The Auto PressOctober 2011 Issue 2

2 The Auto Press

NEW McLAREN MILAN RETAILER OPENS FOR BUSINESS WITH GUEST APPEARANCE BY 2009 FORMULA 1 WORLD CHAMPION JENSON BUTTON Exclusive McLaren show-room opens in Milan Star-studded opening event hosted by McLaren Automotive Managing Director Antony Sheriff and features a guest appearance by Jenson Button Video of the McLaren Milan launch event available to view at www.youtube.com/mclarenautomotivetv Bespoke McLaren showroom and high-tech aftersales centre offers luxury sales environment and inno-vative service standards

MILAN (09 September 2011) - The first ever McLaren showroom in Italy opened its doors to more than 250 guests last night, at an event hosted by McLaren Automotive Managing Director Antony Sheriff and McLaren Milan Dealer Princi-pal Ado Fassina. Celebrating ‘De-fining Moments in Time’, the glam-orous opening of McLaren Milan was also attended by Jenson Button

and McLaren Group CEO Martin Whitmarsh.

McLaren Milan is one of 35 retail-ers worldwide* to be appointed by McLaren to sell its future range of high performance sports cars, start-ing with the groundbreaking new MP4-12C. With an outstanding re-cord in providing outstanding cus-tomer service, McLaren Milan is the only retailer in Italy for the new Brit-ish sports car company and one of 13 located in Europe.

Antony Sheriff said: “The open-ing of McLaren Milan marks a sig-nificant point in the development of McLaren Automotive. My vision for this company is to design and build the most innovative, efficient and high performance sports cars in the world. We have underlined our intent with the launch of the new MP4-12C.

“The 12C is unlike other sports cars that buyers in the Italian market are familiar with. It is designed and en-gineered by a team with vast expe-rience in developing successful For-mula 1 cars and features technology developed for motor racing that in the 12C, delivers the most incredible performance on any circuit or road.

The new McLaren Milan showroom is located on Corse Sempione 34/2, 20154 Milano. Visitors to the luxuri-ous showroom have the opportunity to see the innovative new 12C sports car in the metal, and explore the technology under its skin through an installation of a 12C rolling chassis.

This example of the 12C laid bare presents the technologies in the 12C that set it apart from the competi-tion: a one-piece carbon ‘MonoCell’ chassis, compact and lightweight M838T V8 twin turbo engine and the innovative Proactive Chassis

Control system, which is the reason the 12C has the unique ability to of-fer bipolar ride and handling charac-teristics at the turn of a switch.

Also in the McLaren Milan show-room will be an important piece of McLaren’s racing history. On per-manent display from September will be the MP4/7A Formula 1 car, fa-mous for McLaren legend Ayrton Senna driving it to first place at the 1992 Italian Grands Prix. At the launch event, MP/4-5B, the 1990 Formula 1 World Championship and Constructor’s Championship win-ning car driven by Ayrton Senna and Gerhard Berger, was also presented to guests.

Ado Fassina said: “I was delighted to see our guests here so excited by the McLaren Formula 1 cars we have on display. We are hugely passionate about Formula 1 in Italy. It was my pleasure to welcome Jenson Button to the launch of McLaren Milan and like everyone here, I was intrigued to hear about his experiences with the 12C.

“The MP4-12C has been tested and developed by racing drivers and our customers appreciate that both Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton have given their input into its devel-opment programme. Our customers can be confident they will receive a sports car that is lighter, more pow-erful, more fuel efficient and more exclusive than its competitors.

“Now is the time for us to develop the presence of McLaren Automo-tive in Italy, and strengthen the re-lationships we have with prospective customers for the 12C and future sports cars from McLaren.”

MANSELL & PENNING HELP HONOUR 115 YEARS OF THE LONDON TO BRIGHTON VETERAN CAR RUNOne of the greatest names in mo-tor racing, Nigel Mansell OBE will headline the celebrities joining the Royal Automobile Club’s London to Brighton Veteran Car Run on Sun-day 6 November. The 1992 Formula One World Champion will be joined by Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, Mike Penning MP, for the 115th anniversary of the world’s longest running and greatest motoring event.

Nigel Mansell remains one of Brit-ain’s best loved and most successful racing drivers. In a brilliant career spanning 15 seasons he recorded 31 grand prix wins and 32 pole po-sitions from 187 starts, ranks third in the world’s fastest laps tally and sits fourth in the overall winners list. CART IndyCar World Series Champion in 1993, he remains the only driver to take back-to-back ti-tles, winning the CART crown as the reigning F1 champion.

His heroic on-track battles earned him worldwide acclaim, never more so than on home shores where his pass on Nelson Piquet in the 1987 British Grand Prix heading into Stowe Cor-ner triggered ‘Mansellmania’.

Mansell will be joined by Mike Penning MP, Parliamentary Under

3The Auto Press

Secretary of State for Transport and MP for Hemel Hempstead.

The duo are sure to be a highlight for the tens of thousands of specta-tors who line the 60-mile route from London’s Hyde Park to Madeira Drive in Brighton, in what is Brit-ain’s biggest free-to-spectate motor-ing event.

The 2011 event promises to be one of the best yet, featuring 500 of the most iconic pre-1905 Veteran cars, including an International entry ac-counting for twenty five per cent, while honouring Germany as the country of celebration.

Driving a 1902 Mercedes Simplex, Mansell and Penning’s journey will help mark the birth of motoring in-novation starting with the celebra-tions surrounding the Run’s 75th anniversary start from Hyde Park.

LIFE’S A BEACH… WITH NEW VOLKSWAGEN CALIFORNIA CAMPER The Beach Boys dreamt of a bit of California as they lamented ‘All the leaves are brown and the sky is grey’ in their 1982 hit. But Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is ensuring endless summer fun with the an-nouncement of the new California Beach model. A new entry-level camper, it offers added value and more versatility with seating for up to seven people, with prices starting at £34,970 RRP on the road (includ-ing VAT) from £379 a month with a Volkswagen Solutions Personal Con-tract Plan.

The California Beach blends the ap-peal of the California with the practi-cality and versatility of the Caravelle people carrier. Inside, seating for up to seven people is available with a

two-, or three-, seat rear bench, and further optional individual chairs. The front seats swivel to face the rear and a portable table, neatly stored in the sliding side door, can create a sociable lounge area. In addition, two folding chairs are stored in the tailgate.

A large amount of luggage space is offered behind the rail-mounted seats and the Beach also offers sleep-ing accommodation for four. The bench-seat easily folds to convert to a two-berth bed across the width of the vehicle, while a manual pop-up roof gives access to a further double bed. Integrated pull-down blinds for the side and rear windows, plus pop-up covers for the front window, ensure privacy when required.

The California Beach is powered by a choice of 2.0-litre TDI engines. Making its debut on the Beach is a highly-efficient 114 PS BlueMo-tion Technology model offering op-timised fuel efficiency and lowering emissions. With a five-speed manual transmission with longer gearing, cruise control, Stop/Start system, brake regeneration and low rolling resistance tyres, it offers a combined fuel economy figure of 40.4 mpg and a CO2 output of 184 g/km.

