Top 10: Irish car sales 2011

Despite continued bleak economic conditions, the Irish car market managed to grow slightly during 2011. Figures released by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry show that total registrations were 89,904, an increase of 1.7% compared to the previous year’s 88,373.



Around 12,000 of 2011’s sales were due to the scrappage scheme, which closed at the end of June. This gave Vehicle Registration Tax relief of €1,250 per new car, provided that the customer’s trade-in was at least ten-years-old.



While the Focus was the most popular model, Ford slumped to third place in the manufacturers’ rankings. That left Toyota to take the top spot, closely followed by Volkswagen.

Ireland's most popular car in 2011: The Ford Focus.

BMW slipped into the top ten, thanks mainly to 2,163 new 5 Series registrations. The entire Mercedes-Benz range combined couldn’t beat that performance, which contributed to BMW achieving a massive 37.7% year-on-year sales upsurge.



Even that wasn’t quite enough to beat rivals Audi, though, because it too experienced an impressive growth rate and ended the year with 3,464 registrations.



The other stand-out success was Hyundai, which posted 1,052 extra sales compared to 2010.

Top 10: Irish Car Sales 2011 - By Manufacturer
Position	Manufacturer	2011	2010	+/-	% +/-
1	Toyota	11,812	10,660	1,152	10.8%
2	Volkswagen	11,247	10,301	946	9.2%
3	Ford	10,519	11,215	-696	-6.2%
4	Renault	8,580	9,746	-1,166	-12.0%
5	Nissan	6,763	5,494	1,269	23.1%
6	Opel	6,387	6,603	-216	-3.3%
7	Škoda	4,651	4,915	-264	-5.4%
8	Hyundai	4,011	2,959	1,052	35.6%
9	Audi	3,464	2,723	741	27.2%
10	BMW	3,433	2,493	940	37.7%
Figures provided by SIMI Statistical Service

Top 10: Irish Car Sales 2011 - By Model
Position	Manufacturer	Model	Registrations
1	Ford	Focus	4,242
2	Volkswagen	Golf	3,980
3	Toyota	Avensis	3,661
4	Renault	Fluence	3,016
5	Volkswagen	Passat Saloon	2,975
6	Ford	Fiesta	2,953
7	Nissan	Qashqai	2,653
8	Toyota	Corolla	2,592
9	Renault	Mégane	2,530
10	Toyota	Yaris	2,311
Figures provided by SIMI Statistical Service

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Top 10: UK car sales 2011
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Shelby Anniversary Editions

Fifty years in business for a specialist manufacturer is something to celebrate, so it’s unsurprising that Shelby American is producing some special versions of its cars to mark its golden jubilee.



50th Anniversary Editions of the Shelby GTS, GT350 and GT500 Super Snake will be available, although just fifty white and fifty black examples of each are going to be built to guarantee exclusivity.

All come with gold stripes, special wheels, six-piston front brakes, 50th anniversary badges, unique interiors, a car cover and a special vehicle identification number. And that’s about it, which is a bit underwhelming, although buyers do also get to go to the Shelby factory in Las Vegas for a handover ceremony.



Starting prices for the post-title 50th Anniversary Edition packages range from $19,995 for the GTS V6 to $59,995 for the GT500 Super Snake, plus the cost of the base Mustang.



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2012 NACTOY winners

The Land Rover Range Rover Evoque has been declared the 2012 North American Truck of the Year.



Awarded 254 points by the jury of fifty automotive journalists from across Canada and the United States, the Evoque achieved an emphatic victory over the other two finalists. The second-place Honda CR-V scored 142, while the BMW X3 managed a modest 94.

2012 North American Truck of the Year: Land Rover Range Rover Evoque.

It was a much closer contest for the 2012 North American Car of the Year title. The Ford Focus and Volkswagen Passat secured 155 and 161 points respectively, but the Hyundai Elantra emerged as the eventual winner with a score of 174.

2012 North American Car of the Year: Hyundai Elantra.

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2012 Euro COTY nominees

The original thirty-five candidates for the 2012 European Car of the Year award have been whittled down to a list of seven nominees, following a first round of voting.

