New Renault Twingo RS 133 and Clio RS 200 Silverstone GP Limited Editions

British consumers will have one more choice when it comes to Renault’s Twingo Renaultsport 133 and the Clio Renaultsport 200 hot hatches as the French firm has added yet another trim level to their range in the form of the ‘Silverstone GP’ limited editions.

Named after the country’s most famous motor racing circuit and home of the British Grand Prix, both models were specifically created for the UK market, with only 50 of each offered for sale from July 1.

Both the Twingo RS 133 and Clio RS 200 ‘Silverstone GP’ sit on a lowered Cup Chassis and feature a silver metallic paint and contrasting ‘Deep Black’ details, including 17-inch alloy wheels (‘Speedline’ on the Clio), roof and door mirrors.

The two limited edition hot hatches also feature extra-tinted rear windows and Silverstone GP B-pillar badges inscribed with the new grand prix circuit map, while the Twingo benefits from a matching ‘Deep Black’ rear spoiler, fog light surrounds and a new full stainless steel exhaust system as well.

Inside, both models gain a unique numbered interior plaque (1-50), Renaultsport Monitor onboard performance tracking system and grey and black Renaultsport carpet mats, while the Clio also features Renaultsport Recaro front seats, Bluetooth and multi-functional TunePoint for portable music players.

In addition, owners will also receive a free Renaultsport Experience at Silverstone to try out their cars.

On-the-road pricing has been set at £14,995 for the Twingo RS 133 version and £19,995 for the Clio RS 200 model.

PHOTO GALLERY

Chevrolet Announces UK Prices for the Camaro, Starts from £34,995 (US$56,040)

The Camaro is the centerpiece of Chevrolet’s display at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which begun today. And the company thought it was the perfect opportunity to announce the pricing of its UK-bound muscle car that will be available in early 2012.

The Camaro with the V8 engine starts from £34,995 (US$56,040) in coupe trim and from £39,995 (US$64,060) for the convertible, both with a manual transmission. If you want an automatic gearbox, you’ll have to add another £1,500 (US$2,400). In the U.S., the V8 model starts from US$31,070, which is equal to £19,400.

Available only in left-hand drive, the Camaro is powered by a 6.2-litre V8 which is rated in Europe at 432-horses, while Chevrolet claims that the suspension has been specifically tuned for European roads.

The UK-specification Camaro boasts a comprehensive standard equipment list that includes Brembo brakes, 20-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, full leather upholstery, a Boston Acoustics 9-speaker audio system and Bluetooth connectivity.

And then there’s, of course, the options list with things like a choice of premium bodywork colors, bonnet stripes, interior trim, a sunroof and polished alloy wheels.

PHOTO GALLERY

Renault Fluence Z.E. Priced £17,850 OTR after £5,000 Plug-In Car Grant in the UK

Following the announcements on UK pricing for the Kangoo Van Z.E. and Twizy, Renault today confirmed prices for its third pure-electric model, the Fluence Z.E. ahead of its launch in the market in 2012.

The four-door, five seat Fluence Z.E. saloon will carry an on-the-road price of £22,850, which drops to £17,850 (US$28,500) after the £5,000 UK Plug-In Car Grant has been deducted.

Buyers will also have to lease the batteries with pricing set at £75 (US$120) per month based on 6,000 miles/3 years. The French firm said additional mileage and contract length details will be available closer to vehicle’s launch.

Renault said the Fluence Z.E. is the most affordable electric car in Britain (not counting quadricycles like its own Twizy or the G-Wiz) undercutting its rivals by a “sizeable margin”. As an example, the French firm gave the Mitsubishi i-Miev electric mini that costs £6,140 more than the Fluence Z.E. at £23,990 (US$38,302).

The zero-emissions French sedan is powered by an electric motor that develops 70kW (95-horses) of power and 226Nm (167 lb-ft) of instant torque on tap, with its lithium-ion battery offering a driving range of up to 115 miles or 185 kilometers.

The launch model will be offered in a single trim level called Prime Time. Standard features include 16-inch alloy wheels, climate control, cruise control, ecoMeter and Carminat TomTom Live smart satellite navigation, and charging sockets on both front wings.

The French marque has already began accepting pre-reservations for its pure electric saloon via www.renault-ze.com with a £20 reserve.

PHOTO GALLERY

Nissan Celebrates Production of 1 Million Qashqai Crossovers, will Give Away the Landmark Vehicle

Four years, six months and 23 days after the first Qashqai small crossover rolled off the Sunderland Plant’s production line in the UK on December 5, 2006, Nissan has passed the 1 million milestone.

