carbuzz Blog

Renault Celebrates F1 Connection With RenaultSport Megane RB8

2013-05-21T14:42:33Z

One of the greatest hot hatches ever to grace the roads was conceived as a Formula One tie-in between Renault and the dominant manufacturer of the day.

Of course fortunes change quickly in motorsports, but once again Renault finds itself supplying its engines to an all-conquering brand that doesn't make its own road cars, but with the benchmark being Renault's own Clio Williams limited edition this new Red Bull-badged Megane has mighty big shoes to fill.

It's a good start, mind. As with the Williams (based on the Clio 2.0 RSi), the Megane is built from an already pretty potent machine. The Megane Renaultsport 265 forms the basis of the RB8 and the Trophy version of that already holds the honour of being the fastest front-wheel drive production car ever to lap the Nürburgring.

The Megane RB8 bears very close resemblence to the Megane 265 Cup, featuring the same engine, differential, suspension and braking of the normal car, but it'll wear the very same Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tyres that helped the Trophy edition to that Nürburgring lap time.

If Red Bull's signature Twilight Blue paint with platinum hints and bespoke leather and fabric interior weren't enough to let you know this is a special edition, there's nary a surface inside or out not adorned with Red Bull branding and logos - even the rear windows bear a laurel in honour of the 2012 F1 Constructors' title.

The interior also features an upgrade to the Renaultsport Monitor information system that will become standard across the Renaultsport range - combining navigation with telemetry - along with a new built-in R-Link multimedia tablet.

Like the Clio Williams, this Megane will be available in very limited number - just thirty are destined for the UK when orders open in June (and optimistically close in September), though prices have not yet been announced.

Conclusion

Bearing very little relation to Sebastian Vettel's work vehicle "Hungry Heidi", it's easy to accuse Renault and Red Bull of a cheeky cash-in - effectively stickering up an existing car in a very loose connection. But that would require one to forget just what a stellar car is underneath the Megane RB8 and the sheer brilliance of its predecessor, the Clio Williams.

Still, punters old enough to remember just how good the Williams was will probably remember that it was also a limited edition... until the Williams 2 was released to cover demand, angering a great many Williams owners. They were even less chuffed when a Williams 3 then followed.

Let's hope Renault sticks to its strengths and learns from its mistakes...

For more information check out our full summary of the Renault Megane Renaultsport alongside reviews, stats, photos and videos!

Honda Civic SE 1.6 i-DTEC Review - The Class Economy Champ?

2013-05-18T16:52:02Z

Some of the latest diesel vehicles offer truly staggering on-paper economy, with miles per gallon figures in the eighties range not uncommon these days.

Invariably though, real-world driving often returns the same mid-50s figure that diesels have been capable of for years. Imagine our surprise then, when after a week with the Honda Civic you see here our real-world economy was knocking on the door of 70 mpg.

We think we've found the Civic 1.6 i-DTEC's raison d'être then, but how does the rest of the car stack up?

Exterior

The Civic stands out somewhat in the family car class. It eschews the clean, timeless shapes found on more Germanic offerings and the flowing curves of everything from the Vauxhall Astra to the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, and instead carries on the space-age, quirky looks of its predecessor.

It's perhaps a little more sanitised than the last Civic, details like the old triangular door handles, triangular exhaust outlets and clear polycarbonate front grille disappearing entirely. But it's still a unique-looking object and works well in the Milano Red paintwork of our test car.

Even on this entry-level SE model 16-inch alloy wheels are standard, and the deep bumpers and contrasting black details have a sporty look.

And where some manufacturers differentiate their most economical models with special badging, blanked-off grilles and unusual body kits, there's little to give away that this Civic has the potential to hit nearly 80 mpg. If you don't like shouting about being "green", the Civic should appeal.

Interior

One benefit of the Civic's almost one-box silhouette is plenty of interior room. It's really quite impressive from a relatively compact platform, and what's more, the boot is also huge and with the split floor removed, very deep.