2012 European Car of the Year Nominees
Manufacturer	Model
Citroën	DS5
Fiat	Panda
Ford	Focus
Range Rover	Evoque
Toyota	Yaris
Vauxhall / Opel / Chevrolet	Ampera / Volt
Volkswagen	Up!

Given that there have been some dubious winners in the past (the Simca / Chrysler Horizon in 1979 and Fiat Bravo / Brava in 1996 are obvious examples), it’s good to see that the jury has decided on a strong group of finalists.



Perhaps the one exception is the Toyota Yaris, which really doesn’t deserve to triumph over any of the other six contenders. Arguably, the Citroën DS4 or even the Porsche 911 ought to have taken the Toyota’s place instead.



A second ballot will now take place to determine the overall winner, and the result will be revealed on 5 March 2012 at the Geneva Motor Show.



And which model should be named 2012 European Car of the Year? Either the Citroën DS5 or Range Rover Evoque.

Citroën DS5: 2012 European Car of the Year nominee.

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Top 10: UK car sales 2011

1,941,253 new cars were sold in the UK during 2011, according to figures just released by the SMMT.



As expected, that was down on 2010’s total of 2,030,846, but the 4.4% reduction wasn’t quite as bad as had been previously forecast.



Some manufacturers did buck the trend though, recording some healthy percentage increases. The biggest winners were Infiniti, Lexus, Alfa Romeo and the rejuvenated MG, but all are comparative minnows with a combined market share of just over 1%.

Of more significance were the rises of 14.2% and 14.0% achieved by Mini and Audi respectively, with the latter also managing the highest unit growth - 13,969 - of any marque. Indeed, Audi finished the year with 113,797 sales, tantalisingly close to archrival BMW’s figure of 116,642.



Needless to say, for many firms it wasn’t a good year. Unsurprisingly, neither Daihatsu nor Saab did well, but shockingly Smart saw its sales slashed by over a third and Mazda’s decrease was of a similar magnitude.

Renault suffered the largest volume drop, with 27,159 fewer registrations compared to 2010. Perhaps that massive 28.4% reduction goes some way to explaining the company’s decision to decimate both its model range and dealer network in the UK?



Despite all the year-on-year movements, there was little change at the head of the manufacturers’ league table, as Ford, Vauxhall, Volkswagen and BMW retained the top four spots.

Top 10: Cumulative UK Car Sales Q4 2011 By Manufacturer
Position 2011	Manufacturer	Registrations	Position 2010	Movement
1	Ford	265,894	1	-
2	Vauxhall	234,710	2	-
3	Volkswagen	179,290	3	-
4	BMW	116,642	4	-
5	Audi	113,797	6	+1
6	Nissan	96,269	8	+2
7	Peugeot	94,989	5	-2
8	Mercedes-Benz	81,873	10	+2
9	Toyota	73,589	9	-
10	Citroën	68,464	11	+1

Ford also excelled in the individual models’ chart, with the Fiesta and Focus occupying the first two positions (as they did throughout 2011).

Top 10: Cumulative UK Car Sales Q4 2011 By Model
Position	Manufacturer	Model	Registrations
1	Ford	Fiesta	96,112
2	Ford	Focus	81,832
3	Vauxhall	Corsa	77,751
4	Volkswagen	Golf	63,368
5	Vauxhall	Astra	62,575
6	Vauxhall	Insignia	46,324
7	Volkswagen	Polo	45,992
8	BMW	3 Series	42,471
9	Nissan	Qashqai	39,406
10	Mini	Hatchback	35,845

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2012 NACTOY finalists

A panel of fifty automotive journalists from across the United States and Canada has decided the finalists for the 2012 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards.



In the North American Car of the Year category, the jurors selected the Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and Volkswagen Passat from a shortlist of seventeen models, all of which had to be new or substantially changed in the past twelve months.

Ford Focus: 2012 North American Car of the Year finalist.

Those contenders that didn’t make it through to the finals were the Audi A6, Audi A7, Buick Verano, Chevrolet Sonic, Chrysler 300 / SRT-8, Fiat 500, Hyundai Accent, Hyundai Veloster, Kia Rio / Rio 5, Scion iQ, Subaru Impreza, Toyota Camry, Toyota Prius V and Volkswagen Beetle.