The second engine is the more power-ful 140 PS unit, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. With a premium of £1,165 over the BlueMotion Tech-nology model, the 2.0-litre TDI 140 PS returns 36.7 mpg on the com-bined cycle with CO2 emissions of 203 g/km.

As standard, the well-equipped new-comer to the popular California camper range is fitted with stylish 16-inch ‘Miyato’ alloy wheels, Cli-matic air conditioning and a CD/ra-dio with eight speakers. The choice of Sunny Yellow exterior paint and ‘Takato’ upholstery are exclusive to Beach models. Customers can also choose from a raft of options, in-cluding larger alloy wheels, a 32-li-tre cool/warm box (powered by sec-ond leisure battery), programmable parking heater, an awning, privacy glass, double glazing and Bluetooth mobile phone provision, plus satel-lite navigation with Western Europe mapping pre-loaded to an internal memory and xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights.

The California Beach is available to order now. For more information about the California camper range, or to find your local Volkswagen Van Centre, call 0800 717131 or visit

www.volkswagen-vans.co.uk. For the latest updates, follow Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles on Twitter @Volkswagen_CV.

PEUGEOT HELPS BANISH THE INSURANCE BLUESMore and more motorists have been turning to Peugeot as a way of beat-ing the so-called insurance blues.

Following reports the Office of Fair Trading is investigating claims that motorists are facing up to 40 per cent rises in their premiums, Peugeot cus-tomers who sign up to its pioneer-ing Just Add FuelTM scheme do so safe in the knowledge their insurance premiums will be covered in their set monthly fee and, more importantly, will go unchanged for three years.

Available to drivers aged 25 years and older, Just Add FuelTM wraps up the costs of motoring into one monthly amount.

Hailed as a huge success, it has ac-counted for thousands of registra-tions in its first full year, with many customers totally new to the brand and, Peugeot says, it has lowered the age profile of its new car drivers.

Neil Moscrop, Sales Director, Peugeot UK, said: “In these tough economic times, motorists want to know exactly where their finances are on a monthly basis and Just Add Fuel achieves that goal. The cost of insurance is an extremely volatile subject and to some, is very worry-ing. Our scheme eradicates those worries.”

Illustrating the simplicity and value of Just Add Fuel TM, a 25-year-old driver who puts down a £1,500 de-posit can drive away in a Peugeot 107 Urban for just £169 per month, a sum which includes financing the vehicle, along with three years’

1902 Mercedes Simplex

4 The Auto Press

comprehensive insurance, servic-ing, breakdown cover, road tax and warranty.

Drivers aged below 25 can also be buoyed by research conducted by Confused.com, one of the UK’s big-gest and most popular comparison services, which showed the Peugeot 107 as one of the cheapest cars to in-sure for 17 to 20 year olds with a typ-ical monthly premium of £166.20 for comprehensive cover, less than half the cost of other brands.

MINI’S ROARING SUCCESS FOR TEAM GB AND PARALYMPICS GB HOPEFULSMINI, official partner of Team GB and ParalympicsGB, is to tour the nation to create a collective roar of support so powerful it will inspire our UK athletes to victory at next year’s London 2012 Olympics.

In a mammoth bid to boost Team GB and ParalympicsGB hopefuls’ chances of medal success, MINI will be challenging the country to create a national roar to be delivered to UK athletes ahead of the Games in 2012.

The messages of encouragement will be compiled into one almighty digi-tally tuned roar, which will be loaded onto MP3 players, for Team GB and ParalympicsGB to listen to ahead of their sporting endeavour. The final MP3 playlist will also include indi-vidual messages of support, from the public, to give the athletes a boost during training and in the final run up to their London 2012 challenges.

The MINI Great British Roar will hit the road to record the messages of support using three new MINI London 2012 Edition models, which go on sale in 2012. One of these spe-cially built cars will be transformed

into a mobile video recording booth, to fully immerse the public in the roar experience.

Once inside the Roar unit, the pub-lic will be greeted by a motivational video from two times Olympic gold medallist Daley Thompson, the new-est addition to the London 2012 Performance team. Daley’s Roar vid-eo will give people his hints and tips of being a roaring success at crowd support and being completely fan fit ahead of London 2012.

To make sure everyone has a chance to show their support for the athletes, MINI has also created a Facebook application (www.facebook.co.uk/MINI.uk) which allows the public to get involved by triggering a phone call collecting individuals Roars and messages of support from home or on the move.

Once submitted, via Facebook or on the tour, all supporters will appear in a virtual stadium with a sound/video file of their message of support alongside their fellow Roarers.

Jochen Goller, Director of MINI UK comments: “We’re passionate about our partnership with Team GB and ParalympicsGB and want to make sure they get every support they need to do their absolute best. As Team GB’s biggest fan, MINI is here to make sure the team get off to the best possible start.”

The MINI Great British Roar will be visiting cities across the UK, includ-ing Bristol, Cardiff, Bournemouth, Nottingham, Sheffield, Manchester and Glasgow, beginning in London at Ely Court on the 23rd September 2011. Team GB and ParalympicsGB hopefuls will also be on hand at each event to kick start the process, en-couraging the public to get behind their country’s athletes.

Ellie Simmonds, ParalympicsGB hopeful comments: “There’s no bet-ter feeling to propel you to do your best, than when the crowd is shout-ing and screaming support as you start your medal journey. Listening to the public roars of support, re-corded by MINI, is a brilliant way to keep up morale and help us remem-ber the nation is completely behind us.”

The first three, of 2,012 MINI Lon-don 2012 Edition models will take centre stage at each event, with one of them being transformed into a re-cording booth for collecting the na-tion’s Roars. The new MINI’s are London 2012 themed, inside and

out, to ensure a completely patriotic experience when driving.

BMW MINI Great British Roar lo-cations and dates are:

11th & 12th Octo-ber – Fargate, Sheffield 14th & 15th October – Old Market Square, Nottingham 20th October - High Cross, Leicester 22nd & 23rd Oct - Wil-liamson Square, Liverpool 26th & 27th Oct Trafford, Manchester 29th Oct & 30th Oct - Briggate, Leeds 10th Nov - Westfield, Derby 12th Nov - Buchanan Gallaries, Glasgow 13th Nov - Metro Centro, Gateshead

DUCATI REVEAL MORE 2012 MODEL DETAILSJust weeks away from the unveiling of Ducati’s new 1199 Panigale Su-perbike at the EICMA International Motorcycle Show in Milan (10-13 November) and following the recent release and launch of the brand new Streetfighter 848, Ducati now re-veal even more details of next year’s range.

Having proved its innovative con-cept and established itself as a new industry benchmark, the award-winning Ducati Multistrada family moves into 2012 as the company’s top-selling motorcycle and with the confident range of Multistrada 1200, 1200 S Sport, 1200 S Sport Pikes Peak Special Edition and 1200 S Touring. While all 2012 models will

have revised seats with comfort-en-hancing increased rider’s seat length front and rear, the Multistrada 1200 S Touring will also be offered in a brand new “race titanium matte” colour scheme with “racing black” frame. The new colour scheme is in addition to the currently available red and arctic white.

