Originally the only diesel engine available for the A1 was a 1.6L TDI  with 103bhp and 136 lb ft of torque. Now you have a choice between this and a 2.0L TDI that produces 141bhp and 236 lb ft of torque, less horsepower yet more torque than the Cooper SD but the differences are minute. Unlike the smaller 1.6L TDI A1 the bigger 2 litre comes with a 6th gear ratio for the manual ‘box. Speed wise it’s a similar situation, stationary to 62mph takes 8.2 seconds in the A1 with a top speed of 135mph whilst the manual Cooper SD gets to 62mph 0.1 seconds faster and goes all the way up to 134mph, very similar isn’t it?

The main reason why you would buy a diesel hot hatch is to have the power but save cash on running it, right? The more powerful diesel A1′s running costs should be easy on your wallet with a claimed 68.9mpg and it will only cost £20 to put a tax disk in the window every year because Co2 emissions are 108g/km, slightly more economical than the Mini but less economical than the smaller diesel A1, that one is road tax free.

The engine isn’t the only new addition for the A1, there are also two new special edition trims to pick as well; Contrast Edition and Black Edition. The Contrast Edition, available to all A1 Sports apart from the most powerful 1.4TFSI, lets you choose a different colour for the roof line, just like in the standard car but also comes with aerodynamic styling elements in the same colour as the roof line as well as 17″ ‘five-arm’ alloys added to the standard Sport trim. You can also get a double-blade roof spoiler to make the car look even more sporty but that’s an optional extra. Black Edition is pretty much a S-Line model but with a black surround for the grille and the number plate holder as well as titanium finished 18″ alloys, tinted windows from the B-pillar back, Xenon plus headlights with LED daytime running lights, full electric climate control and a better sound system. The Black edition is only available with the most powerful 1.4TFSI petrol and that new diesel engine though.

So the classy yet slightly immature looking hot A1 diesel with great running costs sounds like a good call, what’s the catch? The asking price is the catch! Adding these special edition trims means a price hike to the Sport and S-Line trims; Contrast edition costs £1,350 extra than the Sport and Black Edition is £1,100 added to the S-Line price. The Audi A1 Black Edition with the most powerful 1.4TSI petrol is a whopping £21,810 and the powerful diesel will cost a bit more. That’s similar to a basic Scirocco with the 158bhp 1.4TSI, a lot more than the A1′s cousin, the Skoda Fabia VRS (£16,415) and a bit more than it’s main rival, the Cooper SD (£18,810).

With the introduction of the LFA last year, 

The disappointing news is that the new CT F-Sport will not be any faster or more powerful than the standard car since there has been no change to the engine. The F-Sport will have the same 1.8L petrol unit teamed with an electric motor and a CVT gearbox, just like a Prius, that goes from standstill to 62mph in 10.3 seconds, which is not hot hatch territory.

The similarities with the very friendly and green Prius end there however. Even though there is no change to the power plant, the F-Sport does come with the usual hot hatch trinkets; a more muscular bodykit, diamond shaped mesh front grille, darker 17-inch alloys and a bigger spoiler on the boot lid on the outside and a flat bottomed steering wheel, aluminium pedals and black headlining on the inside.

The most important change to the little Lexus is the suspension. The F-Sport has been fitted with Kayaba dampers to help minimise body vibrations meaning a much better driving experience compared to the usual CT.

If you’re looking for a more environmentally friendly car with no road tax and lower fuel costs that actually looks like a little gas guzzling rascal then this is sounding like the car for you. However there are others like it out there but with diesel engines instead of a petrol-electric hybrid. The new Lexus will cost £27,850 which is a lot more than the current S-Line Audi A3 Sportback with its smallest diesel engine (£22,925) and the new BMW 116d Sport (£22,125).

Unlike the German rivals though, the Japanese hatch comes with all the CT SE-L’s equipment plus electric and heated front seats, cruise control, folding and auto-dimming wing mirrors and a rear parking camera as standard.