Adults should be comfortable both front and rear, with similar leg and headroom to some physically larger rivals. The seats are comfortable too, and covered in a soft velour-style cloth more pleasant to the touch than the materials that usually pervade in this class.

We found achieving a decent driving position easy enough. There's suitable adjustment in the seat, and most drivers should be able to adjust the steering wheel to a point where both the low-set tachometer and high-set digital speedometer should be visible.

Less visible are other vehicles out of the split rear window, or anything hidden behind the large C-pillars - every manoeuvre seems to require an extra couple of glances to ensure nothing has disappeared into your blind spots. We've also heard complaints that the slightly raised driving position isn't suitable for the tallest drivers - so try before you buy.

Everything feels high-quality and well-built in that way that Honda seems to nail these days. It isn't as touchy-feely as a Golf - some of the plastics are a bit scratchy - but at no point during the week did it feel anything less than well-engineered and solid.

Even small details impress, such as the chunky-feeling click to the indicator and wiper stalks, the large stereo buttons that require minimal eyes-off-the-road time, and the equally at-a-glance speedo and information display.

Driving

Just as we discovered on brief acquaintance with the sporty Civic Ti last year, the Civic is about as easy to drive as cars in this class get. All controls respond just the way you'd expect, and everything operates with a friction-free, slick action.

Of those controls, and in common with many other Hondas over the decades, it's the gearshift that stands out, snicking quickly and cleanly between ratios in a manner than encourages you to change gear for the heck of it. It's made all the more pleasant by a light clutch.

The brakes are light and responsive too, and while the steering doesn't offer oodles of feel, it's accurate enough to sling the car through corners with confidence.

The vast majority of our test was spent on motorways, and here the Civic handled itself very well. Crosswinds weren't an issue, the car always felt stable and high-speed refinement was excellent. At the other end of the scale, it was suitably relaxing even in heavy London traffic. Ride quality is good - firmer than some rivals, but a large improvement over the previous Civic.

Engine

Honda is proud of its 1.6-litre i-DTEC diesel engine, and after 900 miles of driving, we can see why.

The four-cylinder unit develops 120 horsepower and 221 pounds-feet of torque. It'll reach 62 mph in a respectable 10.5 seconds, but its real calling card is economy - an official 78.5 mpg, in European testing.

By the end of the week, the trip computer was showing a staggering 74 mpg. In reality we reckon it was doing a little less than that - we calculated a tank range of around 730 miles, which works out as around 66 mpg from the 11-gallon tank. But that's still comfortably more than any other equivalent diesel we've tested.

We weren't deliberately driving with economy in mind, but we did generally stick to the national speed limit, so if you're a driver who regularly exceeds that then expect a slightly lower figure.

Refinement is good too. Performance at motorway speeds could be a little better, but really we can't fault it too much. The 1.6 is definitely an economy champ, and if you really need more performance then Honda still makes a 2.2 diesel, too.

Value for money

Our test car came in at £19,400 on the road. An equivalent Golf starts at £19,120, a base Focus 1.6 TDCi just £17,895 and a 1.6 diesel Mazda 3 just £17,495. Other rivals are spread across a similar price range, the Honda consistently near the top.

However, it's also a more economical and more powerful car than most rivals - the aforementioned Golf develops just 105 horsepower from its 1.6-litre unit - so you get what you pay for.

You also get decent equipment levels, even in base SE trim. Alloys, LED running lights, idle stop, climate control, heated electric mirrors, USB integration and an informative TFT display are all standard, while higher trim levels add cruise control, fog lights, a rear-view camera and more.

Throw in this car's group A road tax band and excellent real-world economy, and you may find it one of the cheaper vehicles in the class to run.

Verdict

If you can live with a few of the Civic's more glaring faults, such as poor visibility to the rear and a quirky interior design (and raised driving position) that might not appeal to all drivers, we'd absolutely recommend it for its economy alone.

Not everyone will achieve mid-60s mpg (or more), but we're fairly confident that many drivers will at least scrape 60-ish, and they'll do so with good levels of refinement and more power than most rivals offer. They'll also do so in a solid, comfortable interior and in a car from a company with a long track record of excellent reliability. Throw in decent ride and handling and plenty of equipment, and the Civic is an excellent family car.