The 2012 Hypermotard 1100EVO SP will now be available as a Corse Edition, taking the whole Hyper-motard concept to a higher level in Ducati Corse style. High ground clearance, high spec suspension and high bars make the 1100EVO SP Corse Edition track-ready for action in full red, white and black Ducati Corse official colours.

CHRISTMAS GIFTS WITH STAR QUALITY AT MERCEDES-BENZ WORLDThrills and excitement are just around the corner this Christmas,

Just Add Fuel

Ducati Multistrada S Touring in race titanium matte colour

Ducati Hypermotard SP - Corse Edition

5The Auto Press

thanks to the great range of driving experiences available at Mercedes-Benz World. There really is some-thing for everyone with a variety of high-octane experiences for both kids and adults. Whether it’s the first time behind the wheel for kids, or a dad’s dream-come-true to drive a su-percar on a track, a Mercedes-Benz driving experience is guaranteed to be the most thrilling present under the tree this Christmas!

Mercedes-Benz World is located at Brooklands, the spiritual home of British motor racing, where specially designed tracks, a state-of-the-art 360 degree skid pan and extensive challenging off-road terrain to put cars and drivers to the test! Send hearts racing with excitement in some of today’s most desirable Mer-cedes-Benz cars with the following range of driving experiences on offer:

The Ultimate Christmas Gift - SLS AMG Experience

As a masterpiece of engineering and stunning design, the SLS AMG with its iconic ‘gullwing’ doors and impressive performance is a driving fanatic’s dream car. Now at Mer-cedes-Benz World, that dream can come true as the SLS AMG is ex-clusively available to be put through its paces on the track. As the official Formula 1™ Safety Car seen all over the world at every Grand Prix, this is a very rare experience that is not available at any other destination in the country. Once behind the wheel of this precision machine, nothing else matters but the next corner. On Christmas morning, all other pre-sents will pale in comparison.

SLS AMG 6.3 litre V8 engine producing 571hp¹ One hour £295¹ – Half day £1090²

The Gift of Performance - AMG Driving Experience

As any petrol-head knows, the AMG badge is the ultimate symbol of Mer-cedes-Benz high-performance, and with the AMG Driving Experience drivers can unleash the awe-inspiring power and master the precision han-dling on the tracks. This experience is guaranteed to light up a driving enthusiast’s Christmas, providing the chance to test their driving skills through combinations of challenging corners and straights on the circuits, as well as power-slide techniques on the skid pan, just like driving on black ice!

Mercedes-Benz AMG A range of V8 powered cars producing upwards of 457hp One hour £150 (Christ-mas Special Offer) Half day £3993

Explore a real life adventure - Off-Road Experience

Give the gift of an adventure this Christmas. Challenge the adven-turer in your family to drive on the wild side and experience what 4x4 off-roading is really like. This experi-ence, in a Mercedes-Benz’s 4MAT-IC vehicle, will test their nerves as they tackle water crossings, dramatic climbs, side slopes and other hair-raising challenges.

Off-Road Experience Class leading 4x4 technology in either the M-Class or GL-Class One hour £100 (Christmas Special Offer)

Sit back and hold on! – Passenger Rides

No one knows Mercedes-Benz cars better than the highly trained pro-fessional drivers at Mercedes-Benz World, making this experience the ideal gift for anyone who wants to sit back and enjoy the thrill of the ride from the passenger seat. With the choice of a 4x4 off-road adventure, or a high-performance AMG spin on

the track and skid pan, this present is sure to set hearts racing.

4x4 Off-Road or track passenger rides 15 minutes £30

It‘s not just adults who can drive – Kids’ driving and Off-Road Experience

Surprise the kids this Christmas, with the ultimate experience that’s guaranteed to blow every other pre-sent out of the water! Mercedes-Benz World offers a unique chance for younger members of the family to enjoy the thrill of driving a Mer-cedes-Benz, with no previous expe-rience necessary. There are two ex-citing opportunities for kids to get behind the wheel for the first time. With the Kids’ Driving Experience they will learn basic car control and manoeuvres under the tuition of a professional driving instructor. But if the kids crave something a little more extreme, why not send them off the beaten track to take on 10-acres of axle twisting terrain and water cross-ing on a Kids’ Off-Road Experience.

Kids’ Driving Experience – A-Class Half hour £45 – One hour £804 Kids’ Off-Road Experience – M-Class Half hour £50 – One hour £904

Mercedes-Benz Driving Acad-emy – Teaching something new at Christmas

Winter Driving Course

Ensure your loved ones are safe on the roads this winter and give them valuable driving skills with the Win-ter Driving Course. Tailored for all skill-sets, from the most seasoned driver to those who will be taking to the roads for the first time this win-ter, the course is specifically designed to ensure that everyone is prepared for the dangers and demanding road conditions that the winter brings. The course gives practical advice with invaluable experience of driving on surfaces with very low grip. The specialist skid pan at Mercedes-Benz World replicates icy weather condi-tions, enabling drivers to tackle real-life skids and scenarios first hand, but within a safe and controlled environment.

Prepare the ones you love to be safe on the roads in winter. One hour £99

Skills that will last a lifetime - Mer-cedes-Benz Driving Academy

Learning to drive is one of the first major milestones in anyone’s life and what better way to begin the journey

than in a Mercedes-Benz. Give a gift that lasts a lifetime, with a course at the Mercedes-Benz Driving Acad-emy. The advanced learning pro-cess pioneered by Mercedes-Benz’s very own driving school equips new drivers with the knowledge and pro-ficiency that is needed to be safer on the roads with confidence and understanding.

Pre-Road Module – You don’t need to be 17 or have a provi-sional licence to start learning to drive on our dedicated facilities. Three individual half-hour les-sons at Mercedes-Benz World £99 Licence Module – Provides a revolutionary way to learn to drive with the assurance that students are learning through the latest advanced techniques. Three individual one hour lessons on the road £99

When the driving ends, the experi-ence doesn’t

Mercedes-Benz World offers so much more than just driving. Af-ter watching all the action from the dedicated viewing gallery, the whole family can enjoy delicious food from the Gullwing Restaurant and take a glimpse at some exquisite, legend-ary and famous Mercedes-Benz cars and attractions.

To find out more or to make a book-ing visit www.mercedes-benzworld.co.uk or call 0870 400 4000.

RENAULTSPORT F1 PREVIEW TO THE JAPANESE GPThe FIA Formula One World Cham-pionship remains in the Far East for round 15 of the 19 race calendar; the Japanese Grand Prix. The race is held at the famed Suzuka Circuit, a high-speed figure of eight track that features every possible corner, from high speed kinks to flowing linked turns and profiled curved bends and chicanes and hairpins. As such, it’s a tough challenge for the Renault RS27 engine that needs to deliver across the entire power spectrum without sacrificing driveability and responsiveness.

