Volkswagen buys 19.9% of Suzuki’s shares

Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft and Suzuki Motor Corporation have reached a common understanding to establish a close long-term strategic partnership. A framework agreement has been signed by representatives of both companies today.


In terms of global presence and product diversity, the partnership marks an important step towards the future for both Volkswagen and Suzuki. In terms of product portfolio, global distribution and manufacturing capacities, Volkswagen and Suzuki ideally complement each other. The companies plan a joint approach to the growing worldwide demand for more environmentally friendly vehicles. The management of Volkswagen and Suzuki have concluded that the complementary strengths of each company make for a perfect fit in exploiting their respective advantages as well as rising to the challenge of the global market.

In the automotive industry, where globalization and diversification proceed in parallel, both companies will establish a cooperative relationship while respecting each other’s independence as a stand-alone entity. Both parties are focused on achieving synergies in the areas of rapidly growing emerging markets as well as in the development and manufacturing of innovative and environmentally friendly compact cars.

To support a smooth development of this relationship, Volkswagen will purchase 19.9% of Suzuki’s issued shares. The Closing of the transaction is subject to approval of the relevant authorities and is expected in January 2010. Suzuki intends to invest up to one half of the amount received from Volkswagen into shares of Volkswagen. Both companies will form a long-term strategic partnership based on this which will support their successful strategies in these challenging times.

As demand continues to rise for smaller cars and for powertrains with higher fuel efficiency and lower CO2 output, Volkswagen and Suzuki will offer a compelling solution for customers in emerging markets buying a car for the first time and also for customers in advanced economies seeking to lower their CO2 footprint while still enjoying the freedom of transport offered by an exciting range of cars.

Alfa 8C Spider: Most beautiful car of the year

Just in case there was ever any doubt, Alfa Romeo’s stunning Alfa 8C Spider supercar has been officially named as the Most Beautiful Car of the Year by Top Gear magazine.



Judged by a Top Gear panel consisting of TV, magazine and online teams – spanning 24 international editions - the awards recognise the most innovative and exciting cars to be launched over the past 12 months.

Described as ‘perfection’ by Top Gear, the 8C Spider’s good looks are more than skin deep. A responsive 4.7litre V8 engine produces an awesome 450BHP which is channelled through a sophisticated 6-speed F1-style paddle shift gearbox to the rear wheels, producing enough power to launch its occupants from 0-62mph in just 4.5 seconds, and on to a top speed of 181mph.

UK Brand Communications Manager, Damien Dally, said: “There’s no doubt that the 8C Spider is a sensational supercar but to have the recognition of the Top Gear panel is a perfect way to end the year.”


Limited to a production run of just 500 examples, 35 Alfa 8C Spiders are destined for the UK, with most of them sold before you could say “bellissima”. Valued at around £174,000 the chance of owning an example remains ultra exclusive, however the latest models in Alfa Romeo’s line up have taken inspiration from the Alfa 8C Competizione and Spider – such as the sporty compact Alfa MiTo and 2010’s Alfa Giulietta.

Acoustic engineering creates Formula 1-inspired soundtrack for Lexus LFA

Not only does the Lexus LFA deliver thoroughbred supercar performance, the sound it makes is every bit as thrilling. The acoustic performance of the V10 engine and exhaust system has been fine-tuned to create a unmistakeable “soundtrack” that rises from a rumbling note at idle to a nape-tingling red-line wail.


The acoustic team studied the noise made by a Formula 1 car at maximum revs, then applied detailed design features to create an exhaust note for the LFA that is unlike any other car on the road, enhancing the sensation of speed and acceleration.

The main silencer is made of titanium and has a valve-actuated, dual-stage structure that channels the exhaust flow according to engine speed. Up to 3,000rpm, the exhaust valve stays closed, routing the flow through multiple chambers, creating an unobtrusive note. Above 3,000rpm the valve opens, allowing the exhaust to bypass these chambers and flow into a single resonance chamber, before exiting through the stacked trio of tailpipes.

The V10’s induction system was also modified to complement the engine’s acoustic qualities. The uniquely formed horizontally split resin surge tank – a unique design – mimics the acoustic chamber of wind and string instruments: up to 4,000rpm it emits the engine’s primary firing frequency of 300Hz; this changes to 400 to 500Hz as the engine revs climb to 6,000rpm; and a peak is reached at 600Hz as the engine wails towards its 9,000rpm red line.

