The Daily Car

We’ve been hearing a lot recently about cars which will be seen at next month’s 78th International Geneva Motor Show, and here’s another: the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé. Its origins lie in 2006’s 101EX drop-top concept car, the success of which proved so great that Rolls-Royce said it’d create a production version.

This coupé is, pretty much, the 101EX minus the dynamic roof. It’s the third Roller made under BMW’s command, and it is designed to be the sportier model in the range - much different to the soothing sobriety of the Phantom saloon.

The coupé’s sporty nature is reflected in the 6.75-litre V12 engine, with a mighty 453 brake horsepower. Presumably because the car will be driven fast and thus a lot of fuel will be burnt, the fuel tank is 25% more capacious than that of the cabriolet. Jeremy Clarkson, however, will be saddened to learn that the top speed’s been limited to a mere 155mph.

The car’s handling also looks promising, thanks to a lightweight chassis and the fact that this is Rolls-Royce’s most rigid car ever.

It’s not just for pant-wetting speeds, however. The coupé’s rear features a 395 litre ‘picnic boot’ (with enough room for up to four sets of golf clubs) as well as rear-hinged coach doors to provide easier access for more passengers. Inside, the usual luxuries are to be found although the iPod connectivity seems a tad unusal on a car such as this.

Ford sure has been busy. Just after the announcement of the new Fiesta, and it’s also unveiled the new Focus-based Kuga. Like the Fiesta, its première is at the Geneva Motor Show on March the 4th.

The Kuga is what Ford calls a crossover utility vehicle (CUV). Basically, it’s a small SUV, similar to the Volkswagen Plus Dune and SEAT Altea Freetrack.

The Focus hatchback’s platform provides a basis for the Kuga, only it gets four-wheel-drive to complement the rugged looks and increased ride height. The only engine available will be a 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi diesel, mated with a six-speed manual gearbox.

The diesel engine should lead to satisfactory running costs; Ford says the Kuga will deliver fuel consumption of 44.1mpg, and CO₂ emissions of 169g/km. The car will be cheap to buy, too: Ford says the starting price will be £20,495.

Ford has just unveiled the very first official its new Fiesta supermini, ready for the real car to be shown off at the Geneva Motor Show on the 4th of March, 2008.

The new Fiesta will share many components with the Mazda2, just like its predecessor did. But whilst the previous-generation Mazda2 proved a bit of an embarrasment, the new model is really great, which should bode well for the new Fiesta. Ford’s new baby should prove as good as the Mazda, we hope; a pleasingly light and thus fun-to-drive car.

There will be a total of five engines on offer when the Fiesta goes on sale: two TDCI diesel engines and three petrol-powered units. Derv fans will choose between a 1.4- and 1.6-litre engines with 67 and 89bhp respectively. Meanwhile, the petrol line-up includes 1.3-, 1.4-, and 1.6-litre engines, all of which will drive the front wheels.

Autumn will likely see the introduction of a special, ecological Fiesta called the ECOnetic. This will rival the VW Polo BlueMotion and its sub-100g/km CO₂ emissions will allow for road tax exemption.

Today’s pictures show a 3-door car but a 5-door model is also likely to be available. A number of other versions are also rumoured to be on the way, including a small MPV.

A sporty off-roader seems like an oxymoron but Land Rover has already proven it is possible with the Range Rover Sport. Now the company looks set to create another fast tractor with the Freelander HST, set to go on sale next month.

The HST will feature a special Sports Styling Pack, which amounts to an array of cosmetic modifications including 19-inch 10-spoke alloys, a rear roof spoiler, aprons on the front and rear bumpers, side sill mouldings, leather seat facings and privacy glass.

The Freelander 2 HST, which will cost £31,990 when it hits the showrooms, will be joined by the Range Rover Sport HST. This will available with either the TDV8 diesel or Supercharged petrol engines and prices will start at £59,895.

French marque Citroën have announced the first details of their new Berlingo Multispace, expected to launch in the second half of 2008. The current version has achieved international sales of over 1.75 million, and clearly Citroën will be hoping for even greater success with the new model.

Citroën say that the new car retains the ultra-functional family friendly character of the original, but new features like an independently-opening tailgate window, three separate removable rear seats and a redesigned aircraft-style overhead storage system make it even better.

Also, enhanced comfort is promised, which is good to hear - the last model’s upright driving position kept masseurs busy.