What the press think

Most of the experts aren't quite as positive about the Civic 1.6 i-DTEC as we are. For some, it shares other Civic bugbears such as a compromised driving position and poor visibility, and for others it isn't quite as fun to drive as some rivals. What most agree on is that the diesel has excellent economy - both on paper, and in the real world.

For more information check out our full summary of the Honda Civic alongside reviews, stats, photos and videos!

Aston Martin CC100 Speedster Concept - 100 Years of Aston Marked With Roofless, One-Off Show Car

2013-05-20T16:29:19Z

Earlier this year, as part of the company’s 100th anniversary, Aston Martin announced it would be unveiling an array of new, bespoke machinery in order to mark the occasion.

So far, though, all that’s materialised are a few ‘Centenary Edition’ variants of the V8 Vantage, DB9, Rapide and Vanquish models.

However, rather reassuringly, the company has revealed what could quite possibly end up being this year’s most praised concept car – the CC100 Speedster.

Fans of vintage automotive racing will undoubtedly see the aesthetic resemblance to the 1959 DBR1 racing car, which won that year's 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Nurburgring 1000km races at the hands of Carroll Shelby and Sir Stirling Moss respectively.

The official press release, though, states the CC100 hints at the brand's "potential future design direction", which could come as a relief to some members of the petrolhead community who feel Astons look too similar nowadays.

Of course, some design elements would be hugely impractical in a more mainstream sports car - the gaping holes just under the remarkably slender ‘butterfly doors’ obviously wouldn't be seen in a road car, but it would be interesting to see styling cues like the front grille and the sweeping headlights on, say, the next V8 Vantage.

If that doesn't end up being the case, though, the CC100 will still be connected to the Vantage family. Though Aston Martin hasn't officially confirmed this, the Speedster's overall size and proportions indicate it's based on V12 Vantage architecture.

Performance is also fairly similar too - aided in part to the 5.9 V12 (Aston hasn't quoted any power figures, though we assume somewhere near 500hp), the Speedster can allegedly crack the 0-62mph run in four seconds, and head on to a claimed top speed of 180mph.

With connections to the track and Aston's racing heritage, there were obviously going to be some nods to the circuit, whether it was the choice of paint and decals, right down to the gutted-out interior, the single-clutch six-speed paddleshift transmission and the dizzying array of toggles and switches that are dotted about the cabin.

Rumours did suggest that Aston Martin would build two CC100s, but it seems only one has been produced, and shall be retained by the company as a self-gifted birthday present.

Not that we blame Aston for doing this. After all, when it comes to celebrating a 100th anniversary, a stunning one-off concept car is (in our eyes, at least) a far cooler way to do so than, say, receiving a signed card from Her Majesty...

Skoda Superb 2.0 TDI Estate Review - Loaded Luggage-Lugger

2013-05-18T13:34:45Z

We'll get the price out of the way first: Yes, thirty big-ones may seem a bit steep for a Skoda, but few cars offer quite as much for the money.

Always imposing, the Skoda Superb Estate now looks a little more modern too, with a facelift to match the new generation of Octavia and last year's Rapid hatchback.

But it's gained plenty of equipment too - Skoda says the Superb offers around £1,500 of extra value compared to its forebear, which does go some way to justifying the elevated price tag of the car we drove on launch in Austria.

Our high-end Laurin & Klement-spec test car featured a handful of upgrades over the Elegance car pictured, but visually only some brown leather seats and a different 18-inch wheel design mark it out at a glance. A panoramic sunroof, ventilated seats, heated rear seats and a chrome radiator grille are among the other embellishments reserved for the range-topper.

Whichever Superb Estate you plump for, the driving experience will be much the same. The ride quality wouldn't feel out of place on a car far above the Superb's billing, handling is confident, grippy and planted - if not the last word in incision or fun - and its motorway manners are impeccable.

