two to three years and then made available to the public. It's long been a practice for mums and dads to buy a late model car that previously been a fleet car, and if that puts them in a five-star cars, it's a fantastic result," Clarke says. "Not everybody can afford a new car, so we encourage the corporate fleets to buy them and that puts safer vehicle in the secondhand market." Under the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP),  the maximum five-star crash will be include harder testing to account for technology improvements.  "We're lifting the bar," ANCAP chairman Lauchlan McIntosh has said. "The five-star rating will get harder and harder as our new road map for safety starts. We will review the ratings each year as we take into account new safety technologies in vehicles." "We have had long discussions with vehicle manufacturers on the new test ratings. They agree that the five-star rating on cars has been an important part of what the consumer wants."  ANCAP will progressively introduce new tests, new calculation methods and new safety-assist technology (SAT) from this year through to 2015. The offset frontal, side impact, side pole and pedestrian tests will be retained but new tests would include roof strength and whiplash. Further tests that could be included cover more stringent pedestrian safety, child occupant protection, rear-seat adult protection and rollover propensity.