Inside the AMG Performance Studio in Southern Germany, there are a team of specialists that make the already insane AMG cars into most hardcore and fastest Mercedes they can be. So far there have been Black Series editions of the CLK, SLK, SL and C Class coupe. Now there’s going to be a fifth member of the family, the SLS. This is it here on test at the Nurburgring.

Back in 2009, AMG engine boss Friedrich Eichler said the engine in the usual SLS had ‘a good deal more to come’ and Mercedes revealed that the power plant in the Black Series edition is likely to produce 600bhp and 500lb ft of torque, maybe more. The 6.2L naturally aspirated V8 fitted in the everyday SLS produces 563bhp and 480lb ft of torque.

Team the more powerful engine with a 50kg reduction in kerb weight (thanks to some carbon fibre bodywork and lightweight carbon fibre seats), more aerodynamic body work and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox that can handle the power and it means an expected 0-62mph time of 3.5 seconds and a top speed of 208mph. This means 0.3 seconds quicker to 62mph than the normal SLS and 11mph added to the top speed.

It will pretty much be a road going version of the SLS GT3 racer only I’m not so sure the SLS Black will have a bench sized spoiler on the boot.

Due to predicted limited production, you might have to pay along the lines of £250k to £300k to get your hands on one of these which is quite a bit more expensive compared to the £168,395 standard car. Even if you have that spare cash on you, you’ll have to wait until 2013.

Us Brits are the biggest Audi TT customers.

Back in the late nineties/early noughties basic versions of new mainstream cars were usually rubbish. Any car nut could tell you had the basic version of the car you own because it had big plastic black bumpers, you had to stick your key in the door to open it and you had to use all your energy up to wind down the window. CD players were an optional luxury back then!

Nowadays it’s usually hard to tell a basic car from a well equipped one. Take the Volkswagen Polo for example, the only way to tell the basic ‘S’ version from the others at first glance is that the door handles and wing mirrors are black and plastic, that’s it.

So what has Audi done to make it cheaper? A basic coupe used to cost £27,140 and for that it came with a 2.0L TFSI petrol engine with a 6-speed manual gearbox, 208 bhp, a 0-62mph time of 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 152mph. Most Audi TT buyers tend to concentrate more on the style rather than the power and speed so the new base coupe will come with the same 1.8L TFSI petrol engine you can get in the roadster today. It also comes with a 6-speed manual but this engine is slower obviously. It will have 158bph, a 0-62 time is 7.2 seconds and the top speed will be 140mph but it will be cheaper to run of course. CO2 will be 7g/km less and MPG will be 1.3 more.

Standard creature comforts include combined leather and Alcantara upholstery, Concert CD/Radio with iPod connectivity and 17-inch alloy wheels.

So the lower price sounds great until you compare it with the rivals. It’s still more expensive than the base Volkswagen Scirocco (£19,845), the forthcoming Hyundai Veloster (£17,995), Renault’s Megane Coupe (£16,495) and even the basic rear-wheel drive petrol BMW 1 Series Coupe (£22,650).

Of course if it’s the TT you really want and you feel that it’s still pricey, there’s always the option of a used one.

Prices used to compare are for the cheapest entry level petrol versions. Engines in entry level rivals vary in size and economy.

Recently Car Throttle was invited to one of the programs held in conjunction with the launch of the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymetric 2 and the Goodyear Eagle F1 Directional 5 in Malaysia. The event, held on the 30^th of July 2011 was part of the Malaysian launch for the above mentioned tyres and it was a whole day event with participation from various Malaysian car clubs (the BMW, Honda, Porsche, VW-Audi to name a few). It was a basically a blast.

This launch event is actually something a little different as most of the time an automotive manufacturer will usually introduce a new product to the media and to its various sales representatives but never directly to the consumer. This time Goodyear’s public relations think-tank must have been thinking out of the box, and they decided to invite members of the car clubs, which are basically the people who will eventually purchase these Goodyear Eagle F1 tires.