The air intake is made from a porous duct material to generate bass to mid-range tones. The LFA development team called this acoustic effect Resonated Complex Harmony.

The engine’s induction and exhaust soundtrack are channelled into the LFA’s cabin, so people on board can enjoy the experience as much as those on the outside. The main sound channel that pipes in the engine’s induction notes runs from the surge tank into the cabin below the main dashboard panel.

Two further sound channels run to an opening in the upper cowl on top of the dashboard structure and a reflector panel low down at the front of the cabin. Together with the primary sound channel, these put the driver at the centre of the LFA team calls the 3D Surround Sound Concept.

Gordon Brown welcomes ministerial MINI E

The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, welcomed an all-electric, zero emissions MINI E to the Government car pool today in Downing Street. The MINI E will be tested by ministers wanting to try a fully-fledged electric car in an urban environment on their official business around London.The MINI E was presented to the government car pool by Tim Abbott, Managing Director of BMW Group (UK) Ltd, following the handover of 40 identical cars to pioneering drivers on Sunday to members of the public who will run the cars as part of an important scientific field trial. The cars will be tested for one year in total and will both help to shape the future of BMW Group electric vehicle development and to inform the wider world about the economic, behavioural and practical issues of living with an electric vehicle.

The Prime Minister was joined by Cabinet colleagues, including the Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, who has been an enthusiastic supporter of electric vehicle development through the Government’s Technology Strategy Board.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown: “I congratulate BMW and MINI for their ground-breaking electric MINI project and I welcome the extensive user field trial that has now begun.”

The Prime Minister added: “The low carbon transport industry will not only cut harmful emissions but has the potential to be a major source of jobs and growth. We have already committed £400 million of support to the sector, encouraging its development and take-up, and I am confident that in future years we will see thousands more electric and other low carbon cars on Britain’s roads."

Lord Mandelson said: “I am delighted that the MINI E is going to be put through its paces by Government ministers for two months. The Government is keen to show that driving electric vehicles is fun. I want the UK to be a world leader in low carbon transport and cars like the UK-built MINI can help us achieve that aim.”

The Prime Minister and Lord Mandelson were also able to meet one of the first MINI E test drivers, Oxford resident David Beesley, who collected his car from the MINI plant at Oxford on Sunday. “I have only had my MINI E for two days but it’s really fun to drive and it feels great to be reducing my carbon footprint,” he enthused.

Like the MINI E research projects in North America and Germany, the UK trial is a collaborative effort between the partners in a BMW Group UK-led consortium.

Scottish and Southern Electric will be responsible for the electricity infrastructure in the research area and is committed to supplying ‘green energy’ from sustainably generated sources to all drivers of the MINI E through an offsetting scheme.

Oxford Brookes University’s Sustainable Vehicle Engineering Centre will manage the collation of qualitative and quantitative research throughout the UK project. This will include analysis of driver experiences with the MINI E, as well as reviewing the technical information provided by the data-logging units fitted to every MINI E.
The consortium is strengthened by public sector organisations from the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council. These organisations are working to develop high economic growth projects such as this.
Additional funding is provided by the Technology Strategy Board as part of a UK-wide programme involving trials of 340 ultra-low carbon vehicles from several manufacturers. This funding enables the monthly lease for MINI pioneers to be reduced from £550 to £330.

MINI Beachcomber Concept

The MINI Beachcomber Concept is a four-seater concept car designed consistently for maximum driving pleasure, taking up the enhanced options of the new MINI and combining these potentials with the vision of a radically open body concept.


ALL4 all-wheel drive and the variable interior give the MINI Beachcomber Concept abilities absolutely ideal for a spontaneous and active experience of freedom and leisure time. The potential offered by the car’s modern drivetrain technology and space concept is used here to the greatest possible extent to ensure a highly emotional driving experience. Hence, the MINI Beachcomber Concept consistently does without doors, a conventional roof and all other body elements which might possibly limit the intensity of the occupants’ encounter with their surrounding world. This makes the driver and up to three passengers one harmonious entity communicating directly with their surroundings – whether cruising through town, enjoying rough tracks in the mountains, or breezing along the beach.