The 2012 North American Truck of the Year title will go to the BMW X3, Honda CR-V or Land Rover Range Rover Evoque. There were only seven vehicles to choose the three finalists from though, with the Mercedes-Benz M-Class, Mini Countryman, Nissan Quest and Saab 9-4X being the unsuccessful nominees.

BMW X3: 2012 North American Truck of the Year finalist.

A second round of voting is now going to take place to determine the outright winners for each award. The results will be announced on 9 January 2012 in Detroit.



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Focus Zetec S for the UK

Ford has unveiled the sporty Focus Zetec S, a model that’s been specially developed for the UK market.



Changes compared to the regular Zetec variant comprise a stiffer suspension set-up, 17” alloy wheels, LED tail lights, aluminium-style pedals, a discrete body kit and a rear spoiler.

The arrival of the Zetec S also marks the debut of a brand new 1.6 litre EcoBoost turbo petrol engine. Producing 177 bhp (132 kW / 180 PS), it gets the Focus from zero to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 7.9 seconds, while top speed is 138 mph (222 km/h). CO2 emissions are a respectable - if not particularly outstanding - 139 g/km.



One other petrol engine is being offered, the 123 bhp (92 kW / 125 PS) 1.6 litre Duratec Ti-VCT. Alternatively, diesel buyers have the choice of either the 113 bhp (85 kW / 115 PS) 1.6 litre or 160 bhp (120 kW / 163 PS) 2.0 litre Duratorq TDCi units.

On sale now, prices for the Focus Zetec S start from £18,745 on the road.



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Five-star Ford Ranger

The new generation Ford Ranger has become the first pick-up to be awarded a maximum five stars for safety by Euro NCAP.



Scores for the test model - a right-hand drive four-door Ranger Double Cab - were consistently high across all categories, with 96% achieved for adult occupants, 86% for child occupants and 71% for safety assist features.



But the most impressive accomplishment was 81% for pedestrian impact, which is significant because it disproves the idea that pick-ups can’t do well in that particular trial.

By contrast the Volkswagen Amarok, the only other pick-up so far assessed under the revised rating scheme, only managed a mediocre four stars when it was tested last year. Its marks were 86% for adult occupants, 64% for child occupants, 57% for safety assist and just 47% for pedestrian protection, all of which have since been easily outclassed by the Ford.



Other models that earned five stars in the latest evaluation round were the Audi Q3, BMW 1 Series, Chevrolet Captiva, Fiat Freemont, Hyundai Veloster, Mercedes-Benz M-Class, Opel / Vauxhall Astra, Opel / Vauxhall Zafira Tourer, Lancia / Chrysler Thema and Toyota Yaris.



The Freemont, M-Class and Thema all received particular praise for having active bonnets that rise up when sensors detect a pedestrian impact.



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Top 10: Car sales Q3 2011

The very capable Ford Fiesta remains the best-selling car in the UK. Data released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders shows that Ford’s supermini has notched up 77,198 registrations to the end of the third quarter, which equates to just under 5% of the 1,553,094 market total.

Ford Fiesta: Still the UK's best-selling car.

Car registrations in September - the second most important month behind March, thanks to the registration plate change - ended up at 332,476. Encouragingly, that was just 0.8% behind the same month last year, but again it’s the comparatively healthy fleet and business sectors that are preventing a larger decline.



However, continued volatile economic conditions mean that the SMMT is predicting a difficult fourth quarter, and a total of 1.92 million cars are now expected to be registered during 2011.



The ten most popular models, and their order in the league table, are unchanged since Q2.

Top 10: Cumulative UK Car Sales Q3 2011
Position	Manufacturer	Model	Registrations
1	Ford	Fiesta	77,198
2	Ford	Focus	67,672
3	Vauxhall	Corsa	60,959
4	Volkswagen	Golf	50,013
5	Vauxhall	Astra	49,042
6	Vauxhall	Insignia	38,386
7	Volkswagen	Polo	36,655
8	BMW	3 Series	33,650
9	Nissan	Qashqai	30,763
10	Mini	Mini	28,097

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Transit SportVan returns

Last month saw the release of the Fiesta Centura special edition to mark Ford of Britain’s centenary. Now the commercial vehicle side of the business has joined in the celebrations, by producing another limited run of the Transit SportVan.