The event started off at about 9 o’clock in the morning at the Proton Automobile Test Track over in Shah Alam, Malaysia. The participants were divided into four groups and things got moving with the introduction of the Goodyear Eagle F1 Directional 5 (pictured above). This tyre supposedly takes over the mantel of the extremely good looking Eagle GS-D3. I suppose it does but it isn’t as sexy looking as the GS-D3 as it is made up of a less aggressive directional pattern.

Goodyear say that they have improved on the basic performance of the tyre with less noise, less rolling resistance, more grip and better water dispersion. According to various independent tyre tests, the Directional 5 would on average stop 3 meters earlier in the wet than any other comparable tyre out there on the market. We have to take their word for it as there weren’t any competitor tyres out there that day.

All of us had a go in some Directional 5 shod Honda Civic 1.8 and 2.0 sedans through the wet slalom and the dry slalom. They then took us through a product talk and also a high speed taxi ride with the same Hondas through the high speed oval. What Goodyear did was put the Honda Civics (with its passengers) through the high banked curved section and then through two chicanes to test the tyres at their limits (or close to the limit). Driven by proper test drivers, the Civics lapped the track in an average speed of 150km/h and showed that the Directional 5 tires are quite predictable during high speed cornering and high speed emergency lane changes. It also told me that the stock Civic suspension is actually pretty decent and you’d be a total duffer to actually lose it.

I also found out first hand during the time attack event that all of those attended participated in. The Honda Civic was used then and I found the 215/45/17 inch tyre shod Honda Civic 1.8 to be very predictable doing various tight turns throughout the course. The time attack event was conducted on a slightly dusty skidpad area and you could feel the Civic’s front end going slightly wide if you were brutal on the throttle but with larger steering input, you could feel the rear obediently following through the bends. It is still nose led, but the car felt predictable. I cannot actually tell whether this was basically down to the tyres as I have driven the Malaysian Honda Civic 1.8 on its standard 205/55/16 tyres and it performed well then as it did during the event.

Unfortunately, yours truly did a ‘James May’ during the time attack course and got slightly lost and did extra rounds around some of the cones. But come to think of it I should have done more rounds to actually test out the tyres as there was no way a fat man with slightly bad memory would win the time attack event. Anyway, the Goodyear Eagle F1 Directional 5 seems to be a good enough tyre event without comparable tyres to try out on that day. I however have personal experience from memory and notes that the Directional 5 seems to be better overall than the mid range Yokohama A-drive R1s and most probably on par with the dry grip found in the Nexen N6000 (which I am now trying out). Too bad I couldn’t try out high speed steering feel as the wet and dry slalom as well as the time attack event happened at speeds lower than 100km/h. Of course, this was a meet and greet session with the car clubs. It would be virtually risky to allow members of the public to lap the test track at high speeds.

Anyway, the event continued after lunch with the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymetric 2 (pictured above). This tire replaces the Eagle F1 Asymetric and can now be found as standard equipment on some Ferrari and Porsches out there. The Asymetric 2 is priced higher than the Directional 5 and is Goodyear’s premium all weather ultra high performance tyre. Competitors would be Bridgestone’s A001/002 Adrenalin series of tyres, Michelin Pilot Sport 2, Nexen N8000 (good affordable tyres) and Continental CSC3. Tyres like the Advan AD08, Neova, Toyo R888 and the Federal 595RSRs are one up, track day oriented tyres and should not be compared to the Asymetric 2.

We had the wet slalom and the dry slalom events with Asymetric 2 shod BMW 320i cars. The control cars are basically control cars. They are slightly underpowered so that participants do not kill themselves driving it. Nonetheless the rear wheel drive BMWs felt so much better through the slalom events compared to the Hondas. There was basically very little understeer to fight with and the rear basically helps out the front wheels through the course. Most loved driving them even though the 320i is actually as powerful as the Civic 2.0 that we drove earlier. It was down to driving pleasure. Again, none of us could actually tell whether the tires were brilliant performers as we didn’t have any other tyre to benchmark the Asymetric 2 with.

