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Toyota Yaris Hybrid-R concept (2013) first picture of 400bhp Yaris

Here’s the first image of Toyota’s new hot hatch concept: a Yaris Hybrid boasting a faintly ridiculous 400bhp power output. You won’t be surprised to learn the Yaris Hybrid-R isn’t intended for series production: it’s just a party piece to celebrate 5.5m worldwide Toyota hybrid sales since 1997, and point to future Toyota hybrids that the company says will offer faster performance and a grin-inducing drive. What powers the Toyota Yaris Hybrid-R concept?

Concours D’LeMons: a celebration of funny cars at Monterey

It’s undeniable that the Monterey Historics season is enthralling, exciting and, well, a bit on the expensive side. Some have also accused it of being elitist, but they haven’t just moaned about it – they’ve done something about it. their answer?

Concorso Italiano 2013: the non-Italian cars

This year as part of Concorso Italiano 2013, a display was introduced for British cars – and it then grew to become anything that isn’t Italian. As a result there was a healthy dose of American, British, German and French metal (and plastic) on display. And just for good measure there was also space for some Japanese classics too.

New Ford Kuga Titanium X Sport tops Kuga range

The New Ford Kuga Titanium X Sport (pictured) is the new top of the range Kuga Ford’s latest Kuga crossover/SUV is turning in to something of a success story for Ford, with Kuga production increased earlier this year to keep up with demand. Not only that, but it seems some 87 per cent of all Kugas are being ordered in range-topping Titanium and Titanium X trim levels, which leaves Ford just one option – come up with a name for a trim level even higher than Titanium X to bring in more high-priced sales. Our suggestion earlier in the year was to do exactly that, perhaps with a Titanium XX, Titanium Ultimate  or Titanium Black, but Ford has decided on Kuga Titanium X Sport for their new range topping, more expensive, better equipped Kuga.

Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance 2013: in pictures

Every year the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance names its Best in Show and this year a 1934 Packard 1108 Twelve Dietrich Convertible Victoria took the crown. The Packard Twelve is considered as one of the finest automobiles produced by Packard and the judges felt this example stood out, even in such illustrious company. Click through the gallery for more pics of the 2013 Pebble Beach Concours as it happened...

New Mercedes S 63 AMG costs from £119,565

New Mercedes S 63 AMG (pictured) costs from £119,565 The arrival of the new Mercedes S-Class in May saw MB move their range topper on properly for the first time in almost a decade, but with UK prices staring from £62,650 for the S 350 BlueTEC it wasn’t going to be on most people’s shopping list. And if you can’t afford Mercedes’ entry-level S-Class there’s no hope of affording the new S63 AMG, which Mercedes has revealed will cost an eye-watering £120k when it arrives in the UK in November. To be entirely fair, the new S63 is an awesome car with immense performance (which would be even more impressive if Mercedes endowed it with 4WD, as they do in other markets) with its 5.5 litre bi-turbo V8 developing 577bhp and getting the S63 to 62mph in 4.4 seconds.

No performance upgrades for Subaru BRZ STI?

Earlier this week we brought you first news and pictures of the Subaru BRZ STI – and discussed the potential for a set of high performance upgrades taking the car’s output to around 300hp. However, according to people who claim to be in the know, this first round of  STI add-ons for the Subaru BRZ could be little more than cosmetic and chassis changes. On Bing: see pictures of the Subaru BRZ Find out how much a used Subaru BRZ is worth on Auto Trader Subaru originally rebuffed suggestions that it would fit a turbocharger or supercharger to the car’s 2.0-litre flat-four engine, which would easily take power from the standard 200hp output up to around 300hp.

Legends of the Autobahn at Monterey 2013

To prove that there really is something for everyone in Monterey Historics week, on the same day that Concorso Italiano takes place, and The Quail, there’s a further gathering that focuses on Teutonic machinery – Legends of the Autobahn. Now in its fifth year and run by the BMW Car Club of America, Legends of the Autobahn sees the Mercedes-Benz Club of America, Porsche Club of America and Audi Club North America teaming up to produce a show that’s more intimate than most other parts of the Monterey Historics week – but no less absorbing.

Striking new Kia concept for Frankfurt

It wouldn’t be a motor show without a wild and outlandish concept car from Kia and it looks like the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show in September will be no different. Kia has announced details of the as yet unnamed concept that “hints at a possible future B-segment contender ready to take on the urban environment with style and tenacity”. It’s also said to be “playful but gutsy, sturdy yet impish” – so could it be a small crossover?

Toyota Yaris Hybrid-R for 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show

Toyota As we predicted last week, Toyota will unveil a 400hp Yaris Hybrid-R supermini concept at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show next month after dedicating its appearance at the German auto expo to "the presentation of hybrid technology". The Japanese firm has been at the forefront of hybrid technology in the modern era with its eco-focused Prius family hatchback, but has also brought petrol-electric propulsion systems to the fore in top line world motorsport with its TS030 Le Mans racer. On Bing: see pictures of the Toyota Yaris Hybrid-R Find out how much a used Toyota Yaris costs on Auto Trader Powered by Toyota’s 1.6-litre Global Racing Engine and supplemented by a pair of electric motors, the Yaris Hybrid-R actually uses similar technology to the firm’s hybrid Le Mans prototype, with kinetic energy recovered under breaking ‘stored’ in a super capacitor as electricity.

