Top 5 news stories of the week
The Auto Express round-up of the five biggest news stories this week
1. BMW 2 Series Coupe revealed
BMW has officially unveiled the new 2 Series, which will replace the old 1 Series Coupe in the line-up. It will be publically unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show in January next year before hitting showrooms in March. The 2 Series is BMWs attempt at an Audi TT and Peugeot RCZ rival, and will come with a range of petrol and diesel engines from launch. As the 2 Series is more sports-orientated than the car it replaces, only the more powerful engines have been carried over from the 1 Series Coupe line-up. Prices are yet to be announced but they should start from around £21,000.
Read the full story: BMW 2 Series Coupe revealed
2. Mercedes C-Class interior revealed
The interior of the next-generation Mercedes C-Class has been revealed, showing a classy blend of wood, leather and brushed aluminium almost mirroring that of the executive S-Class saloon. A big TFT colour touch screen sits on top of the cascading centre console, operated by smartphone-type gestures and a scroll wheel. The Mercedes C-Class will be unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show next January.
Read the full story: Mercedes C-Class interior revealed
3. Honda S660 concept
Honda has just unveiled a new mid-engined concept, which will be showcased at the Tokyo Motor Show next month. Powered by a mid-mounted 660cc turbocharged three-cylinder engine producing 64bhp, the roadster will be rear-wheel drive and make its way to the Japanese market in 2015. A more powerful version could be made available in the UK at a later date but nothing has been confirmed as yet.
Read the full story: Honda S660 concept revealed
4. £100,000 VW XL1
The Volkswagen XL1 is set to cost owners around £100,000 when it goes on sale in the UK, the manufacturer has revealed. That’s almost double the price that was first anticipated for the plug-in hybrid. Only 200 models will be built, with a fraction of those expected to make their way over to the UK. Each model will be hand built from carbon fibre reinforced plastics but they will all be left-hand drive. Economy figures are claimed to 313mpg and CO2 emissions of only 20g/km.
Read the full story: VW XL1 to cost £100,000
5. McLaren P1 performance figures
Official performance figures for the McLaren P1 have been announced. The 903bhp hypercar will crack the sprint from 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds and continue on to a top speed of 217mph. Powered by a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8, The McLaren P1 will get from 0-124mph in 6.8 seconds and 0-186mph in 16.5 seconds. That last figure makes it a whole 5.5 seconds faster the infamous McLaren F1. Despite these blistering performance figures, the P1 will still return 34mpg and emit only 194 g/km of CO2.
Read the full story: McLaren P1 performance figures