Japanese Grand Prix facts and figures

This is one of the toughest cir-cuits of the year for the RS27 en-gine, after Spa and Monza. The en-gine needs to be strong throughout

6 The Auto Press

the rev range, plus give good driveability and responsiveness to handle the numerous corners. Suzuka is a circuit of two halves. The first part of the circuit, from the First Curve to Spoon Curve, is flowing and contains 75% of the cir-cuit’s corners. The engine needs to be driveable and smooth throughout the power curve in this part. The sec-ond half of the track, from the exit of Spoon to the end of the pit straight, is all about outright power as 90% of this section is spent at full throttle. The awesome 130R corner, a curved straight, is taken at nearly 310kph with high lateral G-forces. This long straight is a huge 1250m from the exit of turn 14 and is only interrupted by the chicane lead-ing onto the pit straight. Driv-ers will brake down from 320kph to under 100kph for this chicane, but will accelerate back up to 320kph down the 900m pit straight. The rapid changes of direction through the Esses – the series of in-terlinking corners from turns 3 to 7 – require ultimate driveability and responsiveness. The driver will enter turn 3 at approximately 245kph and carry the speed through until exit-ing the complex. Gear selection here is crucial as the driver will spend approximately 15secs in fourth or fifth gear through this section. The weather in Japan can be very changeable. In 2010 sunshine gave way to heavy rain on Saturday, which led to the qualifying being delayed until Sunday morning. To allow flex-ibility, the engine maps may need to be compromised between wet and dry settings, particularly with the ban on changing settings between qualifying and the race.

The drivers’ view

Heikki Kovalainen, Team Lotus Japan is a circuit I really look forward to. I’ve had some memorable results there, including second in 2007 with the Renault F1 Team, but every time we go there it’s a pleasure to drive the circuit and the atmosphere is in-credible. Every driver loves the track as you need to be 100% commit-ted through the lap to attack every one of the corners. This means you have to have confidence in your set-up and a good engine is crucial. It’s not easy to get the right maps as we need good top end power to nego-tiate the faster corners, such as the 130R, where we’ll be going at nearly 300kph on the apex and over 320kph by the entrance to the chicane. How-ever we also need traction through the flowing corners in the first sec-tor, including the Esses where we’ll be carrying about 250kph through the whole complex. From what

we’ve seen on similar circuits, such as Canada and Australia, the RS27 delivers on the levels we need it to, and I’ll be working with my engine engineer to optimise settings for max driveability here.

The engineers’ view

Head of Renault Sport F1 track operations Rémi Taf-fin gives his thoughts on Japan: Japan is a particularly demanding track on engines and one of the hard-est to prepare. Only Spa and Monza beat it on the percentage of outright engine power required through the lap. Like Spa, the RS27 needs to deliver good top end power, par-ticularly through the second part of the circuit from Spoon through the 130R to the chicane, but also trac-tion, driveability and responsiveness through the medium to low speed turns in the first section. As such, it’s one of the tracks that we will use to check reliability on the dyno as the engine gets such a thorough workout!

The high speed corners such as the Esses also subject the internals of the engine and lubricant systems to high lateral G-forces so we monitor reli-ability very carefully and may intro-duce new units this weekend to give optimal reliability and power.

It’s a special weekend for Renault Sport F1 as we could see Sebastian Vettel secure the drivers’ title. Eight drivers have previously won the title with a Renault engine and each has been warmly welcomed back at Viry. A lot of hard work goes into provid-ing the most competitive engine for our teams and everyone takes the same amount of pride in the title as our partners at Red Bull. To win the title in Japan in front of our col-leagues in the Renault-Nissan alli-ance would also be a great boost af-ter the challenges of the earthquake and tsunami disaster earlier this year.

Did you know… Sebastian Vettel needs just one more point to win the drivers’ champion-ship in Japan. If he does so, the ti-tle will be the ninth time a Renault engine has powered a driver to the crown. The first came in 1992 with Nigel Mansell (Williams-Renault), followed in 1993 with Alain Prost (Williams-Renault). Michael Schu-macher won with Benetton-Renault in 1995, with Williams-Renault tak-ing the title in 1996 and 1997 with Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve respectively. Fernando Alonso took the title in 2005 and 2006 with the Renault F1 Team before Vettel again sealed the win last season.

Renault in Japan Renault engines have won the last three editions of the Japanese Grand Prix held at Suzuka. Alonso won in 2006 before Vettel took victory in 2009 and 2010. *

Renault engines have won on a fur-ther four occasions in Suzuka. Wil-liams-Renault took victory in 1992 with Riccardo Patrese and in 1994 and 1996 with Damon Hill, while Michael Schumacher won in 1995 with Benetton-Renault. The 1995 and 1996 wins sealed Benetton’s constructors’ title and Hill’s driver crowns.

* Japanese Grand Prix held at Fuji Motor Speedway in 2007 and 2008.

UK PRICING AND SPECIFICATION CONFIRMED FOR THIRD VERSION OF RENAULT’S UNIQUE TWIZY Renault’s intriguing electric two-seat Twizy is set to hit European streets shortly, and as part of the buzz in the lead-up to its launch, pricing and specification has just been confirmed for the third trim level, Colour.

The latest version of the French marque’s trailblazing urban com-pact two-seater was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show amidst a

plethora of single and two-seat elec-tric vehicles from rival manufactur-ers. Unlike all of them, Twizy is a production reality, launching in the UK in March 2012, priced from just £6,690 and monthly battery hire from £40.

The new Colour version will sit be-tween the previously announced trim levels, Urban and Technic, priced at £6,950 on-the-road. Its keen pricing sees it pitched at £260 more than the entry-level Urban and £450 less than the top-of-the-range Technic.

Emphasising Twizy's fun side, Col-our comes with white bodywork and a choice of Urban Blue, Ivy Green or Flame Orange panels for the roof and sides. Black bodywork is also available with orange panels for an even more striking look.

The same hues are continued through to its upholstery and glove-box and can even be specified on colour-coordinated, diamond-effect alloy wheels which cost £350. Col-our-coordinated half-scissor doors will be available for £455, mirroring its affordable price positioning. Res-ervations for Twizy can now be made at www.renault-ze.com.

Standard equipment on Twizy in-cludes 13-inch wheels, two glovebox-es, one of which is lockable, 3 metre long charging cable, heated tinted windscreen, Z.E. onboard computer and dashboard with econometer and battery consumption display. Safety and security have also been para-mount throughout the project, as is evident from the three-point seatbelt in the front with additional lateral restraint, three-point seatbelt in the rear, front airbag and immobiliser and steering lock.

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Unsurprisingly, given its unique looks and low 450kg weight, Twizy is great to drive. With 57Nm of in-stant torque available, it’s also capa-ble of giving much more expensive cars, not to mention white van men and taxis, something to think about when it comes to nipping around the city. Renault’s intriguing two-seater is capable of up to 50 mph and full charge takes three and a half hours, providing a range of up to 60 miles on the urban cycle. Monthly battery hire for Twizy costs from £40 includ-ing VAT, based on three years and 4,500 miles per year.