Refinement from this car's 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine is good too - it's less audible than the same unit in many other Volkswagen Group cars, though does become more vocal under hard acceleration. For less than a grand extra we're tempted to recommend the 170 PS model over the 140 PS - it loses a single mpg, but reaches 62 mpg in just 8.6 seconds, rather than 10.1.

The dual-clutch DSG gearbox shifts smoothly - better here than in the 1.8 TSI petrol we also tested - and while most drivers will leave it in auto, we can also report it's responsive enough in manual mode when required.

Road and wind noise are also kept to a minimum, allowing longer distances to pass by with minimal effort. Plenty of adjustment in seats and steering wheel helps here whatever the driver's stature, while rear-seat passengers lose themselves in legroom of Grand Canyon proportions.

The Estate's boot doesn't disappoint either, with 633 litres seats-up and a van-like 1,865 litres with the rear seats stowed. When you do, the load area is completely flat, with no lip at the back to make loading difficult. As Skoda might say, it's "simply clever".

Price as tested: £30,065
Combined MPG: 54.3
CO2: 137 g/km

Conclusion

Buyers who really are limited by budget constraints will be glad to know the 2.0 TDI Estate is available from 'S' trim upwards from just £21,485 (and 1.4 TSI models for under £20,000). For that price, the Superb is just about unbeatable given its vast passenger and load volume.

Even with all the option boxes ticked, the Superb Estate still represents good value. Okay, so it lacks an upmarket badge, but you'd pay half its price again to find anything else matching its space, equipment and comfort.

For more information check out our full summary of the Skoda Superb Estate alongside reviews, stats, photos and videos!

Porsche 918 - The Tale of Porsche’s Hybrid Hypercar So Far

2013-05-19T10:20:44Z

With the McLaren P1 and the Ferrari LaFerrari still dominating the conversations in some circles when it comes to supercar discussions, it’s perhaps quite easy to forget about Porsche’s upcoming hybrid speed machine - the 918 Spyder.

Indeed, you could argue that the recent announcement of the production car’s full statistics, and letting a few automotive journalists have a quick go in a 918 development prototype, were mostly so Porsche could attempt to get its pride and joy back into the spotlight.

This, if you ask us, is a bit of a shame. Especially as the 918 has a back story that’s as amazing as its claimed 79g/km of CO2 emissions are; if not, more so.

In fact, how about we dabble in the history of Porsche’s premier plug-in performance car?

A Long Time Ago...

Theoretically, the 918 project really kicked off when the concept car made its world debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show: the incredibly positive reaction was perhaps what really convinced Porsche that they should make a hybrid supercar.

However, to find the moment the Porsche 918 was actually conceived, you have to go further back than that. By about another five or so years.

According to a brief interview with Chris Harris for evo magazine, Wolfgang Durheimer (Porsche’s Head of R&D at the time) declared the project had “more or less started when we finished the Carrera GT”.

To put that into perspective, when Porsche’s engineers downed tools on the Carrera GT, the LaFerrari was still a pipe dream, and McLaren Automotive wasn’t even a glint in Ron Dennis’ steely eyes!

Which perhaps goes some way to backing up the point as summarised in the following subheading...

918: The Most Forward-Thinking Supercar To Date?

With all the brouhaha over the Porsche 918’s porky weight (1,640kg at its lightest) and the gargantuan batteries that go some way to tipping the scales in that direction, it’s easy to forget that, in principle, the 918’s a hugely innovative car.

Think about it: in 2010, all the Formula One teams that were competing in that season had decided the KERS energy recovery system wasn’t worth bothering with. Yet, in the same year, Porsche had unveiled a supercar (albeit in concept form) that used a nigh-on identical system.

Factor in the car’s active aerodynamics and the incredible focus on shedding as much weight as is humanly possible from the 918’s kerb weight (even the dashboard panel is made up of carbon fibre!), and you genuinely have the recipe for the most technologically impressive and revolutionary supercars to date.

