Jeep Compass replacement to be produce in Italy (IT)

Chrysler and Fiat will be investing more than $1.3bn into Fiat’s dated Mirafiori plant as part of a joint venture.

The factory will be assembling future Jeep and Alfa Romeo models – including replacements for the Compass & Patriot compact SUVs — for international distribution, starting in late 2012.

Fiat said the plan is to bring "a new platform from the U.S. to produce cars and SUVs for the Jeep and Alfa Romeo brands."

Those models will include the midsize Alfa Romeo Giulia sedan and wagon, replacing the 159 and will be sold in both Europe and North America. Mirafiori also will construct compact premium SUVs for Alfa and Jeep. Alfa Romeo is aiming at the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes GLK.

These models will centre on a new Compact Wide platform, borrowed from Fiat's Compact platform, which underpins the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. The Compact Wide architecture is currently being equally engineered in Italy and North America.

The Mirafiori assembly plant currently manufactures a verity of vehicles, from the Fiat Multipla to the Alfa Romeo MiTo. Its annual capacity will be increased from 250,000 to 280,000 units.

NHTSA investigate '06 CR-V compact SUV (U.S)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened up an examination into reports of fires in the doors of the ‘06 Honda CR-V. The investigation involves approximately 150,000 vehicles.

The probe was driven by three reports "alleging a fire occurred in the driver's door related to the driver's master power window switch," said.

"We are aware that NHTSA has opened a preliminary evaluation based on three reports of fires in the doors of the 2006 model year CR-V vehicles," said Honda in a statement. "Honda will fully cooperate with NHTSA once they begin the investigation."

Volvo recalls 6,046 S60, S80, XC60 and XC70 models (U.S)

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Volvo is calling back 6,046 2011 S60, S80, XC60 and XC70 vehicles because of unexpected engine stalling.

"The software calibration for the fuel cutoff functionality in the engine control module is too sensitive," said NHTSA. "Sudden engine stall could occur, increasing the risk of a crash."

Volvo clarified that the problem arises when the driver is braking "during city driving and/or releases the accelerator pedal."

"The engine idle speed may drop, resulting in a sudden engine stall without any prior warning," it said. "If this condition occurs, the transmission control unit will enter a temporary protection mode in order to prevent damage to the vehicle's transmission. When starting the vehicle again, the driver can operate the vehicle safely home or to an authorised Volvo repair facility, but may experience a louder than usual transmission and a harder gear engagement."

The recall is expected to begin on 10th December.

Mandrel Bent Exhaust Tubing.

I discussed in my last post about the implications because of installing an aftermarket sports exhaust system which are obviously great for your car. The performance of the exhaust system is mainly dependent upon its bent of tubing so first I will discuss what types of tubing you may find in the market. There are two types of bents. Crush Bent and Mandrel Bent. The later is much appreciated by the car enthusiasts however the crush bent is generally found in factory fitted exhaust systems of the cars. Making the story short, coming quickly to the merits and demerits of mandrel bent exhaust tubing.

Advantages:

As I said mandrel bent exhaust tubing is much appreciated by those who love to drag their cars beyond its limits. The reason is fair enough. Exhaust tubing with mandrel bent have an even diameter through out their piping system and due to this evenness, the gases produced in the engine bay easily pass through the system and outside the car without the restrictions as they have to face in crush bent exhaust tubing where the diameter of the inside becomes smaller and uneven as it is caused to "crinkle" by pressure bent.

Mandrel bent are similar to crush bend to the extent that they are also pressurized but an additional die is added which prevents the tubing to crinkle and hence the surface remains even. As a result, a constant circle allows a smooth flow of gases and better power and efficiency of the car. The mandrel bent are also adored because they also create the famous growling sound of the car which reflects the power of its engine.