GTO LONDON CREATES EXCLUSIVE ACCESSORIES TO MARK ‘BLUEBIRD’ SPEED CENTENARY Limited-edition, hand-crafted cufflinks mark 100 years of Campbell’s Bluebird Gents’ wallet to follow

In celebration of the 100 years since Sir Malcolm Campbell first named a car Bluebird – at Brooklands, in

1911 – GTO London is creating a range of strictly limited-edition gents’ accessories.

Just 100 pairs of hand-crafted cuf-flinks will be available, replicating the iconic wheel design of the 1920s Bluebird land speed record-setting car. Each will be formed from hall-marked sterling silver, finished with Iolite stones in the clasp and wheel centres.

GTO London founder, Victoria Lyon, said of the new range: “Blue-bird is an automotive icon and a triumph of design and engineer-ing. Marking the centenary of the name with beautifully-designed and precisely-engineered cufflinks was a natural thing to do. They are a perfect extension to our accessories range and add diversity to our core products.”

All GTO London Bluebird Cen-tenary pieces have been developed with the Campbell family and carry their official approval, as part of their wider centenary celebrations of the Bluebird legend.

Don Wales, grandson of Sir Malcolm Campbell said: “The Campbell family is encouraged to see genuine Bluebird metals being used is such a creative and beautiful way. These GTO London centenary items are a delight and we look forward to see-ing more as celebrations progress.”

GTO London will add to the Blue-bird Centenary range with a special-ly-created gents’ wallet.

GTO London’s range of gents’ ac-cessories are all hand-crafted and include cufflinks, tie pins, key fobs, money clips and wallets. Several designs of each are available, all in-spired by features and components of iconic and classic Ferraris.

GTO London’s strictly limited- edi-tion Bluebird Centenary cufflinks are available now, priced £450.00. The wider GTO London range is priced from £60.00. For more in-formation and to buy, call +44 (0) 118 940 4430, or visit www.gtolon-don.com.

BCA TAKES MULTI-MILLION POUND PRESTIGE CAR SALE TO NEXT LEVELUnderlining the continuing demand for prestige and executive vehicles, BCA is doubling its Top Car pro-gramme in the Midlands with the introduction of a second sale every month at the Nottingham centre.

BCA UK Operations Director Si-mon Henstock commented “BCA Nottingham has long been estab-lished as the premier Midlands loca-tion to remarket high value stock and this additional monthly sale reflects the demand from both our buyer and seller customers to expand this successful platform.”

The last Top Car sale held at the Nottingham venue on Thursday 22 September sold 351 cars in 6 hours for a turnover of £4.1 million. Near-ly 800 buyers registered for the sale including over 600 online bidders via BCA’s Live Online service. The pre-vious sale – in August – generated an ever bigger turnover of £4.6 million.

Henstock added “It is a peculiar-ity of the economic downturn that demand for high value cars has in-creased significantly over the past 20 or so months. Despite the difficult economic conditions, the market for high value prestige vehicles is excep-tionally buoyant, with buyers pre-pared to invest six-figure sums for the right vehicle. It could be that some well-heeled buyers are simply

deciding that their money might as well be put to good use on a prestige car rather than languishing in a sav-ings account that is paying very little interest.”

With seller customers including Al-phabet GB, Bentley Financial Ser-vices, BMW Group Financial Ser-vices, Jaguar Financial Services and UKcgr.com, BCA Nottingham has offered a mouthwatering selection of prestige vehicles in recent weeks. A 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder E Gear sold for £117,500 in August, while a further 60 cars sold for in excess of £20,000 during the same sale. The September sale sold two Ferraris – a 612 Scaglietti 5.7 F1A Coupe and a 1991 Testarossa 4.9 Coupe that had just one owner from new, four Bentley, nine Porsche, nine Range Rover, 22 Audi, 33 Mercedes-Benz and nearly 250 BMW models.

From October, Nottingham’s Top Car Sales will take place twice a month, with sales taking place on Mondays and Thursdays. Cata-logues and listing are available online at www.british-car-auctions.co.uk in advance. The sales start at 9.30 am with doors open from 8.30am for viewing.

Forthcoming Top Car sales at BCA Nottingham:

October Monday 10th and Thurs-day 20th

November Thursday 17th and Mon-day 28th

Bluebird cufflinks

BCA takes multi-million pound prestige car sale to next level

8 The Auto Press

VAUXHALL’S NEW POCKET ROCKET SET TO CORNER MARKET First Corsa VXR Nürbur-gring Edition hits UK shores Max power now up to 205PS*, torque to 280Nm Sophisticated LSD plus chassis and brake upgrades will raise class bar for hot hatches

Luton – Vauxhall’s new Corsa VXR Nürburgring Edition promises to be one of the quickest B-road cars in its class, as the first cars become avail-able in UK showrooms this month.

At the heart of the Nürburgring is a re-worked version of the Corsa VXR’s existing 1.6-litre turbo-charged engine which now produc-es 205PS* at 5,750rpm (up from 192PS) and 250-280Nm of torque (up from 230-266Nm). A modi-fied engine management and turbo-charger system, sports exhaust with

reduced back pressure - and the abil-ity to run on 98-octane fuel - have all contributed to the rise in power.

To harness the Nürburgring’s new-found power potential, Vauxhall has fitted it with a mechanical, multi-plate limited-slip differential, ensur-ing that its 205PS doesn’t go up in a cloud of tyre smoke, and providing the car with optimum traction at all times. Understeer is reduced dram-tically, to the extent that the more throttle the driver applies through a bend, the more the vehicle grips!

But perhaps the icing on the Nür-burgring’s cake is its chassis, which received its final sign-off at the Nür-burgring’s notorious Nordschleife, or North Loop. Vauxhall commis-sioned Bilstein to develop bespoke spring and damper units for the new model, allowing drivers an even higher degree of control and involve-ment. A visual clue of this work is a ride height which is reduced by 20mm at the front and 15mm at the rear.

The effect of the upgrades is breath-taking, the Nürburgring offering a degree of chassis balance and

composure – as well as sheer grip – almost unheard of in its class.

Complementing the chassis mods are newly developed Brembo brakes, which are 30 per cent lighter than before, and have high-performance brake linings covering a 10 per cent larger area. In addition, the Corsa VXR’s ABS, Traction Control and Electronic Stability Control systems have all been recalibrated to take into account the Nürburging’s new set-up.

With performance of 0-60mph in just 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 143mph, the Corsa Nürburgring will deliver all the driving thrills you’d expect from a car wearing the legendary track’s name. But just in case anyone was in doubt, the new model gets a raft of visual identi-fiers: a stainless steel dual exhaust, newly designed forged aluminium wheels in high-gloss grey, and ‘Nür-burgring’ logos on the B-Pillars and front spoiler lip. There are also two

9The Auto Press

new colours available – apple green ‘Grasshopper’ and red ‘Henna’.

Inside, black and red ‘Nürburgring’ lettering adorns the sill plates and front Recaro seat backs, with be-spoke white stitching on all seats, as well as the handbrake and gearshift console.

The Corsa VXR Nürburgring Edi-tion is on sale now, priced at £22,295.