If that’s a tad OTT, then I’ll rephrase and say the 918 is certainly the most sophisticated Porsche you can buy today. That is, as long as you’re the sort of person who’s got approx. £800,000 going spare, and you’d love to spend it all in one massive transaction...

Porsche Could Race It

Almost a year after the 918 Spyder concept car debuted at Geneva, Porsche brought back the hybrid supercar for another outing at the North American International Motor Show.

However, this time there was a twist: the 918 now came with a fixed roof, a Gulf Oil-esque paintscheme and an ‘RSR’ moniker on the back.

Inside and out, the 918 RSR certainly looked the part when it came to being a racing car. The interior had been gutted out, the aero package was more aggressive, and the passenger seat had been yanked out so the Porsche engineers had somewhere to place the legit KERS flywheel.

Nothing was said about the 918s future on the track, bar when the production car and prototypes would be setting their respective lap times around the Nurburgring, but it is tempting to believe the 918 could have a future as a racing car.

After all, it’s powered by a tweaked version of a 4.6 V8 racing engine, a whole plethora of racing technologies have found their way into the 918 production car and Porsche has gone on to win in its class at endurance events with racing 911s that had KERS flywheels bolted onto their drivetrains.

To add more speculative fuel to the fire, and as stated in the accompanying video to this segment, the Porsche 918 was envisioned as a “super sports car that could as well become a racing car”.

It’s almost certainly going to be a pipe dream at best, but there is at least enough feasibility in the 918’s packaging, architecture and ethos to make a competition version at least an extremely mild possibility.

Or is that just naive optimism shining through here?

One of the Greenest Cars Ever...Is A 200mph+ Porsche?

Even at the best of times, the carbon-dioxide emissions and fuel consumption claims for hybrids of any sort are misleading – the reason why so many hybrids can wriggle under the 100g/km of CO2 barrier is as much due to them being able to exploit loopholes in the current structure as it is to do with their cleanliness when it comes to exhaust emissions.

That’s not to dumb down Porsche’s achievements with the 918, though. Whilst the people who buy them will never get anywhere close to the claimed 85mpg figure (nor will they most likely be that bothered by it, given they’ll be loaded with money anyway), it is true that Porsche has engineered one of the most frugal supercars the world has ever seen to date.

Mostly because, unlike its rivals from McLaren and Ferrari, the Porsche can actually operate as a proper hybrid - when in the appropriate setting, the 918’s drivetrain can shut down the combustion engine, depending on how much throttle’s being applied and how much juice is left in the batteries.

Essentially, when driven under normal circumstances, there’s no denying the 918 would use less petrol than its predecessor, the Carrera GT. Maybe even a 997-gen GT3 or Turbo, perhaps.

Or, you could dispense with that stuff, flick the dial into ‘Race Hybrid’ mode, crack the 0-62mph sprint in 2.8 seconds and stick two fingers up at everyone in petrol forecourts, eking out as much fuel from the pump nozzle as they can without tipping over their budget by that one measly penny.

Of course, with the 918 still in the final stages of development, that’s pretty much the main chapters in the Porsche’s timeline to date covered for now.

All that’s left to do now is the epilogue, in the form of the production-ready 918’s critical reception at the hands of the motoring press...

Skoda Superb 1.8 TSI Elegance Review - Fresh Face For Czech Flagship

2013-05-18T10:42:05Z

How do you define luxury? Space? Quality materials? Comfort?

The question comes immediately to mind when handed the keys to the Skoda Superb, now granted a facelift to bring it in line with the rest of Skoda's range.

The dilemma is whether a car carrying the Skoda badge - now respected, if not yet revered - can truly carry off a luxury car tag. Going by senses alone, it's hard not to argue that it can.

The Superb's chunky lines and heavy-set rear end have always made its styling an acquired taste, but it wears Skoda's new family face well and looks a little more pert about the rump, too. Sharper creases to the body, particularly around the nose, bring it a little closer to the new Octavia and Rapid.

Importantly, it looks expensive. Some might argue that it really is expensive too, for a Skoda, but it's probably a little more affordable than the styling leads you to believe.