Disadvantages:

The demerits of such type of exhaust tubing would definitely be the cost factor. Generally these type of sports exhaust system are more expensive than normal, factory fitted, stock exhaust system. Similarly an advantage of it can also be regarded as a disadvantage. i.e. the sound it produces. This sound can be disturbing for many "peace lovers" and can deem it as a mere "sound pollution". In the end, its not necessary that every car will compliment the mandrel bent exhaust tubing (system). Some power loss has been observed in the cars and apparently the exhaust system did not work as it was suppose to. So car keeping in mind the engine's specifications are necessary otherwise all your hard work and wealth will go in vain.

Pimp Your Ride By Modifying Spark Plugs

If you really want to perform some car modification, the best thing is to first take care of your engine performance because car modification is not only about changing your car body kits and installing some sub woofers to add a groove in your sound. No car modification is completed if the car's performance is not state of the art. For this purpose, you may get many advice. I would specifically refer to the car's spark plugs and their impact on engine performance and how you can do some modifications either by some spark plugs replacement or spark plug gapping or choose the right spark plugs for your car by assessing and reading spark plugs requirements for your car.

Before getting into details I would just peek into the spark plug's functioning or how does a spark plug work. I know many of you car enthusiasts must know the purpose of spark plugs and how does a spark plug work. So I will not go into a detail.Just a quick review.

Purpose Of A Spark Plug, How Does A Spark Plug Work?

Spark plug actually causes an ignition through its ignition coil in the internal combustion chamber of the engine which creates a small spark. Search out for internal combustion engine fundamentals for more details. This spark when unites with the air and some drops of fuel, it creates a perfect combination for a small explosion. This small explosion creates a pressure which causes the pistons in the engine's cylinders to move and eventually creates a torque to move the cam shaft and ultimately the car starts to move. As simple as that.

So the purpose of a spark plug is integral in moving a car. Obviously if the spark is of not a good quality there would be implications on the car's engine performance so to perform some car modification pertaining to spark plugs, one has to make sure that the spark plug is of good quality which produces a better spark to ensure swift movement of a car.

Now coming to the spark plug modification or replacement, let us first analyze that what effects the performance of the spark plug. The spark plug's performance is effected by following factors.

1) Wear and Tear of spark plug.
2) The gap between central and ground electrode or spark plug gapping.
3) Voltage provided to create a spark.
4) Altitude and temperature of the location.

To alter the performance or efficiency of spark plugs, one should try to alter the above factors or if he is going to perform some spark plugs replacement he should keep the above factors in mind. Now let's see how the above mentioned factors effect the efficiency of a spark plug and how you can modify or use the above mentioned factors in better performance of spark plugs and ultimately of the car.
1) Wear And Tear Of Spark Plug.

Spark plugs have to go through series of small explosions in order to be functional thus making them more prone to wear and tear. So definitely a damaged spark plug or a spark plug having a lot of carbon deposited at its tip will not perform adequately. So make sure that spark plugs are always in a good condition in order for your car as whole to be efficient or perform well. Generally a spark plug's life is about 10,000 to 20,000 miles. However some manufacturers assemble spark plugs which have two or in other words multiple ground electrodes to enhance the life of a spark plug. But it has been observed that it has some implications on fuel injection of the car.

2) Spark Plug Gapping.

This is the most important factor of spark plugs performance. However people have different views about the spark plug gapping. Some say that the more the gap, the better is the spark. Where as some say that small gap is good as it requires small amount of voltage to create the spark. Normally a spark plug requires a very high voltage of about 40,000 to 100,000 volts to cover the gap. I am open here for suggestions. Tell me if you have any suggestions regarding this topic. However if you really want to make the spark plug gapping larger or smaller you can use a very fine nosed pliers as a spark plug gapper or spark plug gap tool. To enlarge the gap, pull the ground electrodes outwards using pliers. However be extremely cautious here and make sure you do not apply pressure on the center electrode or it may damage.If you want to make the gap smaller, gently tap the ground electrode on a hard surface. You can use a feeler guage to measure the gap between center and ground electrode.

3) Voltage Provided.

As described above spark plugs need a very high amount of voltage to create a spark so use a good quality car batteries to make sure that a voltage is provided to create the spark.

