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Mini Countryman priced in the UK from £16K

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 14:29:00 +0100

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Crossover, Mini, UK, Off-Road

Mini Countryman - Click above for high-res image gallery

The new Mini Countryman crossover won't make it's official debut until next month's Geneva Motor Show, but we now know that the largest Mini will be priced from £16,000 for the base One model when it hits UK streets this September (that's $25,062 for us Yankees, although direct currency conversions should be taken with a grain of salt).

In the United States, it's likely that only the Cooper and Cooper S Countryman models will be offered, with the naturally aspirated Cooper priced from £17,510 ($27,426) and the turbocharged S from £20,810 ($32,593). Both models will use an all-new 1.6-liter four, developing 122 horsepower and 118 pound-feet of torque in the Cooper, or 184 hp and 177 lb-ft in the Cooper S. Additionally, the diesel-powered One D and Cooper D models will be offered in other markets, retailing for £17,000 ($26,625) and £18,810 ($29,460), respectively.

What's more, Cooper S and Cooper D Countryman will be available with Mini's new ALL4 all-wheel drive system, which adds £1,065 ($1,668) to the price of the D and £1,220 ($1,911) to the S. That means a Cooper S Countryman with ALL4 might retail for as high as $34,540 in the U.S., which could be a lofty sum for the small crossover (thought we'll wait until final U.S. pricing has been released before we jump to any conclusions). Still, there's no doubt that the Countryman will be an interesting and surprisingly functional vehicle when it hits the streets later this year, and we doubt that Mini will have too much trouble moving them off of dealer lots. Mini's full press release is available after the jump.

Gallery: Mini Countryman

[Source: Mini]

Continue reading Mini Countryman priced in the UK from £16K

Mini Countryman priced in the UK from £16K originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda UK releases Civic Type-R Mugen 200 to celebrate return to BTCC

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:24:00 +0100

Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Europe, Hatchback, Honda, UK

Honda Civic Type-R Mugen - Click above for high-res image gallery

When Mugen's UK-based tuning arm turned up the wick on the Euro Civic Type-R late last year, the result was a 220-hp, stripped out hatch that was only available to 20 lucky consumers. Riding on the critical success of that limited-edition model, Honda UK will begin offering another Mugen-fettled Civic Type-R this March, but it's decidedly less impressive than its track-worthy predecessor.

Included in the package is a set of front and rear Mugen bumper skirts, lightweight 19-inch wheels, limited slip differential and a Championship White exterior, the last Type-R to receive the storied hue. Unfortunately, no mods have been performed to the engine, exhaust or ECU, so output remains unchanged at 200 horsepower.

Naturally, an assortment of badges and plaques are included on the 200 limited-edition models, which are being released to celebrate Honda's return to the British Touring Car Championship this April. Make the jump for all the details, along with ordering information... assuming you live across the pond.

Gallery: Honda Civic Type-R Mugen (Euro)

Continue reading Honda UK releases Civic Type-R Mugen 200 to celebrate return to BTCC

Honda UK releases Civic Type-R Mugen 200 to celebrate return to BTCC originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Confused.com wraps an entire street in bubble wrap!

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:42:00 +0100

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Safety, Videos, UK

Confused.com wraps an entire street in bubble wrap - Click above to watch video

UK site Confused.com exists to answer questions about things, especially things that cost car owners a lot of money - like insurance, for instance. To make the point about how an car accidents can utterly wreck your insurance premiums, the site has wrapped a whole street, and everything on and around it, in bubble wrap. The avenue chosen was Somerville Road in Worcester "as having generated one of the highest numbers of accident claims in the UK." The rest is air-filled history. Follow the jump to see the amusing before and after. Hat tip to Erica!

[Source: Confused.com]

Continue reading Video: Confused.com wraps accident-prone UK street in bubblewrap. Hope they recycle.

Video: Confused.com wraps accident-prone UK street in bubblewrap. Hope they recycle. originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New "Showroom" tax

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:26:00 +0100

What changes are being made to vehicle tax from April 2010?

Vehicle tax rates for cars registered on or after 1 March 2001 are split into 13 bands depending on CO2 emissions. The amount you will pay depends on which band your car comes under.

From April 2010 there will be different Vehicle Tax rates for new cars when they are first registered. These are known as ‘first-year rates’. Standard rates of Vehicle Tax will also change in April 2010.

What are the ‘first-year rates’?

From April 2010 anyone buying a new car will pay a different rate of Vehicle Tax for the first tax disc. From the second tax disc onwards they will then pay the standard rate. This will send a stronger signal to the buyer about the environmental implications of their car purchase and will only apply to new cars, not already registered cars.

Band	CO2 (g/km)	2010 first-year rate	2010 first-year alternative fuel rate
A	Up to 100	£0	£0
B	101 -110	£0	£0
C	111 -120	£0	£0
D	121 -130	£0	£0
E	131 -140	£110.00	£100.00
F	141 -150	£125.00	£115.00
G	151 -165	£155.00	£145.00
H	166 -175	£250.00	£240.00
I	176 - 185	£300.00	£290.00
J	186 - 200	£425.00	£415.00
K	201- 225	£550.00	£540.00
L	226 - 255	£750.00	£740.00
M	Over 255	£950.00	£940.00

Source: directgov

Kansas City man wins trip to England for logging most topless hours in a Mini

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 13:44:00 +0100

Filed under: Convertible, Mini, UK

2009 Mini Cooper S Convertible (above), Openometer (inset) - Click for high-res image gallery

Ever wonder what possible use the Openometer could have? The tiny dashboard gauge is found only in the Mini convertible and tracks the number of hours a Mini motorist has been driving with the top down. Cute, sure, but hardly as useful as, say... a speedometer or fuel gauge. Well, David Loveall and over 400 other Mini Cooper Convertible owners across America found the Openometer very useful as they participated in the Open One Challenge.