This is true of the interior too, to a point. Everything is laid out logically, all the regular contact points are swathed in soft materials like leather and alcantara - in our Elegance-spec car at least, not the 'S' pictured - and even the tallest of drivers and passengers will find enough space in both the front and rear seats.

Some interior plastics fall short of the level you'd find in a Volkswagen or Audi, but these are easy to overlook as Skoda has got all the basics spot-on. Equipment levels are high too - Skoda says each model offers £1,500 of extra value over the car it replaces.

It's hard to find fault with the way the Superb drives. The 1.8 TSI engine tested here is smooth and suitably powerful, with 160 horses at your disposal.

The twin-clutch DSG auto gearbox hangs onto gears perhaps a little too long under hard acceleration, but it does make for relaxing progress and respectable economy, just shy of 40 mpg. A manual is available if you opt for SE trim, but minor flaws aside DSG is preferable to DIY, suiting the car's easy-going character better.

Skoda's tweaks included a small diet for the Superb, and a kerb weight around 1,433 kg isn't actually too lardy for a car of this size. If anything it feels heavier than this, particularly on twisty roads, but conversely this feeling of solidity gives it unflappable motorway manners, surely the Superb's true home.

The ride quality is also good, even on the larger alloy wheels found on higher-spec models. Admittedly, the Austrian roads of our test would have put the proverbial billiard table to shame, but little fazed the Superb on the few bumps we come across.

Price as tested: £25,615
Combined MPG: 39.8
CO2: 162 g/km

Conclusion

So is the Skoda Superb a luxury car? That's still open to interpretation, but it's certainly a good approximation of one. You'd have to look to long-wheelbase versions of respected luxury models to find another vehicle with similar rear-seat space to the Superb, and they'd struggle to match the Superb's comfort levels too.

The Skoda Octavia's recent increase in size and quality might make you question spending thousands more on the Superb, but the extra space and comfort of the larger car, plus its value over "true" luxury rivals, is still enough to justify putting a Superb on your driveway.

For more information check out our full summary of the Skoda Superb alongside reviews, stats, photos and videos!

Gran Turismo 6 Revealed - 'The Real Driving Simulator' Gets Closer To Reality

2013-05-17T17:48:45Z

A new Gran Turismo game is massive news in the gaming world - and with good reason too. The title has been with us for fifteen years now and has sold seventy million copies - you'd need a shelf from Tokyo to New York to fit them all on alongside each other. It launched the entire driving simulator game genre for the console world.

Offering as true-to-life visuals as is possible and further refined driving physics with each successive iteration, Gran Turismo and its ilk are rapidly becoming virtual showrooms.

You no longer need to go out to experience a car when you can do it from your sofa, examining the car's details inside and out and feeling how it drives at a selection of the world's tracks.

The tracks themselves are painstakingly recreated, such that real racing drivers train for circuits they've never visited from the comfort of their motorhomes. Rally legend Sebastian Loeb - who played a role in developing the fifth Gran Turismo title - used Gran Turismo 4 to learn his way round the Circuit de la Sarthe of Le Mans before the 2005 race.

If you can learn GT's inch-accurate Nürburgring, chances are you'll at least know where it goes when you get there for real - even if you're not quite prepared for the elevation changes!

In fact more than a training tool for existing drivers, Gran Turismo has been used as a tool to train new ones. The Sony/Nissan "GT Academy" partnership has given eight gamers thus far the chance to drive real racing cars during its annual competitions - held since 2008 - and they've not disappointed.

Lucas Ordoñez was the first and he's achieved podium finishes in 24 hour races across the world, along with a 2nd place overall finish at Petit Le Mans at Sebring in the insane Nissan Highcroft Racing Deltawing - while youngster Jann Mardenborough sprinted through British GT in 2012 and finds himself driving Formula 3 with the Carlin team from which world champions Sebastien Vettel and Jenson Button graduated.

But it's Gran Turismo's influence on the motoring world that's the real headline. With a staggering array of real cars, authentically replicated in the games, Gran Turismo is a showcase for manufacturers.

