As famous Chevrolets go there are quite a few. Do Bel-Air, Camaro or Corvette ring any bells? However the most famous Chevrolet this side of the pond is the not very exciting.. the Lacetti, thanks to its starring role as the reasonably priced car on Top Gear. Chevrolet’s lack of fame here is predominantly due to them selling rebranded Daewoos that in truth are not very good. As a result Chevvy have not really solidified their brand image in Britain. But it might not be long until they do, as 2012’s new range of cars looks rather good, in particular the new Captiva, an unashamedly American SUV.

2012 Chevrolet Captiva 7 Seater

Let’s start with something that Chevrolet have always got right, as hinted at by Top Gear, their cars are most certainly reasonably priced. The new Captiva starts at £21,995 which for a hulking great SUV is astonishing, especially compared to its rivals. Land Rovers Freelander 2 starts at over 22k, Audi’s Q5 at 28k and BMW’s X3 at an eye watering 31k. Many people will argue of course that the Chevvy is cheap because, well, it is cheap. This might have been true in the past but Chevrolet has pulled out all the stops to try and build the Captiva out of better quality and more durable materials than before. Engine wise the Captiva’s moved up in the world too. It features an all-new 2.2 litre turbo diesel unit which is both more powerful and more efficient than the ones in the last generation. The new engine comes in 2 states of tune; the base FWD Captiva LS getting a 163bhp version while the 4WD models get 184bhp. Both engines get almighty slugs of torque 350 and 400Nm respectively (perfect for towing) and will return more than 40mpg in the process. Every model also gets the choice of either a 6 speed manual or automatic transmission, perfect for motorway cruising. So far the new car is shaping up to be rather good and I haven’t even got to the best bits yet.

For your not very costly outlay, the Captiva comes packed with extras, so many in fact that it’s almost pointless ticking anything on the options list. The base LS model comes with 17” alloys, air-con, 6 speaker stereo system with steering wheel controls, MP3 jack, a whole bunch of airbags and countless storage bins for all your families accumulated junk. Although as previously mentioned it is only FWD. However, if its versatility and practicality you’re after, the best model to go for is the (still excellent value) LT at £27,695. For that price you get all the LS’s equipment plus, a rather handy 4WD system, 7 incredibly versatile seats, climate control, trip computer and part leather interior. A rather good feature of this aforementioned seven seat car is that 6 of them can be folded flat in order to create an absolutely humongous load capacity, brilliant if you have a penchant for buying second hand surfboards.

Previous UK Chevrolets lacked any visual impact whatsoever; the same cannot be said for the new Captiva. It is big and quite definitely American in every single way. Now usually being American is not always a good thing but I think it works to the Captiva’s advantage. The big imposing grill, chiselled muscular edges and forward leaning stance all give the car real presence. The Captiva is the car equivalent of what happens if an American footballer was to walk into your local and order a Budweiser. His charm and bravado will repel some but undoubtedly attract many more, because underneath the good looks and athletic ability is actually a rather charming, friendly person. The new Captiva captures this aspect of America and Americans that previous Chevvy’s failed to and it is likely to win it a few fans. Sure its European competition might be beautifully engineered, designed and built but in the process they have all become a bit clinical, dull and in truth not very fun. The Captiva has avoided this, it’s big, versatile, charming and ready to take on the world, just like an American should be.

It might be clichéd to say but there is no denying that transporting your family in a high riding 4WD makes you feel at ease. And what better way to transport them, than in a car which has room for the grandparents, a bunch of bikes, enough torque to tow your house and good enough mpg to mean you don’t get to know the person at the petrol station by name. Not to mention leave you enough money in the first place to actually go on holiday to America. You could do a lot worse than get a new Captiva, especially with the chance of another artic winter on the way. Go and have a look, you might just be surprised.

In this deep dark time of austerity, where street lights are switched off at night and bins are only collected every second millennium because no one has any money, merger between two companies makes financial sense. No more so than in the motoring world, were the increasing cost of driving is making it impossible for manufactures to shift any of their new cars. Combining forces and ultimately assets, to work on joint projects in order to make an extra bit of cash is a jolly good idea. The latest company or should I say companies to join the likes of Fiat, Chrysler, Nissan, Renault and the whole of the VW Audi group in a joint project is Toyota and Subaru with the long awaited FT-86 and BRZ concepts.

Toyota FT-86

Toyota and Subaru in recent years have had a pretty dismal track record when it comes to exciting new cars. Toyota killed off the MR2, Celica and Supra, opting instead to produce stuff like the clever but utterly lacklustre Prius and totally un-urban Urban Cruiser. Subaru also seemed keen to kill off any macho reputation they once had, by turning the Impreza from burbling rally legend into an awful hatchback to try and take on the might of the Focus and Golf. So I think it goes without saying that the motoring world gave a collective sigh of relief when it became clear that the fruits of the Toyota/Subaru partnership would be a sports car, not a hum drum eco box.

