Weekly news round up
Auto Express runs through the most important stories of this jam-packed week
It’s been a little busy in the motoring world this week with the LA and Tokyo Motor Shows opening their doors at the same time. Happily, Auto Express has created this handy round up of the most important news and reveals to occur this week.
Jaguar F-Type Coupe revealed
We knew the Jaguar F-Type Coupe was coming after seeing spy shots of the new Porsche 911 rival testing but now the wraps have finally been taken off the new Coupe at the Tokyo Motor Show. It shares the same engines as the convertible model but the hardtop range also sees the introduction of a more hardcore R version with 542bhp, priced at £85,000. The range starts at £51,235, around £7,000 less than the drop top model.
Read more: Jaguar F-Type Coupe price and release date revealed
Porsche Macan unveiled
Another hugely important motor show debutant was Porsche’s new baby SUV, the Macan. It poised to be the German manufacturers best selling car and will be taking on the likes of the Audi Q5 and BMW X3 for customer orders. Three new V6 engines will be available in the Macan, ranging from 255bhp to 394bhp. Priced from £43,300, sales have already started, with first deliveries set to take place in April next year.
Read more: Porsche Macan revealed at LA Motor Show
2014 MINI Cooper
It’s been a huge week for the automotive industry and the unveiling of the new MINI was one of the most significant. The new third-generation model is bigger, bolder, more hi-tech and comes with a brand new engine range. A March 2014 release date has been set, with a starting price of £15,300 – that represents around a 2 per cent increase over the outgoing model.
Read more: MINI Cooper 2014: release date, price & specs revealed
New Mercedes C-Class spied undisguised
The new C-Class isn’t expected to be unveiled until the Detroit Motor Show in January but our spies spotted a completely undisguised version filming a TV advert in North America. It looks like a downscaled version of the flagship S-Class and that’s no bad thing. The entry-level model is expected to be kicked off with a 1.6-litre diesel engine borrowed from Nissan, with prices likely to start from around £29,000.
Read more: New Mercedes C-Class spied undisguised
Nissan GT-R Nismo reveal and drive
No sooner had Nissan revealed the supercar slaying 591bhp GT-R Nismo than our very own Jack Rix had got behind the wheel. The GT-R Nismo is the most extreme version of the already rapid GT-R, now able to hit 62mph in 2.4 seconds; faster than pretty much anything else on the road. The Nismo model benefits from an aero package, including a huge carbon fibre rear wing and a power increase. It will arrive in the UK but in very limited numbers, with a price tag in excess of £100,000.
Read more: Nissan GT-R Nismo review
Tokyo Motor Show videos
Auto Express was reporting live from the Tokyo Motor show and produced a number of videos on the most significant cars to be unveiled, including the Toyota FCV, BMW 4 Series Convertible and the Lexus RC Coupe. You can view all the videos by clicking the link below.
Watch here: Tokyo Motor Show 2013 review
Honda Civic Type R review
Honda has made no secret about the development of a new Civic Type R and we’ve already driven the prototype. Unlike the free-revving naturally aspirated model, which it will replace, the new Type R will be going down the turbocharged route to help reduce emission and improve fuel economy. It will produce in excess of 270bhp from a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine and two other blown motors will join the Honda range. A downsized 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo engine and a 1.5-litre four cylinder will be added to the lineup, although the cars they will be fitted to has not yet been announced.
Read more: Honda Civic Type R 2015 review