Kansas City's Loveall logged some 555.55 hours of top-down driving in his Mini, after driving across the country and visiting every one of the 48 contiguous states in the union. He took some of America's greatest back-roads, like Route 66 and US 50, avoiding the freeway at all costs and often camping roadside in a tent.

For his dedication to the open-air cause, Loveall is being awarded with a free trip to England to visit the Mini factory in Oxford. That's on top of the $1,000 in gift cards he got after finishing first in four out of five of the monthly contests and third in the fifth. Not too shabby, David. Follow the jump for the full press release, click here to visit the contest website and check out our gallery of high-res images from our review of the Mini Cooper S Convertible - in Interchange Yellow just like Loveall's - by clicking the thumbnails below.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Mini Cooper S Convertible

[Source: BMW]

Continue reading Kansas City man wins trip to England for logging most topless hours in a Mini

Kansas City man wins trip to England for logging most topless hours in a Mini originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jaguar builds all-electric XJ test vehicle

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:30:00 +0100

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Jaguar, Land Rover, UK, Electric

2011 Jaguar XJ - Click above for high-res image gallery

According to Autocar in the UK, Jaguar Land Rover is still hard at work on series hybrid vehicles. Similar to the stance General Motors has taken with the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, Jaguar believes that the only real way electric vehicles can be made compatible with everyday life is to add a small range-extending gasoline-powered engine that's capable of keeping the batteries charged on the go.

Unlike GM, though, Jaguar has seen fit to contract its small engine work out to Lotus, which makes sense given the two British company's differing product specialties. Lotus has reportedly delivered a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine that generates 35kW of power, which is carried - with a little help from a UK government grant or two - inside a new 2011 XJ sedan with a lithium ion battery pack.

Motive force comes courtesy of what Autocar believes is a 145kW (194 horsepower) electric motor with 295 pound-feet of torque. Performance specifications sound pretty good - though not quite as impressive as we might have imagined - assuming all of this is accurate, with a range of 600 miles, combined fuel economy of 47 miles per gallon (57 mpg UK) and carbon emissions of under 120 g/km. Top speed would reportedly come in at 112 miles per hour.

An unnamed source at Jaguar tells Autocar that the electric XJ handles quite well "because of the bulk that's removed from car when you strip out the conventional drivetrain." Future Range Rover models are also rumored to get a similar drivetrain.

Gallery: 2010 Jaguar XJ

[Source: Autocar]

Report: Jaguar builds all-electric XJ test vehicle originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Feb 2010 13:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vauxhall and Renault launch versatile new Movano / Master Van

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:58:00 +0100

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Work, Vauxhall, UK

2010 Vauxhall Movano - Click above for high-res image gallery

Remember the old days before the minivan came along? Well, Brits sure do. Because while America may move around in trucks and pickups, over in the British Isles, the full-size van is the workhorse of choice for movers, plumbers, electricians, bank robbers and just about anyone who's got stuff to cart around and can't fit into a compact panel van like the Ford Transit Connect. Now Vauxhall has launched a new full-size van with which it hopes to claim a larger share of the market.

Called the Movano, the Vauxhall van was co-developed with sister company Opel and with French automaker Renault, which gets its own version on The Continent called the Master. Thanks to a wide choice of cabs, wheelbases, cargo lengths and roof heights, the big van can be ordered in no less than 29 bodystyles. Buyers can even choose between front- or rear-wheel drive and three different outputs (100, 125 or 150 horsepower) available from the 2.3-liter four-cylinder common-rail diesel. Now that's what we can versatility.

While the Movano/Master is currently restricted to overseas markets, we can't help but wonder - given the proliferation of the Mercedes-Benz/Dodge Sprinter since its launch on this side of the Atlantic - whether this van could make it in America. Currently neither of the parties (Opel/Vauxhall or Renault) are marketed in North America, but their sister companies do. Slap a Bowtie or the letters G-M-C on the grille - or a Nissan badge, for that matter - and Mercedes-Benz could end up sprinting the opposite direction.

Potential? Check out the details in the pair of press releases after the jump, have a look through the photos in the gallery below and share your thoughts in our comments section.

Gallery: Vauxhall Movano

Gallery: Renault Master

[Sources: Vauxhall, Renault]

Continue reading Vauxhall and Renault launch versatile new Movano/Master full-size van overseas

Vauxhall and Renault launch versatile new Movano/Master full-size van overseas originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Increase in the standard VAT rate

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:25:00 +0100

The standard rate of VAT was temporarily reduced to 15 % on 1 December 2008 and it will return to 17.5 % on 1 January 2010.

All clients should be aware that from 1 January 2010, all leasing rentals (both new and existing) will have VAT applied at 17.5%.

1st Choice win 2 Contract Hire & Leasing Awards!

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:51:00 +0100

We are proud to announce that this year's annual ContractHireAndLeasing.Com Awards have seen 1st Choice Vehicle Finance walk away with victories in not one, but two categories - Best Convertible Car Deal 2009 for our offer on the Audi A3 Cabriolet & Best Performance Car Deal 2009 for our offer on the Audi S5 Coupe. Keep up to date via our website for more award winning offers throughout 2010.