NISSAN ANNOUNCES THE JUKE-R THE ULTIMATE COMPACT CROSSOVERJUKE-R SET TO INJECT NEW EXCITEMENT INTO THE CROSSOVER MARKET

Juke and GT-R brought together to create the ultimate compact crossover One-off concept to test the public's reaction to a seriously sporty Juke Underlines the com-pact crossover's fun factor Fully road legal with GT-R drive train Developed for Nissan by RML with input from Nissan Techni-cal Centre for Europe (NTC-E)

Car currently in development; ex-pected to complete first tests in November

Question: What do you get when you cross a Nissan Juke with a Nissan GT-R?

Answer: The fastest, most exciting and daring compact crossover in the world.

Not content with re-shaping the new car market by pioneering the crossover - a success reflected in the soaring sales of its Qashqai and Juke models - Nissan is now creating the Juke-R, the first ever super crossover.

Currently under development the bold design of the Juke is clear to see. However, with the addition of flared wheel arches, revised front and rear bumpers plus a unique split rear wing, this is no standard crossover - it's a Juke that thinks it's a GT-R - and with good reason. However, the car is not for production and is a one-off, road legal concept car, de-veloped by Nissan and built by lead-ing motorsports outfit RML with in-put from Nissan Technology Centre for Europe (NTC-E).

Under the bonnet is a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V6 engine adopted directly from Nissan's flagship supercar. Un-der the boot floor hides the GT-R's six-speed transaxle, with the front and rear ends joined by a modified GT-R 4WD driveline and prop shaft, while chunky 20-inch RAYS forged alloy rims fill each wheel arch.

The interior merges crossover and supercar with finesse, as the Juke's dashboard has been transformed to accommodate the gauges, dials and 7-inch customisable LCD display from the GT-R. The Juke's iconic centre console, inspired by the fuel tank of a motorcycle, remains while the rest of the interior has the look of

a machine bred for the track. Twin race-seats with five-point harnesses sit inside a visible roll cage that gives FIA safety standards as well as en-hanced rigidity to provide the ulti-mate performance.

"Nissan Juke is one of the most ex-citing cars on the market today. Its bold crossover design has captured the imagination of car buyers all over Europe; after just a year on sale we are celebrating sales of more than 100,000 units," said Paul Willcox, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Nissan in Europe.

"Juke lends itself perfectly to a sports derivative and Juke-R explores that territory. Equally at home on road and track, Juke-R showcases two of the most exciting cars in our range and highlights the technical innova-tion that drives Nissan. This car will more than live up to the dynamic driving experience we engineer into all our cars.”

For full details on Juke-R and to fol-low the car's development, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/NissanJukeOfficial

http://www.youtube.com/user/NissanJuke

THE 2011 OLYMPICS, TOP GEAR LIVE STYLE Moped Chariot Racing and Car Curling to feature in Olympic themed Arena show

While Britain prepares for the 2012 Olympics, the Top Gear Live team has come up with a rubber burn-ing, metal crunching alternative to truly give Lord Coe the jitters this November.

As it moves into its new ExCeL home - just a stone’s throw from the Olympic site for the London dates (24-27 November) - what better way to celebrate than suggesting a few al-ternative sports for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to con-sider for future Games.

“Since none of us managed to get tickets in the Olympic ballot we thought we’ll do our own running, skipping and throwing event but with cars…and flames…explosions…and motorised chariots and things,” commented Jeremy Clarkson.

“How hard can it be? Who knows, Danny Boyle might get some inspi-ration for his Opening Ceremony.”

In a cross between Chariots of Fire and Ben Hur, Clarkson, May and Hammond will compete in the first ever Moped Charioteering Race. Designed by the boys and powered by a bank of four 125cc mopeds, each chariot features easy to misun-derstand controls and is capable of ‘dangerous’ speeds.

If that’s deemed folly by the IOC, how about Car Curling? Yes, full-size cars on castors, a target and a pow-erful motorised sweeper operated by Captain Slow.

Nothing could possibly go wrong.

Next up will be the Top Gear Live version of that most traditional of English village fair games, Splat the Rat.

Here, remote controlled cars will re-place the stuffed toy rat target with the boys attempting to crush them in their mechanical weapons of choice. Failure to come first or sec-ond will not result in a bronze medal though….the producers have some-thing rather special planned.

Spanning more floor space than ever, Top Gear Live 2011 promises more petrol-induced mayhem, tyre-squealing noise, exotic metal and mad-cap stunts than ever before.

And it’s double-bubble this year as not only will visitors enjoy the tra-ditional mad-cap Arena Show with Clarkson, Hammond and May, they’ll be entertained by an 80 minute Track spectacular on the spe-cially devised Top Gear Live track.

The Lotus Motorsport config-ured tracks will feature a non-stop

10 The Auto Press

schedule of noise and action includ-ing the new McLaren MP4-12C, Lamborghini Aventador, Ferrari 599 GTO, McLaren F1 and Aston Mar-tin V12 Vantage.

Also, Top Gear wouldn’t be the same without The Stig showing off his unique skills on power-laps around the indoor tracks at Birmingham’s NEC and ExCeL London this No-vember (11-13 and 24-27 respective-ly). Other highlights on the track will include demonstrations from friends of the show Sabine Schmitz, Tiff Needell, Derek Bell plus a unique rendition of Stars in a Reasonably Priced Car with special guests in-cluding Radio & TV presenter, Chris Evans.

To keep up-to-date and for the chance to win exclusive behind the scenes experiences, keep an eye on facebook.com/TopGearLiveUK, Twitter @TopGearLiveUK and www.topgearlive.co.uk

Tickets start at just £49. For more information about the show or to book tickets visit www.topgearlive.co.uk or call 0871 230 5588.

CITROËN DRIVES DOWN THE COST OF MOTORING WITH FREE FUEL OFFERFrom 1 October to 31 December customers can drive away a new Cit-roën with free fuel for a year.

Retail and selected business custom-ers who take advantage of this high value offer on C1, C3, C3 Picasso, New C4, C4 Picasso or Grand C4 Picasso models will be sent a pre-loaded MasterCard® debit card to cover the cost of fuel for a year’s mo-toring. The monetary amount on the pre-loaded card is calculated for each individual model based on its combined cycle fuel economy over an annual mileage of 10,000 miles.

The new offer, worth up to £1,500, will be welcome news for motorists looking to further drive down their fuel costs.

Citroën boasts an ever cleaner, greener and more efficient range, so even after all the free fuel has been used, future petrol or diesel costs can be kept to a minimum. Models

such as the stylish C3 and New C4 already deliver impressive fuel econ-omy of up to 78.5mpg and 74.3mpg respectively.

Many Citroën vehicles also benefit from free road tax thanks to sub 100g/km CO2 emissions. The fam-ily sized New C4 emits as little as 98g/km CO2- one of the lowest out-puts for a vehicle of its size.

This quarter, with such a wide range of models to choose from, qualifying customers can take advantage of this fuel-saving deal on a stylish and ef-ficient new Citroën that’s perfect for their needs.