BMW have just shown off their new X6, a sporty coupé which manages to have SUV-like qualities as well.

The 6 in its name hints at the car’s similarity to the 6-Series BMW, but the X tells us that this is an off-road car at the same time, joining the likes of the X3 and X5. The car will get permanent all-wheel drive to ensure optimum traction although a default 40:60 power ratio allows for a better-handling chassis all the same.

BMW will offer a choice of two twin-turbocharged direct-injection engines. There will be the xDrive50i (a 4.4-litre V8) the slightly less-lethal 3.0-litre xDrive35i (with 6 in-line cylinders). Both should prove to have a thirst for fuel.

The X6 apparently marks the world’s first “Sports Activity Coupé” and BMW obviously think they are on to something. But I feel that it’s all a bit bonkers, a weird mashed-up coupé thing with too many doors, and I wonder if this has never been done before for a good reason.

Perhaps we will find out more in the 2008 Detroit Auto Show which takes place in January. The car is set to go on sale in May 2008.

Making the Ferrari F430 faster and lighter might sound like putting a size-zero model on a diet. But Ferrari today announced the F430 Scuderia, which is both 100kg lighter and 27bhp more powerful than the standard car, and is the replacement for the now-dead 360 Challenge Stradale.

Ferrari say that this weight loss has not led to any decrease in the safety or technology in the car. In fact, the lightweight Scuderia is a showcase to new technology such as a revised gearbox, a snazzy new traction control system, and more.

There’s no word on the pricing just yet, but you should expect a significant price hike for the Scuderia. September’s Frankfurt motor show is set to be the event at which the Scuderia is likely to make its debut; it will be unveiled by Michael Schumacher (provided he isn’t busy selling pies).

Yesterday was Friday the 13th, which means that lots of terrible stuff might have happened. While that was supposedly happening, Nissan told the world of their next X-Trail SUV, which will go on sale in the UK on 1st September with prices starting from £18,795.

That £18,795 price tag refers to the Trek, which is the entry-level model. The Trek - alongside all new X-Trails - will be fitted with lockable all-wheel drive, Bluetooth phone integration, 16″ alloy wheels, climate control, and a CD player

One step up from the Trek will be the Sport. Its pricing will starts at £20,695. The other, most upmarket trim level will be Aventura.

As well as 3 trim levels, 3 new (to the X-Trail) engines will be offered. First of all, there will be 100% new, 100% alloy 2.0-litre petrol engine which will generate 139bhp. The fuel economy of that engine is 32.5mpg.

Then, there is the 2.0 Diesel engine, which will be available with power outputs both 148 bhp and 171 bhp.

As well as the 3 new engines, a 2.5-litre petrol engine will be carried over from the outgoing X-Trail. This engine will only be available on Sport and Aventura models.

Hybrids are not really the answer. The trouble with them is that while they may be fuel efficient and emit little CO2, they take a lot of resources to manufacture. However, that isn’t stopping Lexus, who will launch their next hybrid - the LS600h - in October. And they have told the world some more information about the forthcoming machine.

The basic LS600h model will cost £81,400 whilst the price will increase to £83,645 for the LS600h L model, with a longer wheelbase. While obviously getting a longer wheelbase (and thus more legroom), LS600h L customers will also exclusively get the option of spending £4,355 on a rear seat relaxation package.

All cars are all-wheel-drive and come with a 5.0-litre V8 engine helped along with a powerful and high-output electric motor. This leads to a combination of high performance (0-62mph takes 6.3 seconds) and (to a certain extent) planet friendliness (30.4mpg and 219g/km).

We recently learned of a version of the BMW X5 ‘off-roader’, modified by tuning company Hamann to be even more rubbish off-road. However, if you are in the market for blinging up your humongous vehicle but you want to please BMW - maybe saving a bit of money on the depreciation front (though certainly not up front) - you should go for this, encrusted with jewellery by the BMW folks themselves, rather than a third party tuner.

It’s the BMW X5 4.8i M Sport. It costs £53,440, and for that money you get the likes of leather inside, walnut/aluminiu/bamboo/poplar trim also inside, 19- or 20-inch alloy wheels outside, and an assortment of other treats.

If that sounds appealing to you, though, then I’ve bad news for you. Your feelings for the car are so common that the waiting lists go into next year. But if you must, go ahead and be patient, unless you’ve built a time machine, or you’re ahead of the game and have already ordered.