It’s the seventh interpretation of the SportVan theme since the original blue and white version debuted in 2007. This time around, the colour scheme is Moondust Silver metallic paintwork with a contrasting graphite finish for the bonnet stripes and 18” alloy wheels.

Based on the short wheelbase, low roof Transit 260 with the 138 bhp (102 kW / 140 PS) 2.2 litre TDCi diesel engine, the SportVan certainly isn’t short of specification.



The exterior gets a body kit, front fog lights, extended wheel arches and twin exhausts. On the inside, there’s Bluetooth, cruise control, electric windows, powered and heated door mirrors, rain-sensing wipers, a Sony DAB radio with CD player, air conditioning, tinted glass, automatic headlights and a leather steering wheel and gear knob.



Given such an extensive equipment list, it’s reassuring that a perimeter alarm also comes as standard. Buyers can further add to it by choosing satellite navigation, leather seats and a rear-view camera with dashboard monitor from the options list.



Just 180 examples of the latest Transit SportVan will be built, and pricing has been set at £24,486 on the road, excluding VAT. By contrast, the equivalent standard model costs £20,511.



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Ford launches Fiesta Metal

The hot ST should hopefully be arriving in showrooms soon but, until that happens, the quickest Fiesta available will be the just-announced Metal special edition.

Based on the existing three-door Zetec S, it comes complete with Ford’s Tuning Pack that lifts the 1.6 litre Duratec engine’s power by 13 bhp (8 kW / 14 PS) to 132 bhp (96 kW / 134 PS). Although top speed is virtually unchanged at 121 mph (195 km/h), the 0-62 mph (100 km/h) acceleration time is slashed from 9.9 to 8.7 seconds.



To go with the extra performance, the looks have been spruced up too. There are 17” black alloy wheels, twin chrome exhausts and a silver finish at the front for the aerofoil, grille surround and fog light bezels. Paintwork choice comprises Frozen White, Midnight Sky Metallic or Panther Black Metallic.



The interior hasn’t been ignored, either. It gets Ebony Black leather sports seats, Piano Black trim, stainless steel door scuff plates and unique floor mats.



Only 1,000 examples of the Ford Fiesta Metal will be produced. Its price in the UK is £15,695 - a premium of £1,300 over the equivalent Zetec S model - with the two metallic paint shades costing £470 more.



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Ford E-Bike Concept

Ford has revealed the E-Bike Concept, an electrically-assisted bicycle that (for the time being at least) it has no plans to put into production.

The E-Bike project is meant to demonstrate how Ford’s current design language could be applied to two-wheelers. On the face of it, perhaps rather a pointless exercise, but the result nevertheless incorporates some very neat technology.



Unusually for this type of bike, the 350W electric motor sits within the front wheel hub, effectively giving the E-Bike on-demand all-wheel drive. Power comes from a 340Wh lithium-ion battery that’s concealed in the lightweight carbon and aluminium frame, and the predicted range is around 50 miles (85 km) with a flat-to-full recharge time of between three and four hours. To comply with European regulations, the assisted top speed is limited to 15 mph (25 km/h).



The rider can choose from Economy, Comfort or Sport support modes, and sensors automatically activate the electric motor when they detect that assistance is required.



Drive to the rear wheel is via pedal power, although replacing the normal chain is a toothed carbon belt. Other components include a Shimano Alfine 11-speed internal gear hub, Mavic Elipse six-spoke aluminium wheels and Avid Elixir 5 hydraulic brakes.



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Ford Fiesta ST Concept

The Ford Fiesta maybe one of the best (and best-selling) cars in its class, but the range lacks a proper performance variant.



However, that situation looks set to change with the arrival of the Fiesta ST, which has been unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Although it carries a ‘Concept’ suffix, and Ford is cagily referring to it as ‘its vision for a future high-performance Fiesta,’ the ST appears to be virtually production-ready.

Like the just-announced Focus ST, power would come from an EcoBoost turbocharged petrol engine. For the Fiesta intended capacity is 1.6 litres, and its target outputs are 177 bhp (132 kW / 180 PS) and 240 Nm (177 lb/ft) of torque.