Find out more at www.citroen.co.uk

SSANGYONG KORANDO LAUNCHES IN THE UK WITH 5 YEAR LIMITLESS MILEAGE WARRANTY“This warranty is designed to be to-tally transparent and give our cus-tomers complete peace of mind,” says Paul Williams, CEO of SsangYong Motor UK. “With SsangYong, ‘lim-itless’ means just that: not the 60,000 maximum mileage condition that some brands impose in their small print.”

All the major mechanical compo-nents on the car are covered includ-ing wheel bearings, suspension joints and bushes, steering joints, shock ab-sorbers and even the audio system. Wearable components such as clutch discs and brake friction materials which could have their life reduced by poor driving are covered for one year or 12,000 miles, and the battery and paintwork for three years.

Furthermore, the warranty applies to the car not the purchaser, so provid-ing the service record is maintained it can be transferred no matter how many times the vehicle is sold within that five year period. It also includes all SsangYong approved accessories fitted by a SsangYong dealer, such as tow bars.

“We believe that the Korando’s low purchase price from just £16,995, great build quality, high specification

and now a watertight warranty will be a compelling combination that anyone looking to purchase a new crossover will find difficult to ignore. We have complete confidence in this new product and believe this war-ranty demonstrates that clearly to our customers,” added Mr Williams.

The 5 year limitless warranty will also apply to the 2012 specification SsangYong Rexton off roader and Rodius MPV.

SsangYong UK model line-up

Korando - Designed for Europe in Europe by Giorgetto Giugiaro of Ital Design, the new SsangYong Ko-rando offers a highly contemporary look.

Powered by a Euro 5 2.0 litre die-sel engine delivering excellent fuel economy and impressive 157g/km CO2 emissions, this brand new 175PS diesel engine makes Korando one of the most powerful in its class. With the choice of two wheel drive or four wheel drive and a full two tonne towing capacity, Korando offers the practicality of a 4x4/SUV, the acces-sibility of a family hatchback, and the capability to go from muddy campsite to urban school run.

SsangYong’s hallmark competitive pricing and comprehensive specifi-cation will pitch the all new Koran-do against competitors from brands such as Hyundai, Kia, Mitsubishi and Nissan.

There will be five models from launch, with the option of 6 speed manual, 6 speed automatic and a choice of trim levels - S, ES and EX.

With its comprehensive warranty and low running costs, the Korando will also set a new benchmark of

affordability in the rapidly growing compact crossover segment.

Prices start from £16,995.

For full details of the Korando equip-ment list click here: http://www.ssangyonggb.co.uk/Korando-Equip-ment and for technical specifications click here: http://www.ssangyonggb.co.uk/Korando-Technical

Rexton - The seven seat Rexton off roader is available as the 270 S with manual or automatic transmission, and 270 EX with automatic trans-mission as standard. On the road prices start from £19,995.

A commercial variant, the Rexton CS is also available with two seats, a 2.2 cubic metre load area and either manual of automatic transmission. Prices start from £16,399 (exclud-ing VAT and on the road charges).

Rodius - The seven seat Rodius MPV is available as the 270 S manual, the 270 ES with a choice of either man-ual or automatic transmission, and the top specification 270 EX with all wheel drive and automatic trans-mission. All models have seven seats as standard and a generous luggage area, and on the road prices start from just £14,995.

Further new models will be an-nounced in 2012.

Korando

11The Auto Press

FORD SYNC TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS JIMMY CARR AND JAY LENO TO PERFORM ‘SIT-DOWN’ GIG ACROSS THE ATLANTICTwo of comedy’s biggest stars –sepa-rated by six thousand miles – have been brought together using Ford SYNC technology, as part of the Ford of Britain Centenary Tour.

Comedy stars Jimmy Carr and Jay Leno have taken part in an unusual

gig, live from the front seats of two Ford Focus cars, communicating across the Atlantic using Ford’s Wi-Fi-enabled SYNC system. Leno was parked in Hollywood in Los Ange-les, with Carr outside the Corn Ex-change in King’s Lynn, in Norfolk.

“It’s great to do something that is cutting edge, to chat about cars, gadgets and have a laugh,” said Carr, who leapt at the chance to get to-gether with one of the kings of Amer-ican stand-up.

Ford SYNC Wi-Fi capability uses an external USB broadband mo-dem, plugged into the vehicle’s me-dia system, effectively turning it into a rolling Wi-Fi hot spot. By broad-casting a secure wireless connection throughout the vehicle, Ford SYNC allows up to 5 passengers with Wi-Fi-enabled mobile devices to access the signal.

Carr and Leno used this signal to run Skype on their iPad 2’s, allowing them to video-call each other from across the Atlantic.

Jay Leno, said: “Bad cars don’t re-ally exist so car makers are increas-ing looking for ways to make their models stand out. The one place we spend more time than anywhere except our house or office is the car. It’s not a surprise people want the same gadgetry on the road.”

Since the introduction of the Ford SYNC system in the Focus, Ford has installed the system on more than 3 million vehicles. The system is cur-rently available on Ford vehicles in the US and scheduled to launch in the UK in 2012.

The Ford Centenary Tour comes to an end after one month, covering a distance of over 2,200 miles across Britain, from Inverness to South-ampton and Cardiff to London.

THE NEW 2012 KIA SOUL Kia’s urban crossover re-vised for the 2012 model year Increased performance with lower fuel consump-tion and improved emissions Six-speed transmis-sions standard on all versions New 1.6-litre petrol en-gine with direct-injection Significant upgrades in in-terior quality and specification Two trim grades plus two new ‘Soul Originals’

Priced from £12,495 On sale from 3rd October

Kia’s innovative and hugely suc-cessful urban crossover, the Soul, has been refreshed from top to bot-tom for the 2012 model year. New or revised 1.6-litre engines and the introduction of a six-speed gearbox on all models improve performance while lowering fuel consumption, emissions and running costs. The distinctive and highly original exte-rior styling is now even sharper while continuing to emphasise Kia’s obses-sion with quality. This is reflected in the cabin, where changes to the fas-cia, console and trim raise standards even higher. And all versions have more equipment.

The revised model is now on sale of-fering a choice of two regular trim grades, badged Soul 1 and Soul 2, and two ‘Soul Originals’, the Hunter and Quantum. ‘Soul Originals’ is a rolling programme of special ver-sions with unique styling and trim, changed at regular intervals.

Lifestyle-driven, but practical with it Soul is an urban crossover – small enough to be ideally suited to the world's urban jungles, but totally different to conventional, workday small cars. By combining the charm and desirability of the MINI and Fiat 500 with a hint of SUV rugged-ness, Soul opened up an entirely new market sub-segment when it first ap-peared in 2008.

Like conventional superminis, Soul is a five-door, five-seat front-wheel-drive hatchback. But within those parameters, it defies convention thanks to its fun-to-drive character, expressive interior and a seating ar-rangement which offers the flexibil-ity of a medium-sized MPV or SUV within the footprint of a supermini.

Soul's style is 'tough not rough'. It has a high bonnet with rounded forms, bulging wheel arches and a wide track. The wheel arches are joined by a body side crease, while the roofline appears to slope gently down to the tailgate. The beltline, which rises from the front wheel arch to create a gentle wedge shape, is continued under and around the third side window. There are deco-rative air vents in the front wings, these incorporate sleek side repeat-ers on the entry-level version.