Alongside exposing the older gamer market to their cars, they can get their brand into the minds of the younger gamers - future generations of car buyers.

It's not just performance cars either - GT has been at the forefront of pushing alternative fuel technologies into gaming, with the Toyota Prius appearing in the series as far back as 1999.

The selection of city and economy cars is similarly impressive - but expected for a game born in Japan - and players are encouraged to tweak and tune them into fairly potent little boxes.

When a car appears in a Gran Turismo, it creates demand. TVR first appeared in the original game in 1997 and had quite a paltry non-European market at the time, but the exposure though the virtual Griffith and Cerbera brought a 600% increase in sales, particularly from Japan.

Mitsubishi noted a similar appetite for the Lancer Evolution, while Ford found that models featured in video games had around a 30% increase in conversion from test drives to sales over other models.

Moreover, manufacturers are even launching their models through Gran Turismo. Subaru and Nissan both unveiled models at the Tokyo Motor Show simultaneously with Gran Turismo 5: Prologue - gamers were witnessing the virtual models at the same time as the world press, and driving them well before. Chevrolet followed suit just this year with the next generation Corvette Stingray in GT5.

Of further note is what the game's creator, Kazunori Yamauchi, calls "The Edge Effect" - where the line between games and reality becomes blurred.

The Polyphony Digital team behind the series were tasked with designing the multi-function display of Nissan's GT-R back in 2007, while a datalogging function - recording your own real laps through GPS and playing them back on the PlayStation - has been codeveloped with Toyota, appearing in the GT86.

So GT6's announcement for PS3 - with a putative November release date - is a point of interest even outside the console gaming world.

With over 1200 cars to experience - an increase over its already record-breaking predecessor - and a swell of new tracks promised, including Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Mount Panorama (if you believe the more plausible rumours), GT6 will influence car buying trends for years to come.

You may even find you use it for researching and experiencing your next car before you ever set foot in a dealership...

Peugeot RCZ Magnetic Editions - Coupe Gets Even More Attractive...

2013-05-17T15:51:51Z

Isn't it nice to have desirable Peugeots back on our roads?

After a few years in the wilderness with a lineup of bland offerings, they're really back on track these days. Much of that credit has to go to the RCZ coupe, one of the most striking vehicles on the roads.

The RCZ Magnetic, a new special edition, is latest to hit the streets. Peugeot's press machine has been turned up to full pun-mode, with references to "positivity", "charge" and "attraction". But do the extra touches make the pretty coupe even more alluring?

The limited number available - just 170 - might do, as may the Pearlescent Pearl white or Metallic Nera black paintwork choices, with a standard 'Black pack'. This comprises matt black roof arches, a brilliant black front grille, brake callipers and door mirror covers.

If you opt for the white exterior finish then you get a black leather interior too, but those who choose the darker bodywork get 'red flame'-coloured leather, as depicted in the photos.

19-inch 'Sortilege' alloys are also included (painted black, naturally) and odds and ends like parking sensors, navigation and leather wheel and gearknob are all part of the package.

Based on Sport models, you'll pay a few quid extra for the Magnetic.

The 1.6 THP 156 kicks off at £25,350, a full £3,750 more than the equivalent Sport and even £1,350 more than the already well-equipped GT models.

The 200 PS 1.6 petrol will set you back £27,735 overall and the 53.2 mpg diesel starts at £27,185.

Priced from: £25,350
Available from: Now

Conclusion

We're fans of the RCZ here at carwow - the diesel we tested last year looked stunning and proved great fun to drive too. However, at £25,350 and up we can't help feeling this particular special edition loses some of its appeal.

Okay, so it gets a few nice equipment touches and some fancy paint, but the sweet spot of the RCZ range for us is GT trim. You still get plenty of kit but you'll pay a little less for the privilege.

For more information check out our full summary of the Peugeot RCZ alongside reviews, stats, photos and videos!

Citroën Méhari Turns 45

2013-05-16T11:44:39Z

If you've ever heard people describe French carmaker Citroën as "quirky" and wondered why they have such a reputation, take a look at some of the pictures on this page.