Anyway, the high speed taxi ride showed that the 320i could actually lap a good 10km/h faster round the high speed oval on the Asymetric 2 tires. A BMW 525i that was also used was even faster through the curved ends of the oval and through the chicanes. This basically tells me that the tyres are predictable at even higher speeds than the earlier Eagle F1 Directional 5 tyres.

The event continued with the winners of the time attack event getting a taxi ride around the banked oval track in a modified Porsche Cayman (carbon fiber boot and bonnet, plexiglass rear screen as well as a tweaked engine). The Asymetric 2 tyres held on well as the Cayman lapped the track in speeds in excess of 200km/h. Tyre wear was minimal after a good fifteen or so high speed laps round the track (but give them to some drifters and these tyres only last two short sessions as you will see below).

The event was then concluded with the Malaysian Goodyear Drift Team showing all of us what they could do using both the Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres featured on that day. Pretty amazing I must say as the drivers and the cars were very consistent. The wear from the tyres was actually amazing when utilized by these drifters. They performed the same drift exhibition the day earlier for the tyre vendors and then for a short, less than 5 minute run per car on the Eagle F1 tires.

By the end of their exhibition run, the ty5res were basically gone. Strips of rubber were peeling off, some had chunks missing from the threads but the fronts were basically like new. Such is the rear wheel wear of these purpose build drift cars – An AE86 Toyota coupe, a Nissan 200SX, a Nissan Sylvia and a total bastard of a Nissan Cefiro, front and rear ends from a R34 Nissan Skyline GTS and its innards reveal a 2JZ engine from a Toyota Supra.

It was a worthwhile effort by Goodyear trying out new avenues to reach the consumers. I hope Goodyear would continue being different, even if their tyres are actually quite premium priced here in this region. I hope other tyre manufacturers take note too. This could be the new way to market products. But I also hope that the next time they hold such an event, they should bring us some different tyres (or at the very least, their predessors) for us to gauge better.

(With thanks to Quick-Save Auto Boutique, USJ 7 Subang Jaya, Malaysia)

Cadillac has experienced sales success with the SRX crossover, redesigned for the 2010 model year. The first-generation SRX was based on the Sigma rear-wheel drive platform, and while it received rave reviews from critics, failed to sell well.

That was mostly attributed to styling. Overall, a more mainstream approach has paid off for Cadillac – SRX is now the second best-seller in its segment, with a 71 percent conquest rate.

For 2012, Cadillac is making further changes to streamline the car to better suit the market’s tastes. The expensive 2.8-liter turbocharged six-cylinder as well as the previous base 3.0-liter V-6 engine have been dumped. In their place is General Motors’ direct-injected 3.6-liter V-6 making 308-horsepower. Cadillac says it has the most standard power in its class.

Other, more minor upgrades are in the features department. They include standard Bluetooth connectivity across the lineup, an all-black interior option, optional heated steering wheel, a new 20-inch wheel finish and a new exterior paint color – Xenon Blue Metallic.

Its good to see Cadillac making significant changes short into the model-cycle. For 2013, expect even more changes, with an mid-cycle enhancement that includes a totally redesigned interior. The 2012 model’s new starting base price is $36,060.

The new Audi A8 launched for the 2011 model year, and the 2012 one is already starting to roll around. 2012 is a busy year for Audi, especially in regards to high-end performance – the new TT-RS and R8 GT are debuting. On the lower-end is the important new A6.

When the A8 launched, it came in eight-cylinder standard and long-wheelbase forms. Now, the company is adding a new top-of-the-line car in the form of an A8 L W12

It is powered by a 6.3-liter 12-cylinder engine making 500 horsepower and 463 pound feet of torque, coupled with an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic and Quattro all-wheel drive.

