Autoblog UK

Porsche have always operated on the basic principle of supplying thoroughbred driving machines to motoring purists. This is particularly true of the legendary RS models. In its latest incarnation as the 911 GT3 RS, a member of the revamped 997 series, Porsche have once again demonstrated a sense for what is essential, giving customers the option of a lithium-ion battery which, by comparison with the conventional lead battery, offers a weight saving of over ten kilos. However, it seems that they are unable to resist making compromises: electric windows, automatic climate control and radio come as standard. You can specifically 'unorder' the radio and climate control to get closer to the ideal of the unadulterated racer. But why on earth would anyone want electrically operated windows, electrically adjustable mirrors, electric unlocking on bonnet and boot, and central locking? Away with this clutter! Dear Porsche, your new RS is great, but spare us all the gimmicks with this definitive 911. The softies at the luxury end of the market can always buy themselves a Bentley.

Every New Year, sales of calendars boom and men's hearts beat faster at the sight of the glossy pictures produced by Pirelli, Hugh Hefner or some other nice publisher. The month indicated is relatively unimportant. It's the girls that make the year bearable. Of course, it doesn't always have to be naked flesh hanging there on the wall. The sight of heavy construction equipment also appeals to the boy inside of every man. Childhood memories of playing in the sandpit are rekindled. Twelve of these fascinating monsters were photographed by Bauforum24 for Heavy Equipment Calendar 2010. Take a quick look at the gallery...

The Finns are extremely fond of motor sport. Rallying in particular attracts many followers in Finland. Many of us wonder why so many good rally drivers hail from that country. Some say, it's a result of the relative isolation and the huge distances between places: drivers can routinely find deserted minor roads and hone their skills undisturbed. Others think it's the Viking blood coursing through their veins that makes them fearless. Maybe it's simply the sheer boredom of life in Finland that brings out the devil in them. The following video clip shows Finns blithely hurtling around rally stages.

The new compact 5008 MPV is Peugeot's fourth new offering this year. They're really putting their foot down at Peugeot. Despite the credit crunch, new registrations are up for the French manufacturer with the lion on the bonnet. Their success is down to an extensive small-car line-up and a large range of low-emission vehicles, plus their efforts at breaking into new segments of the market, as with the new Peugeot 5008. Pleasing, flexible and offering good value for money, the car takes consumers by surprise. Fans of the marque have had to wait a long time for such an MPV. All good things are worth waiting for... so the saying goes. How true when referring to the 5008.

Mitsubishi launched their i-MiEV e-car in Japan during the summer 2009. An agreement was signed this autumn with the French PSA Group to build two sister models based on the i-MiEV for the European market. Peugeot's iOn will get its chance towards the end of 2010. Citroën has dubbed its version the C-Zero.

Some details about the C-Zero have now been released. Designed primarily for urban use and purely electric driven, it doesn't use petrol nor emit CO2. The vehicle simply glides quietly along the road. Citroën's e-car has a state-of-the-art, lithium-ion battery pack stowed amidships providing juice for a 64bhp synchronous motor. The C-Zero has a range of around 80 miles (130km) on a fully charged battery.

There's going to be an addition to Volkswagen's luxury marque. The Veyron supercar is getting a big brother. The model is still at the design stage but is now being presented to customers around the world. With the Bugatti 16C Galibier, the manufacturer intends to offer a saloon as well at a future date.

First pictures show that this Bugatti has an elegant shape with a long bonnet, which opens on both sides. This high-class motor car has the obligatory two-tone colour paint job. Doors and wings are made of polished aluminium, the remaining bodywork is carbon fibre. And the rear is sheer poetry. In the cockpit, your gaze immediately alights on the small round gauges. And what do you see? A speedo needle that goes up to 260mph! The Galibier is four-wheel drive and, as in the Veyron, power comes from an 8-litre, 16-cylinder 1,001bhp engine with two-stage supercharging.

The latest E-Class range is gaining an additional model in the shape of the traditional T model estate. This vehicle is popular mainly in Germany, and the home market continues to take around half of all the E-Class Estates produced. But the numbers sold will probably never overtake those of the saloon. Whereas with other manufacturers, estate cars often outsell saloons of similar construction, the E-Class Estate is a vehicle for discerning individuals. In some respects, the estate car is a more exclusive version of an E-Class, just like the coupé. That's shown rather impressively in that 50% of buyers are self-employed and 25% are managers, and by the fact that the T version is mainly for leisure and family use.

An Audi TTS will race in the legendary Pikes Peak Race, without a driver at the helm. That's the ambitious aim of a team of students from Stanford. First efforts on a salt lake have proved successful with the car reaching 210 km/h (135mph). Shelley, the autonomous Audi, gets its name from the best-known and most successful rally ace, Michelle Mouton, who was the first woman to win the Pikes Peak race.

Early next year, Shelley will cover the course with driver, so that software can be programmed with live data. The race proper takes place on 27th June 2010. It won't be easy, as the famous rally circuit snakes its way 20 kilometres up a mountain around 156 turns.

A quite special hot rod was on display at the SEMA Tuning show, a1934 Ford EcoBoost Hot Rod. This superb example is from tuning company, Detroit Street Rods. It's the first rear-wheel-drive EcoBoost car ever. Under its blue bonnet, a 3.5-liter V6 lump from Ford's EcoBoost range pumps out a colossal 400bhp. A ZZ Top album is ready and waiting in the CD player.

As with the supercars, the Golden Steering Wheel for MPVs was decided by readers' votes. Of the six vehicles in the frame, four were French. The Renault Scenic notched up 30.6% of over 250,000 readers' votes in 25 countries. The cars up for an award were: the Fiat Fiorino Qubo, Peugeot 3008 and 5008, Renault Kangoo Be Bob, the Scenic and the Toyota Verso.