With a six-speed manual transmission, Ford is hoping for a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of less than seven seconds, a top speed of over 136 mph (220 km/h) and CO2 emissions below 140 g/km.



Thanks to that huge trapezoidal front grille, it certainly won’t be difficult to distinguish the ST from more humble versions of the Fiesta. Complementing it are a rear diffuser, a tailgate spoiler, side skirts and 17” alloy wheels.



Jost Capito, Ford's director of Global Performance Vehicles, said: “With the Focus ST we promised to deliver uncompromised sports performance and styling to a truly global audience for the first time, without sacrificing Ford’s key values of Smart, Safe, Quality and Green. With the Fiesta ST Concept we are demonstrating that our Global Performance Plan has legs.



“The Fiesta ST Concept shows in the most dramatic way possible that the qualities that define an ST are not limited to one model. The potential for delivering the ST experience to an even wider audience are laid bare by this striking new concept.”



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Ford Focus ST revealed

Ford has unveiled the 2012 Ford Focus ST at the Frankfurt Motor Show.



Underlying the ‘world car’ role of the current Focus, the range’s performance variant was developed jointly by Ford Team RS in Europe and the Special Vehicles Team (SVT) in the United States, who also sought input from colleagues in the Africa and Asia Pacific regions.

The new Focus ST ditches the previous version’s five-cylinder, 2.5 litre engine in favour of a four-cylinder, 2.0 litre EcoBoost unit which boasts variable cam timing, high pressure direct fuel injection and a low-inertia turbo.



The result is 246 bhp (183 kW / 250 PS) and peak torque of 360 Nm (265 lb/ft), which is a lot for a front-wheel drive car. To put it into context, those outputs are substantially higher than the first generation Focus RS could manage, but they’re what the new ST needs if it’s to compete with rivals such as the Renault Mégane Renaultsport 250, Seat Leon Cupra R and Mazda 3 MPS.



Although no performance figures have been released, all of that power (and more importantly, torque) is going to be wasted if the chassis can’t cope. So, to make sure that’s not the case, Ford has employed many acronyms.



There’s three-mode ESP (Electronic Stability Programme), EDCC (Enhanced Dynamic Cornering Control), ETVC (Enhanced Torque Vectoring Control), CUSC (Cornering Under Steer Control) and FSSS (Ford Sport Steering System), which combines EPAS (Electronic Power Assisted Steering) with TSC (Torque Steer Compensation).



Visually, the ST has more presence than lesser Focus variants thanks to its 18” alloy wheels, unique front and rear bumpers, side skirts, a centre-exit exhaust and a rear roof spoiler. The colour choice comprises Tangerine Scream, Performance Blue, Race Red or White.



On the inside, the key features are a darker headlining, extra gauges, a special steering wheel and Recaro front seats. However, unlike most performance cars, the rear-seat passengers haven’t been forgotten. They get a specially shaped rear bench that’s been designed for extra lateral support.



Globally, the Focus ST is going to be available as a five-door hatchback. Additionally, European customers will be offered the ST Wagon, which is based on the estate bodyshell and might open up a whole new market niche if it proves popular.



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Ultra-frugal Fords

Ford has confirmed its plans to introduce two super-efficient models to Europe in mid-2012.



The Focus ECOnetic Technology promises to deliver 83.1 mpg (3.4 l/100km) from its diesel engine while producing just 89 g/km of carbon dioxide. In fact, Ford claims it will be the most economical non-hybrid small family car available, and on paper the Focus certainly looks set to beat rivals such as the 76.3 mpg (3.7 l/100km) Vauxhall Astra ecoFLEX.

But, more significantly, it matches the Toyota Prius on CO2 emissions and trounces the 96 g/km 2012 Honda Insight. On that basis at least, it just got more difficult to justify buying either of those hybrids, setting aside the extra green kudos that owning one may bring. Factor in purchase cost and the dubious environmental effects of manufacturing battery packs and hybrid drivetrains, and the decision becomes even harder.  



Joining the Focus will be the Fiesta ECOnetic Technology. Thanks to its smaller size, the Fiesta is expected to manage an even more impressive 85.6 mpg (3.3 l/100km) with projected CO2 emissions of 87 g/km.