New MINI to be unveiled on 18 November

The new third-generation MINI Hatch will be revealed at the British brand’s Oxford factory on the 18 November, ahead of a simultaneous showcase at the 2013 LA and Tokyo Motor Shows two days later. In a nice touch from the BMW-owned carmaker, the special unveiling event will be held 107 years to the day since creator of the original Mini, Sir Alec Issigonis, was born. MSN Cars recently checked out MINI’s preview of the new compact hatchback with the MINI Vision concept.

Lamborghini 50th anniversary collection at Concorso Italiano 2013

There was no way the Concorso Italiano team was going to let Lamborghini’s 50th birthday slip by unnoticed, which is why this year there was a big effort made to get as many examples of the marque there was possible. While there were few real rarities, models from the past 25 years were there in big numbers; once again, the rarities will be out in force at the Pebble Beach Concours on Sunday… If you wanted to check out a Lamborghini timeline, the one here was pretty good. But there was no LM-002 4x4, which was a shame.

The most expensive Ferrari ever sold at auction

A new record price was set at Pebble Beach this weekend when the 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S NART Spider pictured here became the most expensive Ferrari ever sold at auction. That isn’t the same as saying it’s the most expensive Ferrari ever, but the NART Spider is an extraordinarily special piece of Prancing Horse history. Join us as we explore what makes this particular car so important, and take a closer look at one of the most valuable cars in the world.

2014 Audi A8 Facelift teased with design sketches

It’s the 2014 Audi A8 facelift, complete with LED lights all round It’s getting on for four years since the current Audi A8 was revealed, although only three since it arrived in showrooms. But now it’s time for a facelift. As this is Audi, don’t expect wholesale changes to the look of the A8.

Monterey Motorsports Reunion 2013 at Laguna Seca

The air is full of dust and hydrocarbons, the noise is ear-splitting and there are more V8s on the grid than you can shake a con-rod at. It must be the Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca, the most action-packed portion of Pebble Beach and Monterey car week. For three days every August some of the most historic racing cars gather to take to one of the world’s most challenging racing circuits, in the hills above Monterey.

McLaren F1 sells for $8.47 million at Gooding & Co’s Pebble Beach Auction

McLaren F1 chassis #66 (pictured) has sold for $8.47 million There’s been an inexorable rise in the price of classic cars in recent years as rich men realise that certain classic cars not only have huge appeal, but appear to be going only one way in price. Add to that – certainly in the UK – that any profits made on the sale of a classic car you’ve bought for your own enjoyment are tax free, and it’s no shock that values keep rising, and the rarer the car the more they rise. So with only 64 road cars made, the McLaren F1 can be considered a sound investment, with values rising since it first sold in the 1990s for around £640,000 to a new world record auction price set last night of £8.47 million (around £5.42m).

The Quail: the ultra exclusive classic car party at Pebble Beach 2013

2013’s The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, celebrated Aston Martin’s centenary, Lamborghini’s half century and the event’s 11th outing. MSN Cars went to pay homage on its special lawn, while F1 star Michael Schumacher and former Ferrari supremo Jean Todt hosted a casual Q&A and major league car collector and US chat show host Jay Leno walked among us. It was that sort of a do.

It's a Corvettes summer at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion

You couldn't swing a camshaft without hitting a Corvette at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Chevy was celebrating, in no particular order: the 60th anniversary of its iconic sports car; the rolling unveiling of the new C7 Stingray; the first-ever public peek at the C7R race car; an almost-unprecedented gathering of great Corvette race cars from all eras; and a ginormous gathering of the Corvette faithful tearing around the track in all models of screaming, roaring American muscleVettes, few with silenced exhausts and many emblazoned with all or part of the American flag. Is this a great country or what?

New 1.0-litre turbo for Vauxhall Adam

A frugal new 1.0-litre SIDI three-cylinder turbo petrol engine will go on sale in the Vauxhall Adam city car in 2014, following its debut at next month’s 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. The new low-emissions unit – a rival to Ford’s 1.0 Ecoboost engine in the Fiesta and Focus – will deliver “impressive fuel economy and CO2 emissions significantly lower than 100g/km”, according to Vauxhall. On Bing: see pictures of the Vauxhall Adam Find out how much a used Vauxhall Adam costs on Auto Trader The current Adam range is powered by 1.2- and 1.4-litre petrols.

