GranTurismo S Sport Pack

Buyers of the Maserati GranTurismo S Automatic in the UK can now order their cars with an optional Sport Pack.



Included in the pack are body-coloured side skirts and front winglets, a boot lid spoiler, Grigio Mercury Neptune alloy wheels, oval exhaust pipes, ‘black look’ headlights and a black finish for the front and side grilles.

Technical changes comprise MC Auto Shift software that delivers quicker changes from the ZF automatic transmission, plus a modified exhaust that keeps the bypass valves open in Sport mode for a better sound.



There’s no change in outputs or performance though, with the 433 bhp (323 kW / 440 PS) 4.7 litre engine still delivering a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of 5.0 seconds and a top speed of 183 mph (295 km/h).



The cost of the Sport Pack is a very reasonable £3,840, and specifying it takes the price of a GranTurismo S Automatic up to £92,480.



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Mini Soho limited editions

Mini has announced a quartet of Soho special editions, based on the Cooper Hatch and Convertible.



Available in showrooms from now until March 2012 (so there’s no particular rush to get an order placed, then), the Soho gets unique White Silver metallic paint, 17” Black Star Bullet alloys, bi-xenon headlights, white indicators, an anthracite headlining for the cabin, Piano Black interior trim and a three-spoke leather steering wheel.

The Hatch versions are priced at £1,985 more than their equivalent standard Cooper models, while the Soho Convertibles carry a premium of £1,825.



On the face of it, those amounts seem like a lot extra. However, according the Mini options list, the metallic paint, steering wheel, xenon lights and the headlining alone would account for £1,050. Buy the wheels as accessories, and they’d add another £952 to the invoice - and that excludes the tyres.



So, Mini isn’t exactly chucking in a load more kit gratis, but the Soho doesn’t necessarily represent bad value, either.



UK on the road prices for the Mini Soho editions are:



· Cooper Soho Hatch £16,765

· Cooper D Soho Hatch £18,045

· Cooper Soho Convertible £19,060

· Cooper D Soho Convertible £20,135



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Mazda CX-5 revealed

Ahead of a world premiere at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show, Mazda has released the first details of its CX-5 compact crossover.



The new arrival is significant for two reasons: It’s the first Mazda to fully incorporate the firm’s ‘Skyactiv Technology’ efficiency package, and the CX-5 also marks the debut of the ‘Kodo - Soul of Motion’ design language.

With ‘a bolder family face and dynamic styling that conveys a strong sense of vitality and agility’, the fresh styling theme appears to work well, especially from the front. On looks alone, the CX-5 should provide some stiff competition for rivals such as the Nissan Qashqai and Kia Sportage.



Technical information is sparse for now, but Mazda is saying that European-spec models will get a Skyactiv-G 2.0 litre petrol engine, plus a Skyactiv-D 2.2 diesel. The latter will be available in two power outputs, and it’s expected to have CO2 emissions of less than 120 g/km.



The Mazda CX-5 is due to go on sale in early 2012.