The Japanese automaker said the Qashqai is “easily the highest-volume car produced in the UK” adding that no other car in Britain has reached the one million mark in such a short period.

“The Nissan Qashqai has been a phenomenal success since its start of production just four and a half years ago,” said Kevin Fitzpatrick, Nissan Vice President for Manufacturing in the UK.

The company plans to put the landmark vehicle, a silver 2.0-litre diesel TEKNA Qashqai, on display at The O₂ Arena in London and then have one lucky person win the special car. Nissan said it will soon announce further details on the competition.

Currently, around 1,200 examples of the Qashqai are built every day at the plant, or about one every minute that the production line is open, with more than 80 percent of the vehicles destined for export to 97 markets across the world.

The Qashqai is the fourth best-selling model in the C-segment, which includes cars like the VW Golf, Renault Megane and Ford Focus, across Europe in the 2010 Fiscal Year. Its top five markets were the UK, Italy, Germany, Spain and France.

PHOTO GALLERY

Audi UK Celebrates 24h of Le Mans Win with R8 V8 Limited Edition

Earlier this month, Audi snagged its tenth victory at the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans marathon race with the R18 TDI and to mark the event, the firm’s UK division has churned out a special edition version of the R8 V8 sports car with a unique paint and enhanced standard equipment.

The R8 V8 Limited Edition is reserved exclusively for UK customers, with only 100 examples currently scheduled for production. It is available to order from July in coupe form only and with either manual or R tronic automated manual transmission priced from £93,935 OTR.

Exterior highlights include bespoke titanium-effect paintwork, which is available alongside all normally optional metallic and pearl effect paint options, matching color 19-inch alloy wheels inspired by the R8 GT Coupe and red brake calipers.

There’s also an optional Carbon Package, which adds carbon sigma sideblades, door mirrors, monoposto, inlays and door sill trims plus an engine cover.

The Limited Edition’s interior is marked out by the crimson red accents to the black leather seats, headrests, knee pads and passenger door handles along with red stitching on the flat bottomed, leather-covered multi-function steering wheel and instrument cowl.

The stainless steel pedals, illuminated door sills with bright aluminium inserts carrying the R8 logo and the new floor mats with a red surround complete the styling changes.

In addition to the standard features found on the R8 V8 Coupe, the Limited Edition model includes satellite navigation, the Audi Music Interface (AMI), an interior light package and a premium Bang and Olufsen sound system, as well as mobile phone preparation via a Bluetooth interface with integrated seat-belt microphones.

The only mechanical upgrade concerns the addition of the Audi magnetic ride adaptive suspension system.

As with the standard R8, the Limited Edition is motivated by a directly injected 4.2-litre engine with 430-horses that allows the sports car to go from 0 to 62mph (100km/h) in 4.6 seconds in both manual and R tronic automated manual versions and reach a top speed of 187mph (301 km/h).

PHOTO GALLERY

New Jaguar XF 2.2 Diesel Goes from Birmingham to Munich on One Tank of Fuel

Jaguar is touting it’s new diesel-powered XF 2.2D saloon as the most fuel-efficient model in its history and to back its claims, the company set out to complete a journey from its factory at Castle Bromwich in Birmingham, UK, to Munich, Germany, on a single tank of fuel.

The British company manages to achieve its goal, with the four-cylinder XF covering a distance of 816 miles or 1,312 kilometers on 64 liters of diesel fuel, which gives an average fuel economy of 57mpg UK, equal to 4.9 lt/100km and 47.5 mpg US.

David Madgwick, an independent tester, accompanied by navigator Alexander Madgwick, drove the vehicle, which left Jaguar’s facilities with a little over 3,000-miles on the clock.

The crew was met in Munich by Chief Programme Engineer for the XF, Andy Whyman, who commented:

“The entire development team is very proud of what the new XF 2.2 has achieved – this not only proves the efficiency of the new model but underlines that performance and economy can be combined,” said Andy Whyman, Chief Programme Engineer for the XF.

The new Jaguar XF 2.2D is powered by an updated version of the Ford-sourced 2.2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine found in the Land Rover Freelander and the European-market Ford Mondeo.

It produces 190-horses and 332 lbs ft of torque allowing the XF to accelerate from naught to 62mph (100km/h)in 8.5-seconds before reaching a top speed of 140mph (225 km/h).

The four-pot is connected to a new eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox and, in a first for Jaguar, a Stop-Start system.

It will join the rest of the facelifted XF range in Europe this September.

PHOTO GALLERY