Both cars will be displayed at the Frankfurt Motor Show, where they’ll be joined by a Focus that’s powered by a 1.0 litre, three-cylinder EcoBoost engine. Together, the three models spearhead a push to roll out ECOnetic Technology features across the Ford range. These include active grille shutters, brake energy recuperation systems and automatic stop / start.



Commenting on the strategy, Graham Hoare, Executive Director Powertrain for Ford of Europe, said: “The Ford ECOnetic Technology initiative will include more and more Ford vehicles in the near future and we’re confident that our customers will appreciate the substantial improvements in fuel economy and cost-of-ownership.”



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2012 Ford H-D F-150

Ford has confirmed that the Harley-Davidson F-150 pick-up will remain in its range for 2012.



Changes for the new model year are restricted to the fitment of 22” aluminium wheels with painted accents, a White Platinum Tri-Coat colour option, revised body graphics and snakeskin leather for the interior.

Standard specification includes a 4.2” LCD ‘Productivity Screen’ (full marks to the marketing guys for coming up with that term) that sits between the speedometer and tachometer. Controlled via a five-way steering wheel-mounted button, it displays items like fuel consumption, off-road performance and towing information.



Also on the equipment list is a voice-activated satellite navigation system, remote starting, second row heated seats, a powered moonroof and SiriusXM Satellite Radio.



Being an F-150, features such as a live, leaf-sprung rear axle mean that technically things aren’t particularly advanced. Similarly, the engine is an iron-block, two valves per cylinder 6.2 litre petrol-powered V8 with a single overhead camshaft.



It does however manage to produce 411 bhp (306 kW / 416 PS) and a massive 588 Nm (434 lb/ft) of torque, although unsurprisingly the result is a prodigious thirst. With all-wheel drive, fuel economy is just 12 miles per US gallon (14.4 mpg imperial / 19.6 l/100km) on the City cycle, while the Highway rating is not much better at 16 mpg US (19.2 mpg imperial / 14.7 l/100km).



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FPV launches GT Black

Adding ‘Black’ to a car’s name when creating a special version isn’t at all original. For example, there has already been the Mazda MX-5 Sport Black, Fiat 500 Blackjack and Matt Black, Citroën DS3 Black Special Edition, Toyota Aygo Black, Audi TT Black Edition, BMW M3 Frozen Black Edition, Porsche Boxster S Black Edition and various Mercedes-Benz AMG Black Series models.



Most of them predictably live up to their titles too, with black paintwork, interiors and trim. And that’s exactly the route taken by Ford Australia subsidiary FPV to make the new GT Black limited edition.

Just about everything that can be made black has been, including the exhaust end pipes, decals, grilles, fog light bezels and 19” alloy wheels. The cabin meanwhile gets black leather upholstery, plus a black finish around the Interior Command Centre unit, door trims and tissue box (a tissue box… really?).



Although the whole ‘Black’ thing might be rather hackneyed, there’s no doubt that the treatment suits the GT very well.



There aren’t any mechanical changes, and so the engine remains the same as per the standard GT. However, seeing as that means a supercharged 5.0 litre V8 producing 449 bhp (335 kW / 455 PS), it’s not something to be disappointed about.



Just 125 examples of the FPV GT Black will be built, and each will come with an individual build badge and certificate. The manufacturer’s list price has been set at A$74,290.



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Ford Fiesta Centura

Ford has decided to celebrate its first 100 years in Britain with a limited edition based on the 1.25 litre Fiesta Zetec.



On the face of it, not the most exciting thing the firm could have done, but in fact it’s rather fitting. After all, Ford’s forte has always been affordable, decent family cars, so why not use the most popular one from the current range to help mark the anniversary?



Only 1,000 examples of the Fiesta Centura will be built and, like its Model T ancestor, buyers can have it in any colour as long as it’s black. Although, in this case, that means Panther Black metallic.

Extra specification includes 16” seven-spoke alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, chrome door mirror caps, reverse parking sensors, a reversing camera and automatic headlights and windscreen wipers.



Exclusivity isn’t particularly cheap, though. The three-door Fiesta Centura is priced at £13,395, while the five-door costs £13,995. In both cases, that’s £1,200 more than the equivalent Zetec version. 