4) Altitude And Temperature Of The Location.

The altitude where your car operates and the temperature in which your car operates is crucial for the performance of your spark plugs. For this reason the spark plugs have been divided into two kind which are:

a) Hot Spark Plugs:

Hot spark plugs are spark plugs in which the surface area of ceramic exhaust coating contacts less with the metal part of the spark plug thus exhausting less heat. I am saying the ceramic insulator as an exhaust because the ceramic insulator coating works as a heat exhaust. So hot spark plugs are good in low performing cars or in cold areas. Similarly they are good at high altitude areas where oxygen is less to burn the fuel.

b) Cold Spark Plugs:

These spark plugs have larger surface area of ceramic insulator coating thus exhausting more heat and keeping the spark plugs cold. You can have a look at the image of spark plugs structure for spark plug cross reference. Cold spark plugs are best for high performance engines or turbo charged engines. If you are looking forward for engine upgrades then I reckon you should also pay some consideration towards your spark plug replacement.

Above mentioned factors are helpful in assessing and reading spark plugs requirements for your car. You may have come to know how spark plug can be modified by changing spark plugs gapping as well as what spark plugs would be better for your car's specific requirements.

Vauxhall/Opel comfirms revival of Calibra sports car

GM has officially confirmed the revival of the Calibra sports coupe.

CEO of GM Europe, Nick Reilly said “I believe we should have one, so we will have one”.

While details are very scares, the newcomer will have a 2+2 seating layout and will be inspired by the GTC Concept.

The Calibra is likely to centre on the Insignia platform and will offer a wide-range of petrol and diesel engines. Flagship VXR/OPC Calibras may have all-wheel-drive and a turbocharged 2.8 litre V6, producing a muscular 321bhp (325 PS) and 435Nm (321 lb-ft) of torque.

Jaguar recalls XJ due to faulty windscreen wipers (U.S)

According to the feds, Jaguar will be calling back 6,475 2010 – 2011 XJ sedans due to defective windscreen wipers, which could detach from the car.

"The front wiper arms to spindle fixings were not torqued to specification during manufacturing," said NHTSA. "As a result, the securing nuts could fail to perform as intended, resulting in a loss of wiper arm synchronization and a clash of the wiper arms. If the wiper arms lose synchronization and clash, they could detach from the vehicle, reducing driver visibility and increasing the risk of a crash."

Jaguar is not aware of any consumer reports of accidents or injuries recognised by the fault.

Jaguar dealerships will guarantee the wiper arms are fitted firmly onto the spindle and the securing nuts will be tightened to the correct torque.

The recall is likely to begin on 13th December. Owners can contact Jaguar on (800) 637-6837.

New Porsche Panamera PS9 Unveiled At Essen Motor Show

The famous sports car brand, Porsche showed up with its new Panamera PS9 at the Essen Motor Show. The German tuning house releases some of its images of that motor show where the Porsche can be seen embedded with its sports package that bundles aerodynamic add-ons with some performance upgrades and four different power kits for the turbo model.

As usual, the PS9 aerokit includes a front spoiler with an integrated brake cooling system with rigid side skirts, engine hood air vents, air outlets coming through the rear bumper, a fixed rear spoiler and a rear diffuser that houses a twin tail pipes. That's not it. Its a complete package deal. You also get a set of 22 inch alloy wheels along with high performance tires of 265/35 and 305/25 ZR22


Coming to the new Porsche's interior, the steering's covered with leather, pedals of two sizes which are 340 and 365 mm are F1-shift type. You have a choice of selecting the pedals in wood, aluminium or carbon fiber. Door panels and seats are stitched with color threads, exclusive floor mats and carbon fiber decorative trim available in various shades.

The new Porsche Panamera PS9 has an upgraded turbo chargers,sports air filter, sports exhaust system and an effecient ECU. All these upgrades really pimps out the car and results in increased horsepower of 600 to 650 and produces an immense torque of 890 Nm. The new Panamera has an ability of boosting from 0 to 100 km/h in just 305 secs. The manufacturers have not only concentrated on the speed and acceleration. In order to bring a fast moving to a halt, sure require some extra ordinary brakes system. So an upgraded brakes system has been installed with modular 380 mm and 6 piston brake callipers.

