Articles by CarsGuide team

This compact sports coupe stands out for its awesome performance from a five-cylinder turbo with 265kW/465Nm. The 2.5-litre TFSI engine in the Audi TT RS plus has been tweaked electronically for 15kW more power and 15Nm more torque.The seven-speed S tronic delivers lightning-fast gearshifts. This dual-clutch transmission comes with a launch control function which optimises acceleration from a standing start. The quattro permanent all-wheel drive system, which operates with a multi-plate clutch, transfers engine power to the road.Against the backdrop of the five-cylinder engine's characteristic growl, the TT RS plus sprints from a standstill to 100 km/h in a blistering 4.1 seconds. Fuel consumption is rated at 8.5 litres/100km. The TT RS plus weighs just 1475 kilograms, giving a power-to-weight ratio of 5.6 kilograms per kW.The high-performance brake system is able to cope with the engine's power at all times. Four-piston fixed callipers in conjunction with perforated brake discs are installed on the front axle. The Audi TT RS plus is fitted with 19-inch cast wheels of five-arm “Rotor” design which are painted black with contrasting red rim flanges. The wheels are fitted with 255/35 tyres.The adaptive damping system known as Audi magnetic ride is fitted as standard equipment. A large, fixed rear wing increases downforce at the back of the car. The singleframe radiator grille also sets the Audi TT RS plus apart visually. Its diamond-pattern mesh is in highly polished anthracite and is trimmed with a matt aluminium-look frame.The housings of the exterior mirrors are made of carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP), while the dual-branch sport exhaust system has black oval tailpipe trims. A sound flap further intensifies the sound of the engine. 

   

A peeled-back Toyota 86 is on the way as the carmaker debuts a pre-production model. One of the worst-kept secrets for 2012 is the convertible Toyota 86 - and its clone, the Subaru BRZ - though Toyota goes no further than saying it appears at this month's Geneva motor show “to gauge reaction”.Toyota says the reveal of the FT-86 convertible this week “is occurring at the same time as prototype engineering assessments take place”. Though Toyota is being quiet on production specifics, insiders say it's a done deal.The show car has an electric soft top which is bound for production, then lifts its game with a one-off paint and upholstery design of contrasting white and navy blue with yellow stitching on the floor mats and seats. Subaru builds the 86 and its own version, the BRZ, at its Gunma plant in the north-east of Japan's main island Honshu.Subaru spokesman Dave Rowley says his company has no announcement about following Toyota's open-roof ambition.Toyota may have production problems with the new model. Gunma is running at full capacity and yet has 86 and BRZ orders out as far as next year. Adding another model to the same production line will only aggravate the current supply demands, indicating that Toyota may have a second factory in mind for the convertible.Toyota hasn't produced a volume convertible sports car since the MR2 that was last sold in 2006. The company in 2011 says it planned to reinvigorate car sales to young buyers by making affordable sports and leisure-oriented models.Japan has seen a decade of declining car sales to youth attributed to lacklustre vehicles and preoccupation with technology associated with the booming social network. Toyota's first major push into the youth market is the 86 - which costs from $29,990 in Australia - but is rumoured to be followed by a bigger Supra coupe. 

An electric version of Land Rover's tough as nails Defender? Land Rover took the wraps off not one, but seven new Electric Defender models at the Geneva Motor Show.The research vehicle delivers zero emissions while retaining its tough, go-anywhere capability. The standard diesel engine and gearbox have been replaced by a 70kW, 330Nm electric motor paired with a 300-volt, lithium-ion battery that has a capacity of 27kWh giving a range of more than 80km.In typical, low speed off-road use the charge will last for up to eight hours before the battery needs recharging. The battery can be fully charged by a 7kW fast charger in four hours, or a portable 3kW charger in 10 hours.The electric vehicles retain the Defender's legendary four-wheel drive system and differential lock. Because the electric motor delivers maximum torque from the moment it starts, there's no need for gear shifting and the transmission comprises a single speed, 2.7:1 reduction gearbox combined with the existing Defender four-wheel drive system.A modified version of Land Rover's Terrain ResponseA System has also been incorporated. The vehicles were developed by Land Rover's Advanced Engineering Team following successful trials of the Defender-based electric vehicle, Leopard 1.The vehicles' capability has been tested in extreme and environmentally sensitive conditions, demonstrating capabilities not shared by conventional road-going EVs. Trials included pulling a 12-tonne 'road train' up a 13 percent gradient and wading to a depth of 800mm.The battery weighs 410kg and is mounted in the front of the Defender in place of the diesel engine. Kerb weight is 100kg more than a basic Defender 110 and ranges from 2055kg to 2162kg depending whether the body style is a pick-up, hard top or station wagon.All the major components in the electric powertrain including the battery, inverter and motor are air-cooled rather than liquid cooled, saving a considerable amount of weight and complexity and adding robustness. Regenerative braking has been optimised to such an extent that using Hill Descent Control, the motor can generate 30kW of electricity. Because the battery technology can be charged very quickly at a rate of up to twice its capacity of 54kW without reducing battery life, almost all of the regenerated energy can be recovered and stored. Up to 80 percent of the kinetic energy in the vehicle can be recovered in this way, depending on conditions."This project is acting as a rolling laboratory for Land Rover to assess electric vehicles, even in the most arduous all-terrain conditions."It gives us a chance to evolve and test some of the technologies that may one day be introduced into future Land Rover models," said Antony Harper, Jaguar Land Rover Head of Research.Although there are no plans for the all-terrain Electric Defender to enter series production, the seven EVs will go into service in specialist applications later this year.