For 2012, Soul’s rugged charm has been given an even sportier twist with changes to the grilles, lights, front bodywork and wheels. A new bumper with a wider, lower air in-take changes the proportions of the car and gives it a wider stance, and the grilles are now set off with cu-bic effect inserts which give it a more premium look. The new front grille is reflected at the rear, where a large tusk-shaped section in the bumper helps to visually stretch the width of the car.

The vertical rear light clusters have been revised and incorporate brake lights that wrap around the side of the car, while daytime running lights – bulb-type in Soul 1 and 2 and LED in the two ‘Soul Originals’ – add a touch of style to the black bezel headlamp units and make the car easier to see. The rear light pattern on models with LED rear lamps is identical to that on the 2006 Detroit Show Soul concept to which the pro-duction model so faithfully adheres.

Soul 1 now has body-coloured door handles and mirrors and a top-tint-ed windscreen, while Soul 2 gains muscular surrounds around its front foglights, 16-inch alloy wheels and folding electric door mirrors con-taining stylish indicator repeaters.

Jay Leno chats with Jimmy Carr from across...

Jimmy Carr in the UK talking to Jay Leno...

12 The Auto Press

All versions are 15mm longer than before to accommodate the new powertrains under the bonnet, yet remain extremely compact at 4.12 metres long.

The practical and spacious interior features a totally redesigned centre fascia, centre console and gearshifter which improve both usability and the feeling of quality. The uphol-stery in Soul 1 continues to be styl-ish all-black cloth, while Soul 2 has a new design of luminous ‘Soul Shine’ cloth. Soul Hunter is trimmed in either black or beige, depending on the exterior colour specified, with matching tartan colour trim that adds a charming and fun flavour to the interior. Soul Quantum is trimmed in luxurious black leather.

More performance with lower running costs Soul was the first Kia to use an all-new platform that has since been adopted in modified form for Kia’s other B-segment models, the Venga and new Rio. It is powered by two 1.6-litre engines – a new direct-in-jection (GDi) petrol unit developing 138bhp – up 14bhp on the previous 1.6-litre – and a modified 126bhp turbodiesel (CRDi). A six-speed manual gearbox replaces the five-speed unit previously used, while the CRDi engine is optionally available with a six-speed automatic in place of the former four-speed transmission.

The new powertrains bring signifi-cant gains in performance, economy and running costs. The diesel man-ual is now 0.6 seconds quicker from rest to 60mph (10.3 seconds), while more than 3mpg more fuel-efficient (57.6mpg). This is sufficient to bring its CO2 emissions down by 8g/km to 129g/km, which means owners are exempt from Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) in the car’s first year.

The new petrol engine and six-speed gearbox combination, meanwhile, ensures the Soul delivers sparkling performance with impressively spar-ing use of fuel. It can accelerate from standstill to 60mph in 10 seconds, while its official combined-cycle economy is 44.1mpg. With CO2 emissions of 149g/km, it sits in band F for VED, which saves owners £35 a year compared with the previous model. Both engines deliver the out-standing torque vital to modern UK motoring, with excellent power for motorway use.

Soul has a long wheelbase and wide track, with inherent benefits for sta-ble handling and a comfortable ride. The suspension of right-hand-drive models was fine-tuned in the UK ahead of the car’s initial launch. Soul was the first of several Kias to have followed this path, recognising the particular characteristics of UK roads. It has Kia’s motor-driven electronic power-assisted steering, which contributes three per cent to fuel savings compared with a con-ventional engine-driven hydrau-lic rack-and-pinion system. Power assistance is provided only when needed, reducing power draw on the engine.

Soul comes as standard with elec-tronic stability control (ESC) and anti-lock brakes (ABS) with elec-tronic brake force distribution (EBD). ESC intervenes to prevent skids by braking one or more wheels, reducing engine power or both if sensors detect the car may be in dan-ger of going out of control. EBD, meanwhile, automatically ensures that stopping power is directed to the four wheels in such a way as to ensure the car is brought to a halt in the shortest possible distance.

For 2012 these safety measures have been supplemented by Vehicle Sta-bility Management (VSM) and Hill-start Assist Control (HAC). VSM uses the ESC sensors to detect when one side of the car is traversing a more slippery surface than the other, such as when there is ice, stranding water or wet leaves at the edge of the road. It then intervenes to stabilise the car. HAC holds the car on its brakes when setting off on inclines until the driver touches the accelera-tor pedal. In this way it is impossible for the car to roll backwards.

All the advantages of an SUV with none of the disadvantages The first thing Soul drivers will no-tice, particularly those downsizing from an SUV or MPV, is the familiar command-post driving position. The cockpit is compact and sporty, with a thick-rimmed four-spoke steering wheel and a three-dial instrument cluster beneath a tightly-curved cowling. Yet Soul is anything but a self-indulgent car. The unusually high roofline, which has its highest point just above the windscreen, and generous wheelbase, may lend Soul a bit of SUV attitude, but they also give the interior cavernous space.

In keeping with Soul's rebellious, individual and urban character, Kia has ensured that every model has a six-speaker audio system capable of being linked to digital music play-ers or other portable music devices. From Soul 2 upwards, an iPod ca-ble is standard, and all models now have steering wheel-mounted audio controls. Further up the range, the hi-fi grows to eight speakers, includ-ing a boot-mounted subwoofer and a dashboard centre speaker, and is powered by an external amplifier.

The standard specification is gener-ous, with air conditioning, all-round electric windows, remote central locking and six airbags fitted to eve-ry model. The 2012 Soul 1 gains Bluetooth with voice control, and sun visors with illuminated mirrors in addition to remote audio con-trols, electric mirrors, body-coloured door handles and a top-tinted wind-screen. Soul 2 has new 16-inch al-loys, unique upholstery and folding mirrors. To top it off, all versions have Kia’s pioneering seven-year, 100,000 miles warranty.

Hunter and Quantum – the latest ‘Soul Originals’ In the spirit of a fashion collection, the Originals are frequently updated with new colour schemes and speci-fications and have proved popular since the first trio appeared in 2009. Hunter and Quantum are the latest

to arrive and each brings a unique style and high level of specification.

In addition to the well-specified ‘2’ trim level, both of the new Originals gain metallic paint, distinctive LED daytime running lights, an uprated eight-speaker stereo system with ex-ternal amplifier and boot-mounted subwoofer, heated door mirrors and privacy glass to the rear windows and tailgate. Cruise control is stand-ard on automatic versions and will feature on manual versions from the end of the year.

The Hunter adds to this with 18” alloy wheels, an electrically oper-ated sunroof and a colour reversing camera which conveniently displays inside the rear view mirror when reverse gear is engaged. Hunter is available in Olive Green metallic, with a beige and tartan interior, or Moonlight Blue metallic with black and black tartan upholstery.

The Quantum is only available in Titanium Silver metallic and comes with 18” black five-spoke alloy wheels, piano black bumper inserts and chrome exterior door handles. On the inside is a black leather up-holstery, heated front seats, climate control and reverse parking sensors.

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