Benefits Of Aftermarket Sports Exhaust System

Installing an aftermarket, high performance sports exhaust system are a great way of enhancing the performance of your car. Besides that can also be used for cosmetic purpose as well as to produce a beloved roaring and growling car sound which makes your car prominent and more prone of being noted by your friends.

First of all I want to tell what an "aftermarket" means for car parts and accessories. Aftermarket part means that the part has not been and factory fitted or it has been release after the release of the car's model. It may also mean that the certain part has been manufactured by any other manufacturer.

The exhaust system acts just like a respiratory system of a man where the different gases produced by the working of the engine are provided a passage way or exit route through the exhaust tubing. When a man works out, the lungs helps in expelling out the carbon dioxide from the body and provides a departure platform. If the gas does not exit from the body we will suffocate and you know better what happens next.

So in order for an engine to work more efficiently, the best thing would be that exhaust piping are of larger diameter so gases exit more rapidly and there is less restriction for the gases to pass out. This benefit is what we gain when we replace a factory fitted stock exhaust system with an aftermarket sports exhaust system. Since they provide relatively a larger diameter piping, there is a less pressure of exhaust fumes which results in higher horse power but on the other hand a larger bore size of the pipe slows down the movement of the gases. So performance gain does not lies with fitting the biggest possible bore size pipe as it may result in the loss of low end torque, but an optimum size is suggested which definitely varies with the type of engine according to the RPM produced. When a standard exhaust system is replaced with a new high performance sports exhaust system, generally 10-15% increase in horse power has been observed.

Another problem with the normal exhaust system is that they manufacture a crush bent exhaust tubing which means that there are spiral rings around the exhaust piping due to which the diameter remains uneven and restrictions for gases to pass through. On the other hand high performance exhaust system generally provide mandrel bent exhaust tubing where the diameter remains same all over the system.

So making the debate short, while replacing your standard one with a high performance sports cat back exhaust system, you should be considering the size of bore of exhaust tubing related to your engine specifications. Similarly one general tip of making the gases to exit with a greater velocity is that the the big pipes are connected with small pipes along the entire exhaust manifold are connected in a cone shape. This of course has some demerits too. Similarly if your exhaust system creates an unwanted sound, you can use aftermarket mufflers to kill it.

All-Electric Luxury Car INZIO

The Li-Ion Motors new electric "supercar" INZIO looks like a cross between a V8 Jaguar and a Ferrari and can cruise at 170mph. It also has a range of 250 miles. This thing can get from 0 to 60mph in 3.4 seconds. INZIO is a two-seater sports model, and the design isn't exactly bashful. INZIO is a machine that looks like it means business. It looks so good you might even get discounts on your car insurance  if you let your insurance guys look it over.


INZIO has successfully trashed quite a few of the common conceptions of electric cars. If you're a car designer, the performance figures all add up to one thing – Power. Electric sports cars have been a sort of novelty in recent years, with some grunt but not much sustained performance to achieve the "Wow" effect. INZIO is very obviously a very different beast, and a competitive beast.

INZIO is expected to be coming out in 2011, with a price tag of $139,000. For a high-performance sports car, that's actually about average. This car has "classic" written all over it, and could actually be the Mustang of its generation.

The power factor has produced some very interesting statistics. Battery power output is over 40kW, with an upgrade to 96.7kW also available. The electric motor produces 145kW. This is no slot car, and those power figures would be respectable for a racing car. From available publicity, the manufacturer seems to be being a little coy about providing specification details, but to achieve that speed involves a very high level of power to weight efficiency, and let's face it, very good design.

The Green side of INZIO

INZIO doesn't produce emissions. If you want to be strictly tourist/purist about it, the high-power electric engine may generate a carbon footprint, but electricity can be sourced from anywhere these days, so that's a slightly specious way at best of looking at the car as a Green product.