Yep, Citroën really did make such a car. It's called the Méhari, and the car is this week celebrating its 45th anniversary, originally unveiled in the picturesque surroundings of Deauville, in Normandy.

Possibly the world's first "lifestyle" vehicle, the Méhari was designed by French World War 2 fighter ace Roland de La Poype to be both a utility vehicle and for leisure time - at home carrying you to the beach or dragging loads around a farm.

Several vehicles have been named after creatures before, but the Méhari takes its unusual moniker from an even more unusual source: a species of dromedary camel used for racing and transport.

It used the very utilitarian underpinnings of the contemporary Dyane 6 and twin-cylinder air-cooled engines from the 2CV6. With an entirely ABS plastic body and the ability to strip it right down to the waist, it provided a go-anywhere, do-anything and fully convertible driving experience.

A production run of 150,000 cars appeared over the 19 year lifespan of the car, including just over a thousand Méhari 4x4s. With four-wheel independent suspension, four-wheel disc brakes and a low ratio gearbox but still retaining a weight less than two thirds of a tonne, the 4x4 Méhari could go almost anywhere.

Putting this to the test, the Méhari has competed in several transcontinental rallies, including Paris-Kabul-Paris and Liege-Dakar-Liege - and provided medical support for the 1980 Paris-Dakar, the world's toughest regular race.

Conclusion

The Méhari doesn't really have a modern counterpart in the Citroën range. In spirit the Berlingo Multispace is probably closest, with its basic engine range and utilitarian nature - but you'd probably not take it on the beach, and even with a glass sunroof you'd not quite get the wind in the hair feeling offered by the Méhari.

For the occasion of the Méhari’s anniversary, there's a special, celebratory area at the Citroën museum on the Champs-Élysées in Paris dedicated to key moments from the its history. It'll be well worth a visit if you're in or around Paris right now.

For more information check out our full summary of the Citroën Berlingo Multispace alongside reviews, stats, photos and videos!

New Peugeot 2008 Matches Rival Nissan Juke On Price

2013-05-15T08:35:49Z

If you're in the market for a supermini but looking for something a little different than the usual Fiesta, Corsa or Clio, then several manufacturers are offering a small crossover as an alternative.

The first of these was Nissan's Juke, based on the Micra but a whole lot more interesting. Renault, Ford and others are all joining the fray soon, but Peugeot's 2008 is next on the scene.

Kicking off at £12,995, the new 2008 matches the entry-level Juke on price, but matches it in concept - take a supermini (in this case the strong-selling Peugeot 208), butch it up a little, and furnish it with interesting styling details.

The 2008 does seem a lot more grown-up than the 208, and like the Juke is available in five-door format only.

Roof rails, a chunky body kit and prominent grille mark it out as something a little different, but the 208's styling cues are still plain to see.

Inside it's very much inspired by the 208 too, and like the upcoming new 308 it uses a low-set, small-diameter steering wheel and high-set dials.

Four trim levels are available: Access+, Active, Allure, and the top-spec Feline. Impressively, despite the 2008's extra size, each model is less than £1,000 more than the equivalent 208 - so if you were looking at a higher-end 208, the chances are there's a well-specced 2008 well within your budget.

Economy is strong too, the 1.6 e-HDi models capable of 74.3 mpg and under 100 g/km of CO2, while a three-cylinder 82 bhp petrol engine kicks off the range.

Opt for Allure or Feline trim, and Peugeot's effective Grip Control system is standard - the combined traction-enhancing systems and 'Mud & Snow' tyres should make light work of whatever next winter throws at us!

Priced from: £12,995
Available from: 18th July

Conclusion

Judging by the success of Nissan's Juke, and indeed the success of Peugeot's own 208, the 2008 could be ideally positioned to take a big chunk of the market when it hits the streets this July.

It'll certainly be worth a look for customers considering a 208, particularly if it'll be used as a family vehicle now and then - the extra space alone should be worth the price premium.