The British automaker Vauxhall has just unveiled their most economical car in over one hundred years of producing automobiles. The new Corsa ecoFLEX has been rated with a fuel consumption of 85.6 MPG on the English Government’s extra urban fuel cycle.
The ecoFLEX model is powered by a 1.3-litre CDTi engine, which makes just under 75 HP but still performs as well as its predecessor. The ultra efficient Corsa is capable of going from 0 to 60 MPH in 13.5 seconds and reaching a top speed of 104 MPH, however Vauxhall failed to coment as to how long that would take.
The most economical model in all of Vauxhall’s history can be yours starting at just £11,295.
Volkswagen UK has just announced an R-Line package for their mid sized car, the Passat. Like the sister company Audi’s S-Line trim package, the R-Line treatment brings added style and comfort to the base model four-door without the extra cost. The best part about the new trim is that you can have the appearance of a high performance R model, with a smaller, more fuel efficient and more economical engine under the hood.
From the outside, the R-Line package consists of a set of 17 inch wheels, a chrome grill surround and the “R” styling pack. On the inside, the package adds creature comforts like cruise control, adjustable front buckets and a leather wrapped multifunction steering wheel. VW even adds a tire pressure monitoring system for safety.
MG is preparing to unveil two new of its light weight mid engine sports cars. The first new MG TF will be an entry level version called the TF 135, priced at £13,511. The sporty little MG will get a 1.8 Liter 16v K-series engine that makes 135 HP, hence the TF 135.
The second is a special edition that marks MG’s 85th anniversary. This is a very special car and will be available in three distinct colors, complete with 85th anniversary graphics on the outside and stunning aubergine leather trim on the interior.
If you are from the U.K. you’ve got another thing to look out for on the roads, because the new Insignia is also being offered in a police package. The English automaker Vauxhall is now offering three different power options for official use: a 2.0 Liter 220 HP turbocharged version, a 2.8 Liter 260 HP V6 with all-wheel-drive and a 160 HP 2.0CDTi turbo diesel. The Insignia patrol car will be made as both a sedan and station wagon.
What sets the Police Insignia apart from the rest of the Vauxhall crowd are: Mobile Data Terminal cameras, Automatic Number Plate Recognition system, light bar on the roof shining 360 degrees of blue, spot lights, sirens and full communications radio equipment.
Whatever you do, don’t compliment the bobby on his Opel!
Peugeot UK has launched a special edition for its 4007 SUV. Called Sport XS, the new version is on sale at a price of £24,695.
The Sport XS package adds: five-seat configuration with special black leather upholstery, a full exterior Sport styling kit and 18” alloy wheels, chrome side bars, wing mirror covers, door handles and a twin tail pipe extension. Body coloured front lower and rear roof spoilers completes the distinctive exterior. Bluetooth handsfree telephone facility is also a standard feature of 4007 Sport XS.
Everybody’s favorite chain smoking tuner, "Smokey" Nagata, the owner of the Japanese tuning house Top Secret likes to travel the world, and bring his high horsepower machines along with him to do some top speed testing. Unfortunately the runs don’t always go off without a hitch, like when he brought his signature gold Supra to the U.K.
Check out the video after the jump to see Smokey’s 400 km/h run at the Nardo test track.
Performance diesels are nothing new for the European market, across the Atlantic they love the more affordable fuel prices and longer ranges provided by the alternative fueled machines. Volkswagen has already answered this call with the high performance Golf GTD, a diesel burning alternative to the GTI. So the next step for the German automaker would be to release a diesel version of their latest sports hatch, the Scirocco.
The Volkswagen Scirocco GT TDI is powered by a 2.0 Liter TDI engine that produces a maximum output of 165 HP and a potent 258 lb-ft of torque. The alternatively fueled Scirocco can sprint from a standstill to 60 MPH in about 8 seconds and will reach a top speed of 140 MPH. All while returning about 53 MPG in mixed highway and city driving.
The Scirocco GT TDI has just been released in the British market, while we here in the U.S. are still awaiting the vehicles arrival, in any way shape or form.
Just the sort of thing we like to see here at Top Speed. A turbocharged engine, packaged with a host of sports inspired features and creature comforts at a price that won’t break the bank; and if it pollutes a little less, even better.
That is exactly the case with Saab’s new 9-3 Turbo Edition. Priced starting at under £20,000 the special edition features 17-inch alloy wheels, leather interior, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, 9-speaker 150w audio system with MP3 compatibility and cruise control all standard. With power coming from either a 1.9 TiD making 150 HP or the higher performing 1.9 TTiD turbo diesel powerplant producing 180 HP and loads more torque.
Unfortunately the car is destined for the U.K. and probably won’t be making it the U.S. anytime soon.
Drifting is a difficult motorsport to master, after initiating the drift with either a pull of the handbrake or a drivetrain shocking clutch kick with you are then charged with delicately balancing the sideways sliding machine. Everyone’s favorite racing driver turned television host Tiff Needell from Fifth Gear tried his hand at drifting a Toyota Soarer (read Lexus SC300) at the inaugural D1GP event in the UK. Check out the video to see how he did.
We all know how much the British love their Subarus. So much that they gave the cars a cute nickname. Now owners can show off their AWD Scoobies at the Scooby Sprint Championship, a UK motorsport series developed exclusively for Subarus. The series caters to all levels of competitors, from novice to professional, and from privateers to fully built professional machines. In the end, the champion will be crowned the fastest Subaru in the UK.
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