As a matter of fact, the Greenest part of the INZIO concept is that it is very likely to encourage a lot of other car designers to start looking seriously at producing very good quality electric car designs. The seemingly endless struggle to get electric cars on the road in the face of petrol-based primitivism hasn't exactly encouraged innovation over the years, and INZIO has now provided irrefutable proof of high-power viability in electric vehicles.


A watered-down version of INZIO on a conventional frame would make a good family sedan, and probably make a positive difference to car insurance quotes as well, because they'd be very reliable vehicles. Mainstream vehicles don't need this sort of grunt, in fact they could probably make do with about half the performance of this car.

A further very Green aspect of this design is that finally it's looking like electric power for heavy vehicles is a real possibility. That's been a major issue, but this level of grunt could easily drive a range of basic freight vehicles without much difficulty, and it's fairly easy to see how extra power could operate the
big rigs.

At this rate, Li-Ion Motors may be the first car manufacturer to start winning environmental prizes. If so, they've earned them.

Nissan Unleashes Its New GT-R Black Edition

Nissan releases black edition of its world famous GT-R. This one's a really pimped one and you don't see this epicoften on the street. The new Nissan GT-R Black Edition is so rare that the entire Europe has to content with only 480 units.

The new GT-R has been modified with an impressive Engine Control Unit ( ECU ) and a new special exhaust pipe.However 2 cats and middle silencer has been removed. These modifications help the GT-R to achieve a massive horse power of 580bhp and produces an impressive 700 Nm torque.

The new Nissan GT-R Black Edition's body kit has been aggressively designed giving it a whole new hot look and one can feel the rage and power inside the machine by just observing the exterior.

Following are the parts and accessories, embedded in the GT-R for its modification. Just have a look how much theyhave spent to give this car an aggressive look:

The matt black foliation (2,499 Euro)
- the lowering via coil overs (1,299 Euro)
- Exhaust pipe (998 Euro)
- Black painted 20? wheels (999 Euro)
- Wheel spacers (340 Euro)
- Individually painted parts like the front bumper, the rear diffusor, air vents, tinted windows.

Information source: Japanese Sports Car

Remove Car Dents With Hair Dryer And CO2

I've been posting few posts about car dent repair and trying to convince that car dent removal is not an expensive job and can even be performed by some household items. Regarding this I've come up with another way of removing car dents, and it can be done with the help of a hair dryer and CO2. So all you need is a hair dryer and a liquid CO2. Even a spray can can of carbon dioxide can be used. I will tell you how to make the spray can emit CO2 in liquid form. So when you are ready with these two items just follow these steps and witness that fixing car dents is too easy and cheap. Note that the experience of many people has revealed that the diameter of the dent should be at least 3 inches in order for this method to be effective. Now coming to the method.

1. Heat the dent with the hair dryer for approximately 30 secs to 1 minute. Make sure that the panel is hot enough when you are done.
2. After heating it spray CO2 on the region. Make sure that you hold the spray can upside down while you spray it. The reason for this is that CO2 comes out in a liquid form when you spray it upside down.
3. The panel will be covered by a foam of ice. You just wait and listen until you hear a popping sound which tells you that the metal has retained its original shape.
4. When the white foam disappears, clean the area with a piece of cloth.
5. The dent is no more there.

This technique does not cause any harm to your car paint so you don't need to worry about it. The secret is warming the metal hot so that it expands so this technique is very effective and works well in warmer regions of the world.

P.S Many people have said that using even a boiling water instead of CO2 even does the trick. I cannot say anything because I haven't tried it yet. If any one has done it then you are welcome to share your experience. Anyway watch the video of the above procedure.

Saab to offer free iPad with 9-4X deposits, denies 9-4X of diesel engine

Saab is looking too built up excitement by offering 9-4X customers a free iPad if they place an order before the end of February 2011.