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Top 10: Car sales Q2 2011

Figures just published by the SMMT show that 1,029,638 cars were sold in the UK to the end of Q2 2011, a reduction of 7.1% compared to the same period last year.



Despite the overall drop, the fleet sector remains fairly buoyant, with registrations up by 3.4% versus 2010. Combined fleet and business sales now account for just over 57% of the market.



As a result of that mix, almost half of all cars sold so far this year have been diesels. In turn, the shift away from petrol power will have undoubtedly contributed to average new car CO2 emissions falling to 138.9 g/km during Q2 2011. That’s the first time ever that a figure of less than 140 g/km has been achieved.



The ten most popular cars haven’t changed much since Q1, with the league table once again headed by the Ford Fiesta and Focus. Whether it’s a situation that will continue in the longer term remains to be seen though, as reports suggest Ford is prepared to sacrifice its top seller position in order to be more profitable.

Ford Fiesta: Still the UK's most popular car.

Top 10: Cumulative UK Car Sales Q2 2011
Position	Manufacturer	Model	Registrations
1	Ford	Fiesta	51,643
2	Ford	Focus	43,825
3	Vauxhall	Corsa	38,597
4	Volkswagen	Golf	33,118
5	Vauxhall	Astra	32,883
6	Vauxhall	Insignia	25,950
7	Volkswagen	Polo	22,897
8	BMW	3 Series	21,866
9	Nissan	Qashqai	19,992
10	Mini	Mini	18,619

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Turbo cars lead BTCC

The 2011 British Touring Car Championship is now already midway through its season.



So far, it has been rather dominated by the contentious issue of performance parity between the turbocharged and normally-aspirated cars, although another boost reduction introduced for the most recent round at Croft seems to have helped a lot.



That said, the championship table remains dominated by cars running NGTC engines, with sixth-place Jason Plato in his Chevrolet Cruze seemingly the only non-turbo entrant with any realistic prospect of taking the title.

Chevrolet Cruze Super 2000

The series now takes its long summer break, with the next event taking place at Snetterton on 7th August.

2011 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship: Standings After Five Rounds
Pos.	Driver	Team	Car	Points
1	Matt Neal	Honda Racing Team	Honda Civic	140
2	Mat Jackson	Airwaves Racing	Ford Focus	131
3	Gordon Shedden	Honda Racing Team	Honda Civic	120
4	Andrew Jordan	Pirtek Racing	Vauxhall Vectra	111
5	James Nash	888 Racing with Collins Contractors	Vauxhall Vectra	104
6	Jason Plato	Silverline Chevrolet	Chevrolet Cruze	100
7	Robert Collard	WSR	BMW 320si	66
8	Tom Chilton	Team Aon	‘Global’ Ford Focus	64
9	Alex MacDowall	Silverline Chevrolet	Chevrolet Cruze	47
10	Paul O’Neill	GoMobileUK.com with tech-Speed	Chevrolet Cruze	32
11	Tom Boardman	Special Tuning Racing	Seat Leon	31
12	Nick Foster	WSR	BMW 320si	27
13	Tony Gilham	888 Racing with Collins Contractors	Vauxhall Vectra	12
14	Jeff Smith	Pirtek Racing	Vauxhall Vectra	12
15	Tom Onslow-Cole	Team Aon	‘Global’ Ford Focus	10
16	Andy Neate	Team Aon	‘Global’ Ford Focus	9
17	David Newsham	Geoff Steel Racing	BMW 320si	9
18	Lea Wood	Central Group Racing	Honda Integra	4
19	Liam Griffin	Airwaves Racing	Ford Focus	2
20	Rob Austin	Rob Austin Racing	Audi A4	0
21	Frank Wrathall	Dynojet	Toyota Avensis	0
22	David Pinkney	Rob Austin Racing	Audi A4	0
23	John George	GoMobileUK.com with tech-Speed	Chevrolet Cruze	0
24	Daniel Welch	Welch Automotive	Proton Gen-2	0
25	Tony Hughes	Speedworks Motorsport	Toyota Avensis	0
26	Chris James	Team ES Racing.com	Chevrolet Lacetti	0
27	Shaun Hollamby	AmD Milltek Racing.com	Volkswagen Golf	0

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