So on to the sparse but very intriguing details. The Toyota FT-86 and Subaru BRZ will essentially be the same car in different states of tune with differing badges and wheels to distinguish between the two. More is known about the Toyota thanks to the link on their website, and its appearance in the Gran Turismo 5 Playstation game. The engine is a Subaru developed boxer unit mated to a six speed manual sending power to the back wheels through a limited slip differential (good start in my opinion). All the oily bits will be set as low and as close to the middle of the car as possible, so it should be quite an agile and well balanced little coupe. It will develop roughly 200bhp and weigh not much more than a postage stamp, adding to the speculation that it should be quite handy when confronted with a nice piece of tarmac. In terms of cost the Toyota will be the cheaper of the two sister cars at around 20k, not bad value for what sounds like an awesome little package. The Subaru BRZ is the more elusive of the two cars, all that’s known is it will cost a little bit more, probably 25k and for that money it is likely to come with a horsepower figure closer to 300bhp. However one thing that is certain is that there will be no fabled Subaru 4WD system, like the Toyota it too will be RWD.

Both cars get there official release at the Tokyo Motor show in November, so we don’t have long to wait to see what the production versions of both cars will look like. However, we can presume the Toyota won’t change much from the FT-86 concept. It has a classic coupe profile, long, low nose rising to a higher wide rear. A wide air intake and what look like gills with running lights at the front combined with flared arches make it look particularly aggressive.  At the rear twin exhausts, boot spoiler and a rear diffuser help set the car off.

The world awaits the official release of both the Toyota and Subaru, however based on what we can see of the Toyota and read about both cars I think they will go some way to resurrecting both companies rather bland brand image of late. It is also superb that in a time of little money and avid environmentalists two companies can come together, disregard current ideologies and build a fun, good looking, petrol powered, manual, RWD sports car. Well done “Tobaru”!

Car geeks are obsessed with concept cars and sneak previews. The Corsa VXR Nurburgring is no exception to this, the exciting small Vauxhall powerhouse was photographed at the German racing circuit itself in early 2010.

Vauxhall Corsa VXR Nurburgring Edition

Coming to a Vauxhall dealership near you this month, the Vauxhall Corsa VXR Nurburgring Edition will be priced from £22,995.  Not inexpensive and if that proves hard to swallow consider a quality used vauxhall. Having leased a Vauxhall Corsa 1.8, I know how crazy it can feel to have so much power underneath the bonnet of a small car. However this is more Saxo VTR / Clio Sport land than that. Well-off boy racers, you are reading the right blog. This VXR has 1.6 turbo engine, increased torque (up to 250-280 Nm) in excess of 200 bhp resulting in a 0.60mph of 6.5 seconds with a 145 mph top speed.

Considerable work  and testing has been carried out between the Luton mechanics and the Nurburgring racing track. Traction control, electronic stability, braking and chassis modifications have been made in order to deal with the increased PS. The brakes are brand new – Brembo brakes and so is the suspension which is provided by Blistein.

The Corsa VXR Nurburgring has impressive specification and headline stats but is potentially too dear. It is about £5K more expensive than the Clio Sport and that is very much the benchmark in the premium boy racing bracket. After another September where Ford have stolen the UK car market headlines, this is a well-timed development for General Motors as they look to challenge the leaders that possess the jewel in the crown that is the Ford Fiesta.

If crazily fast, small cars are your thing then definitely check out this new beast. Trusted Dealers have a huge co-operative of Vauxhall franchised dealers and will be displaying this vehicle in their showrooms later this month – click here to find your nearest new and used Vauxhall retailer.

First things first, this is not a new E-type Jaguar, it is according to Jaguar, a “sustainable sports car of the future”, that just happens to take more than a few visual cues from the 1960’s icon. The car itself is Jaguars C-X16 concept, a lightly disguised production ready road car, that Jaguar hopes, will take on the might of the Porsche 911 in the coming few years.

Jaguar C-X16 Review

The second thing to point out is that the C-X16 is not a replacement for the XK, it is a whole new car that will slot into Jag’s line up. Whereas the XK is unashamedly a Grand Tourer designed for eloping across Europe, the new car is designed to be an out and out sports car ready to scare the bejesus out of you.

Jaguar over recent years have become quite handy when it comes to wielding a design pencil, the XF, XJ and XK have all replaced their rather dated looking predecessors, rescuing the brand from the brink of financial meltdown. The C-X16 looks fit to continue this rebranding and I feel a closer look at it is required to understand its beauty and uncanny resemblance to the aforementioned E-Type. From side on the car has that typical long nose, short rear profile of the iconic coupe. It also features a gently sloping glass hatch that’s not all too dissimilar from the coupe E-type. That glass hatch leads down to the thin horizontal rear lights, which wrap around both sides of the car, stopping just before and above the rear wheels. At the bottom of the sculpted rear bumper sits a rather purposeful looking rear diffuser housing quad upswept exhausts at either side. From the front the C-X16 looks equally as good. Its swept back headlights and wide open grill make it look ever so slightly like the animal after which the company takes its name. From every angle the car looks fast, its bonnet’s bulge with little air scoops on either side give it a 70’s, muscle car feel and hint at the supercharged engine beneath, which funnily enough is the next part of the car that I feel needs exploring.