The customer is required to put down a $500 non-refundable deposit in order to get hold of the iPad. If buyers decide to cancel their order, they will effectively be buying a 16GB Wi-Fi iPad for same price Apple charges, however, Saab predicts that most reservations will end in vehicle deliveries.

In related news, Saab won’t be selling the 9-4X SUV with a diesel engine in Europe said Saab CEO Jan Ake Jonsson.

As he explained, "...we have to find one, we have to test it, we have to install it, validate it, and you are two years into the life cycle." Considering the 9-4X is expected to exist in its current form for five to six years, Jonsson says a diesel would have a "very short payoff period."

The Saab 9-4X was mainly designed for the U.S market and will be available with two petrol engines; a 3.0 V6 262bhp (265PS) and a 296bhp 2.8T. The latter will be the only offered in Europe from August 2011.

Jonsson has also confirmed Saab will begin distribution in China in 2011 and a similar deal for Russian distribution is possible within the next few weeks.

Pontiac G8 may return with a Chevrolet badge

GM is apparently reviving the G8 sedan using Chevrolet. Like the previous G8, the rear-wheel drive sedan will be created by Holden.

Rumours of a new G8 sedan under the Chevrolet brand have been spinning the Internet rumour, but a GM executive supposedly confirmed the survival of a project at the 2010 LA motor show.

“We are definitely looking at that, although we have made no official announcement as yet,” GM senior engineer Al Oppenheiser said. “We are definitely looking at doing something with Holden for the retail market.”

Others say that a few GM officials confirmed that the rear-wheel drive car has already been agreed.

Mercedes and BMW shorten Christmas break to cope with demand

The end of the year is normally a slow phase for international car companies, but not for Mercedes and BMW. The German brands are facing growing demand and has forced the brands to postpone their holiday shutdowns.

Last year saw Mercedes and BMW shut up shop for three weeks, however, that won’t happen this year. The executive car market has bounced back drastically, leaving ample orders to fill.

Through the first 10 months of 2010, BMW (counting MINI and Rolls-Royce) has seen its global sales boost 13% to 1.19 million vehicles. During that same period, Mercedes sales have increased 12% to 1.04 million units.

“Production capacity is the limiting factor at the moment,” Michael Rebstock, a spokesman for BMW said. “We are producing as much as we can and are happy for every additional shift we can get.”

Both car firms will schedule two short breaks over the Christmas and the New Year’s for maintenance and restocking.

Honda may recall '05 Accord & Civic Hybrid over faulty brakes

Honda may recall 16,826 ’05 Accord Hybrids and 25,864 Civic Hybrids after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation linking the Honda Accord Hybrid over unplanned acceleration claims.

The NHTSA announced that it has launched an initial investigation over the Accord Hybrid after receiving a complaint related to a crash that happened in 2005.

According to a woman who sent the complaint, her ‘05 Accord lost control after driving on rumble strips on the side of a highway. The lady applied the brakes, but the car allegedly accelerated out of control. The car crossed into oncoming traffic, killing the passenger and critically injuring the driver and occupants of the other car.

Ever since the accident, the woman has discovered 22 other complaints in the NHTSA database alike to her accident, all involving Accord Hybrids or Civic Hybrids. The other 22 complaints quoted poor brake performance on bumpy surfaces.

Although no formal investigation has been launched, it sounds as if one is forthcoming. Both Toyota and Ford were forced to fix some of their hybrid vehicles after receiving similar complaints about braking over rough surfaces.

Oprah gives free 2012 Beetles to audience (U.S)

As part of Oprah's Ultimate Favourite Things giveaway, the multi-millionaire is giving every member of her audience a forthcoming 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, including taxes. The last time Oprah gave away car – she gave her audience Pontiac G6's – some had complexity accepting the gift because of the taxes they owed.


This promotion is sees Oprah giving her audience members lavish and pricey surprise gifts of all kinds of things.

Jonathan Browning, President and CEO of Volkswagen of America, said that Winfrey approached the car firm about the giveaway, stating that as an owner of the current New Beetle, it has been one of her Favourite Things.