Aston Martin Vanquish Volante revealed at Pebble Beach

Aston Martin Vanquish Volante revealed at Pebble Beach (Photo credit: Kimball Studios, courtesy Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance) 2013 is a big year for Aston Martin – its 100th Anniversary – so Aston Martin at Pebble Beach this year is more than worth a look as Aston seeks to make a suitavly impressive spectacle at North America’s most prestigious car weekend. Top of the list of goodies – perhaps – for Pebble is the reveal this weekend of the convertible version of the new Vanquish – the Aston Martin Vanquish Volante – which gets a world public debut in front of the appreciative, and knowledgeable, crowd at Pebble. They’ll appreciate how clever Aston has been with the new Vanquish Volante which, despite using technology that’s really now past its sell-by date, they’ve managed to produce a convertible that’s incredibly stiff (certainly in comparison to the DBS Volante), beautiful to look at and performs as well as the Coupe.

Spyker B6 Venator Spyder Concept arrives at Pebble Beach

Victoer Muller has deliver the Spyker B6 Venator Spyder Concept (pictured) at Pebble Beach You have to admire Victor Muller’s tenacity, and you have to admire the way he’s sketched the B6 Venator out on the back of a fag packet and got the car world salivating over a car that’s really just a set of pretty clothes. Because glorious though the B6 Venator is – and Victor has managed to rub out the roof on the back of his fag packet in a very convincing way to deliver the Spyker B6 Venator Spyder Concept – it must be someone else’s car to start with. There is no way Spyker has the money – despite Victor’s Gold Medal in investment  garnering – or has had the time to develop the B6 Ventaor from scratch, so he’s using something else under the very pretty skin he’s created for the Venator.

Concorso Italiano car show at Monterey Historics week 2013: in pictures

Every year as part of the Monterey Historics week there’s an Italian car gathering that’s grown to the point where it’s an international – unmissable – event. For 2013 the venue was the Laguna Seca Golf Ranch, just next to the race circuit – and what an incredible line up of cars there was. Alongside the predictable was the completely unpredictable.

Video: GM's Frank Saucedo, Niki Smart and Gael Buzyn on the Elmiraj concept

GM director advanced design Frank Saucedo features in a new video explaining the design process behind the new Elmiraj concept. Saucedo, who oversaw the concept's development at GM's advanced design studio in North Hollywood, California, talks about how the Elmiraj – the second in a series of three concept cars that began with last's year Ciel – is a study of how they can progress and evolve the carmaker's ‘Art and Science' design philosophy. GM's interior design manager Gael Buzyn and exterior design manager Niki Smart also feature, with Smart explaining how the Elmiraj concept is focused on the notion of ‘the drive' and has been designed to reflect dynamism while the Ciel was about ‘the journey', represented by a luxurious interior.

BMW M4 Concept (2013) first official pictures

This is the new BMW M4 – don’t believe the ‘Concept’ tag. BMW’s M concepts always look identical when they reach production, and this new 424bhp coupe will be no exception. The M Division 4-series employs forced induction, signalling the death of the outgoing E92 M3’s sonorous 4.0-litre V8.

Listen again to Autodesk's Creative Sketching with SketchBook Pro webinar

Autodesk SketchBook Pro is a powerful, easy-to-use digital sketching tool; a blank canvas with all the tools you might use in an analog marker rendering in one mess-free package. Autodesk SketchBook Pro can be used in any stage of the design process, allowing the designer to leverage the strengths of digital sketching. From napkin sketch to final presentation renderings, SketchBook is the toolkit that allows you to unleash your creativity.

OFFICIAL: BMW M4 Concept

The BMW M4 Concept (pictured) has been revealed The BMW M4 heading towards Pebble Beach this weekend (and pictured above) is billed by BMW as the M4 Concept, but it’s almost exactly what you’ll get when the M4 goes on sale in 2014. As this is a ‘Concept’ BMW don’t feel the need to fill in all the details, but there’s some stuff we can see and some stuff we pretty much know. The stuff we can see includes the same CFRP roof the old M3 Coupe got (in this case titivated with BMW M colours) and CFRP for the splitter and diffuser.

Volvo’s new engine range revealed – and there’s just 2 of ‘em!

Volvo Drive-E Engines – and there’s just two of them. It’s a bit hard to get your head round the idea that a major car maker could offer the option of just two engines across its entire range. But that’s exactly what Volvo are doing.

Concept Car of the Week: Renault Racoon (1992)

As far as wacky concepts go, the Racoon surely has to be up there with the best of them. Designed and engineered like no other car before, the off-road and amphibious capabilities of the Racoon stretched automobile versatility to new levels. With its big eyes and smiley face, it has the same happy expression as its sister, the Twingo.

The Little Car Show in Monterey, California

They say that big is beautiful, and in the US it’s true that XXL tends to win every time. But in the run up to the Pebble Beach Concours there’s an event which is under the radar for many Monterey showgoers – the little car show. Held in the backstreets of Pacific Grove on the Monterey Peninsula and free to enter, The Little Car Show sees around 100 cars gathered to celebrate being small.

BMW Concept M4 Coupe revealed in Pebble Beach 2013

BMW has finally confirmed the M3 Coupe is no more – and that the M4 Coupe is on the way to soon replace it. Debuting this weekend at the Pebble Beach auto gathering, the M4 may have a new name but the concept is the same; BMW’s racing car ideals wrapped up in a pumped-up two-door bodyshell. The stuff of envy, alright.