All that power results in a startling 0-60 time of just 4.4 seconds – sports car levels of performance from a giant sedan! Pretty amazing! The A8 will blow away many a sportscar at a stoplight.

All that power comes with a price – $133,500, the most expensive A8 yet. For the rest of the 2012 A8 lineup, there are a few very minor changes that include the availability of a Balao Brown leather interior color, and the addition of more leather packages.

Google Earth and Wi-Fi hotspot connectivity is now standard and the base convenience package adds power rear door closers. We’re looking forward to testing the A8 soon, so stay tuned.

The 2012 Beetle is a big deal for Volkswagen – it is nothing less than the remaking of an iconic automobile. Recently, VW announced that 21.5 million units of the original Beetle were sold, making it the most popular vehicle off a single platform ever.

VW says the car inspired many names around the world Beetle, Bug (we added that one in) Käfer, Vocho, Coccinelle, Fusca, Maggiolino or ???! We had no idea what the last one meant…..

The car was styled around the original instead of the 1998 New Beetle. VW Group Design Chief Walter de Silva and VW Brand Design Chief Klaus Bischoff worked to create a “new original”. It will be up to consumers to see if that goal was achieved.

VW is billing the 2012 as the third generation of the Beetle line, and it has unveiled pricing information for the new car. The base model starts out at $18,995, powered by a 170 horsepower 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder engine and a five-speed manual. A Tiptronic six-speed automatic will set you back $20,895.

At launch there will be two engines, two transmissions and three trim levels that can be ordered with any engine/transmission pairing of your liking. The second engine is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 200 horsepower and 207 pound feet of torque.

Pricing for the manual version of this car begins at $23,395. The four trim levels include Base, Sunroof and Sound and Navi. A fully loaded 2.0T with six-speed DSG gearbox tips the scales at $29,095. There will be a good amount of configurations available so you can order your Beetle exactly the way you want it.

Right now, we wouldn’t be off on saying that Aston Martin is experiencing one of the best times in its history. Its new cars have been well-received by the media and consumers alike, and it has a pretty large (if not diverse) lineup.

At the same time, Aston has introduced its most expensive model ever, the One-77. The One-77 set new records for price and performance at Aston Martin. For instance, it is the most powerful naturally-aspirated engine sold.

The V12 Zagato was introduced a little over a month ago at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este car show in Italy. We drooled over it and we’re glad to hear that, while called a concept, it was headed for production.

Time between introduction and approval didn’t take long for Aston, as the company has issued a press release announcing a production run. Deliveries will start in late 2012, and 150 of the cars will be produced with a price tag of £330,000 GBP, or about $550,000 at current exchange rates.

That is more expensive than cars like the mid-engined Lamborghini Aventador and Ferrari 599 GTO. The V12 Zagato is truly a unique piece of automotive art, and we hope to see one in person someday soon.

Last September, Audi confirmed that the TT-RS would be be sold in the United States. That came after much hand-wringing over its arrival by enthusiasts here in North America. The car was introduced after a petition campaign started by Audi that resulted in 11,500 “expressions of interest.”

The TT-RS marks the most expensive Audi TT yet, and also the fastest. It has been officially priced at $56,850, before destination, taxes and the myriad litany of other fees we get stuck with when buying a new car.

0-60 arrives in just 4.1 seconds, thanks to a turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder under the hood that makes 360 horsepower and 343 pound feet of torque. Audi says peak torque comes between 1,650 and 5,400 rpm for “power on demand.” Indeed. An interesting fact is that these numbers are up over the European market car’s 340 HP and 331.9 lb-ft of torque.

Those figures whip the competition; for instance BMW’s 1-Series M hits 0-60 in 4.7 seconds. We already know what Audi’s five-cylinder is capable of thanks to a recent drag race that was conducted between the Audi RS3 and BMW 1-Series M. The RS3 is powered by the same engine as the TT-RS, and is a good deal heavier thanks to four extra doors and a rear liftgate. The TT-RS is going on sale at Audi dealers around the U.S as we speak.