Oprah made the statement in front of an outline of the forthcoming model, after she drove her New Beetle on stage. While Browning confessed that Oprah had been given a preview at the finished product, her 275 audience members will be in the shadow about their new car look until Volkswagen premier the Beetle at a later. Audience members will take delivery of their cars next Autumn when Volkswagen begins production at its Mexico plant in Puebla.

Volkswagen executives has remained tight-lipped about the future Beetle, however, CEO Browning did reveal that it will feature Bluetooth, touch screen navigation, branded audio systems, ambient lighting, 19” alloy wheels, sports seats and sports suspension.

Volkswagen is keen to 'degender' the new Beetle (seen as a woman’s car and driven by mainly women). The German car manufacture needed to use Oprah Winfrey in promotions, in order for the next Beetle to be a success.

Mechanically, the 2012 Beetle will be offered with a 2.0 TDI diesel engine with clean diesel technology and a 2.0T petrol engine, in the U.S anyway. The international market will have a wider range of petrol and diesel units. We expect European models to be equipped with a 1.2 TSI 105bhp, 1.4 TSI and a 2.0 TSI petrol engines. A 1.6 TDI and 2.0 TDI will also be offered.

First the first time ever, the diesel powerplants will find their way under the bonnet of the Beetle Cabriolet. In the pipeline, may be a hybrid variant and a high-performance GTI model.

Press Release:

On "The Oprah Winfrey Show," Volkswagen revealed the design silhouette of its all-new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle, and then shocked her audience – by giving each of them a 2012 Volkswagen Beetle.

The all-new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle is an automotive icon, reinvented. The all-new, completely redesigned vehicle has been dramatically revolutionized by the same engineers and designers that brought the GTI and CC to life. After 12 years, the heart and soul of Volkswagen has evolved, exemplifying Volkswagen's engineering excellence, power, styling and sophistication.

Oprah owns and drives a New Beetle and asked Volkswagen to help her recognize the time, talents and contributions of select viewers by giving them one of her favorite things, a Volkswagen Beetle. As one of the most iconic vehicles in America, everybody, including Oprah has a Volkswagen Beetle story and this reveal kicks off the next chapter of a great saga. Volkswagen is donating two hundred seventy-five 2012 Beetles plus applicable taxes and fees, to each member of today's studio audience.

"Oprah Winfrey and the Volkswagen Beetle are two American icons, so when the "Oprah" show approached us with this incredible opportunity to share her Beetle experience with deserving viewers, we instantly wanted to be a part of it," said Jonathan Browning, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group of America. "Our all-new 2012 Beetle exemplifies power, styling and sophistication, and is an automotive icon reinvented to create the new shape of performance."

As revealed today, the new Beetle will feature a sportier, more aggressive stance, and features sleeker styling and a wealth of new technologies that provide a heightened driving experience. It is also customizable, with options that will offer the performance, styling, accessories and features that will appeal to everyone from the driving enthusiast to the driver motivated by value, excellent fuel economy and nostalgia.

The 2012 Beetle will be revealed in the spring of next year and will be available in showrooms next fall. U.S. pricing is not yet set, but with trim packages and unprecedented personalization and customization options, the Beetle will offer the performance, styling, accessories and features that will ensure there will be a Beetle everyone.

The new design lines draw upon the vehicle's legacy, but the 2012 Beetle will be a true, performance driving machine perfected by German engineering, offering a wealth of technologies that will provide a heightened driving experience over the previous generation. The 2012 vehicle is sporty, aggressive and comes with Volkswagen's carefree maintenance and known safety standards. The vehicle will offer dual exhaust, 19-inch wheels, sport seats and new, sleeker styling. New technologies, like Bluetooth, touch screen radio, branded audio speaker systems, navigation and unique ambient lighting provide a heightened driving experience.

Jeep Patriot obtains new diesel engine (UK)

Jeep has reworked the Patriot compact SUV for 2011.