Engine wise, the C-X16 features a not too shabby, all new supercharged 3 litre V6. However, the C-X16 is an experimental hybrid, which means it’s got an electric motor too! Total power equates to 380bhp from the engine and 95bhp from the electric motor. It uses the electric motor in the same way as the KERS system in an F1 car, meaning that you can press a big shinny button to release a boost of power to get past any particularly slow moving traffic. Thanks to this instant torque of the electric motor, coupled to the V6, 0-62mph is dealt with in 4.4 seconds and top speed is limited to an adequately illegal 186mph. Despite the turn of speed, the icing on the cake for all this hybrid’ness is a city car rivalling mpg of 41 and low C02 emissions for a car of this class at 165g/km. Finally, what this also means is that the car can run on pure electric power at, according to Jaguar, up to 50mph. Pretty clever stuff I’m sure you’ll agree, but it doesn’t stop there. The car also features the obligatory stop/start system and electric regeneration to recharge itself. All the power and techy bits are hooked up to the rear wheels through Jaguars new 8 speed auto box with manual override, which has just debuted in the 2.2 diesel XF.

Jaguar C-X16 Concept car

Inside the C-X16’s very red interior there is an abundance of clever gadgetry, which hints at what sort of things Jags of the future will offer. There is a plug which can be used for connecting numerous types of smartphone, the touchscreen display in the centre consul then changes to reflect the specific phones layout. It then allows you to use the phones functions through the cars screen. Very clever stuff although totally useless if you still use a Nokia 3310. Having a touchscreen in the centre means that the need for masses of buttons is no longer, this gives the cabin a simple uncluttered and elegant appearance. The only major controls left, are the beautifully crafted aluminium heater knobs, gear selector and steering wheel of course!

Although this car is still officially a concept, the amount of real world technology, viable engine and performance figures, suggest it will become a production ready car sooner rather than later. It is likely to make a welcome addition to Jaguars line up and put more than just a worried thought into Porsche and Aston’s bosses heads, as this car will be major competition for the new 911 and now dated V8 Vantage. Although Jaguar insists it is not a new E-Type there are definitely some visual cues to the classic, which is in no means a bad thing. However Jag doesn’t need to worry, the C-X16 is definitely a unique, modern, sports car of the future.

The last couple of cars I have had a first look at were, shall we say a tad exotic. They were not exactly run of the mill everyday vehicular transport for the masses. So this time around I thought I’d tell you about the new Fiat Panda instead! The last Panda was a massive success for Fiat; single-handedly rescuing Fiat from building awful stuff like Stilo’s, that broke all the time, and taking them back to their roots of building simple honest fun little cars.

Fiat Panda 2012 First Look Review

The third generation of the Panda will hit the streets early in 2012 and from the pictures it is still recognisably a Panda, albeit slightly more bloated than the last one. It’s lost its angular edges, now sporting a rounder, chubby, smiling face. This theme continues along the car with big chunky wings and doors. However Fiat still manages to encompass those trademark flared Panda wheel arches. Round the back the Panda is still very flat, but now embraces Fiat’s design identity of a large black bump strip. This unfortunately makes the Panda look a bit like one of Fiat’s Doblo vans from behind. Never the less the car as a whole looks like it’s ready for the rough and tumble of the urban jungle if you will.

The bigger outside dimensions also mean that the Panda has grown on the inside too; however, this also has something to do with the clever packaging and design of the interior. The new car features incredibly skinny seat backs… how very interesting you might think, but they allow plenty of leg room for 3 back seat passengers. It’s very dull yet it’s very clever things like this that make the Panda so ingenious. For instance have you ever wanted to carry a long plank of wood but find your normal car is a bit too short? Not to worry, with the Panda you can fold the front passenger seat flat to carry one. Either that or use the back of the seat as a make shift table. Keeping on the interior note the new Panda will feature plenty of tech. Which is a far cry from the original panda, I would know, my dad owned one. The new one is the equivalent of bringing an ipad to a medieval jousting event. Tech includes, electric everything, power steering that can be switched to be uber light for city driving. It also has stop/start and auto emergency brakes that come on at anything up to 20mph if you’re about to hit a tree. The Panda can also be spec’d with a big panoramic sunroof if you so wish.

New Fiat Panda 2012 Review

Engine wise, the new Panda is available with Fiat’s excellently frugal Twinair two cylinder petrol engines, with either 64bhp or 84bhp in turbo’d form. It is also available with a 1.2 litre petrol (68bhp) and a 1.3 multijet diesel (74bhp), still both good in their own right.

To conclude then, the new Panda is bigger, rounder and cleverer than the old one. It also happens to be a million miles away from the 80’s original in terms of simplicity. However, times have moved on and it seems as if the Panda will continue to solidify Fiat’s growing reputation for funky, practical and frugal little cars. It’s basically a Fiat 500 for slightly less image conscious and slightly more practical people.