The 2011 Patriot receives modified trim levels and a new diesel engine. The 2.2 CRD diesel engine is taken from Mercedes, replacing the previous Volkswagen-sourced 2.0 TDI 138bhp. The new 2.2 CRD has a 23bhp increase.

Performance figures for the Patriot include a top speed of 125mph and 0-60mph time of 10.7secs. Jeep claims a combined fuel economy of 42.8mpg.

2011 Jeep Patriot facelift

Four trim-levels are now available; Sport, Sport+, Limited and Overland. Entry-level Sport is equipped with body-coloured door handles and mirrors, hill-start assist w/ESP, leather handbrake and active front head rests.

Lower mid-spec Sport+ adds privacy glass, Bluetooth, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, leather steering wheel w/audio controls and cruise control over the base Sport.

Upper mid-spec Limited features leather handbrake and 6 way electrically adjustable driver’s seat.

Range-topping Overland model adds 18” aluminium wheels, leather interior w/’Overland’ logo, rear parking sensors and tyre pressure monitoring system.

The new Jeep Patriot range starts at £14,995 for the 2.4 Sport petrol, rising to £21,995 for the 2.2 CRD Overland.

Volkswagen revises Scirocco and Passat CC for 2011 (UK)

Volkswagen has added ‘Bluemotion Technology’ adjustments to the Scirocco and Passat CC 2.0 TDI to improve fuel economy and lower emissions for the 2011 MY.

The Scirocco now achieves 62.8mpg, up from 55.4mpg and CO2 emissions drop to 118g/km, from 134g/km.

The 2.0 TDI 138bhp Sciroccos will obtain stop/start and battery regeneration systems, which is mated a 6 speed manual gearbox. In DSG form, fuel efficiency improves from 51.4mpg to 57.6mpg and CO2 drops from 145g/km to 129g/km.

The more powerful Scirocco GT with 168bhp with a 6 speed manual gearbox will also see CO2 emissions drop from 139g/km to 134g/km and fuel economy improve to 54.4mpg from 53.3mpg.

The Passat CC also receives stop/start and regenerative braking as standard. The 2.0 TDI 138bhp will see fuel economy boosted from 50.4mpg to 60.1mpg and CO2 cut from 146g/km to 125g/km. This is too linked to a 6 speed manual.

The revised Scirocco and Passat CC Bluemotion Technology models are available to order now.

New Car: 2011 Audi RS3

Audi has taken the wraps off what will be the UK’s most powerful production hot-hatch, the RS3.

The RS3 will be powered by a 5-cylinder, 2.5 litre turbocharged petrol engine, developing 335bhp (340PS) and 450Nm (332lb-ft) of torque from a diesel-like 1,600rpm. For those who are seeking driving engagement will be disappointed, since the RS3 is only available with a 7 speed S-tronic dual-clutch semi-automatic transmission, although the RS3 will be fitted with a Quattro 4WD system.

While the RS3 Sportback has no direct rivals, BMW’s 350bhp 1 Series M Coupé is the closest competitor in terms of image. BMW is signifying a £40k price tag for the M Coupé, while the RS3 starts at £39,900. Audi is staying tight-lipped on whether a 3dr is coming.

At 1,575kg, the RS3 is 60kg heavier than the S3. The top speed is electronically-limited to 155mph and fuel economy is a very respectable 31mpg (9.1l/100km) combined, with CO2 emissions of 212g/km. The RS3 can reach 62mph from 0 in 4.6 seconds.

A new sport mode is added to the stability control programme, which Audi says can also be switched off.

The equipment list will be long; Nappa leather interior w/silver stitching, rear parking sensors, climate control, ESP, x6 airbags, xenon headlights w/LED day-time running lights, 19” alloy wheels, DVD based satellite navigation system w/MMI (Multi Media Interface), rear spoiler, flat-bottomed 3-spoke leather steering wheel, auto-dimming rear-view mirror w/rain sensor and silver-matte door mirrors. Order books open next month with first customer deliveries in April 2011.