The MINI Beachcomber Concept combines all-wheel drive with cutting-edge suspension technology, numerous body elements serving to make the car extra-strong and robust, as well as an elevated seating position. Generous spring travel and extra-large light-alloy wheels raise the entire car to a higher level. Access to the front and rear seats is nevertheless exceptionally convenient and easy thanks to the omission of doors and the entry cutouts extending all the way down to the seat bottoms, allowing the driver and passengers to get in and out in one smooth and flowing process. A pleasant and interesting side effect is that the distance the occupants feel from their surroundings is reduced to a minimum.

The driver and passengers will also enjoy the driving pleasure created by this concept in everyday traffic under regular motoring conditions – simply because the MINI Beachcomber Concept retains its unmistakable character even when adverse weather conditions require use of the soft roof or the lightweight door and roof elements fitting on easily and conveniently within a few instants.

MINI entering new terrain – with a fourth model and a complete range of innovative ideas for the ongoing future.
The MINI Beachcomber Concept symbolises the elementary values of the brand in new, radical style – and at the same time the new model continues the current development of the MINI range in a particularly attractive manner.

Within just ten years after the re-launch of the brand, the fourth version of the MINI is now set to enter the market. As a unique crossover in the typical style of the brand, the new model offers a fascinating re-interpretation of that typical MINI design, with the functional convenience of four doors, four full-size seats, a variable interior, and a unique standard of driving pleasure now to be enjoyed for the first time also beyond the beaten track thanks to newly developed all-wheel drive.

The new production model now available from MINI goes far beyond the realms of urban mobility, inspiring the MINI designers to enhance that un-mistakable MINI feeling by adding further facets never seen before. Creating the MINI Beachcomber Concept, therefore, they are taking up the technical and concept qualities of the production model announced for autumn 2010, offering the ultimate expression of freedom in a car on this basis. The result is a new, incomparably open concept for a driving experience for all your senses, plus a degree of versatility greater than ever experienced before in discovering and enjoying new terrain.

The potential use and versatility of the MINI Beachcomber Concept is defined exclusively by the activities and preferences of its user. Clearly, the most authentic and natural surroundings for a car of this type are beaches where the MINI Beachcomber Concept, through its enhanced traction and radically open body, offers that unlimited freedom of movement it expresses from the start through its name alone.

The MINI Beachcomber Concept therefore allows the driver and passengers to actively live out their personal style, just like a kitesurfer, wakeboarder or triathlete is magically attracted to the hot spots of beach life the world over. Through its robust and versatile character, the MINI Beachcomber Concept furthermore follows in the footsteps of the Mini Moke, which, back in the 1960s, quickly became the epitome of adventurous motoring in your leisure time and in sports activities in sunny coastal regions

Volkswagen Passat named as Large Used Car of the Decade

The fifth generation Passat, produced between 1996 and 2005, has been awarded the coveted title of Large Used Car of the Decade by the used car valuation specialists, CAP.


The ‘all-new’ Passat, revealed to the public at the 1996 Paris Motor Show, was hailed as a step forward in the upper medium class setting new benchmarks for quality, refinement, styling and performance. These improvements were recognised at the time with the Passat receiving a string of industry accolades including the prestigious European Car of the Year at the 1997 Auto 1 awards.

Mark Bulmer from CAP Black Book explained: ‘The Volkswagen Passat is a byword for quality, and the model launched in 1996 was a quantum leap forward in every area most important to the trade and the used car buyer. Volkswagen’s attention to detail meant that this Passat offered the sense of a prestige vehicle but at a mainstream purchase price. Legendary reliability means a deserved reputation as a dependable ‘workhorse’ and robust engineering and build quality means it is a safe bet even with mileage into six figures.’


Bulmer continued: ‘The new range of diesel engines offered a leap forward in terms of the balance between performance and economy, a combination at the very heart of success in the used car market. This quality set the 1996 – 2005 Passat apart from many other cars in its sector which could often prove prohibitively expensive to live with. By offering prestige quality at a mainstream price this Passat also influenced other manufacturers to up their game in terms of the quality of their own offerings.’

Commenting on the award, John French, National Used Car Manager for Volkswagen UK: ‘The Passat has always performed strongly and is well established on the used market with the strength of the brand image and residual values both ensuring high demand. I think it is a real credit to Volkswagen’s consistent focus on build quality and reliability that the previous generation Passat has performed so strongly and has been awarded this accolade.’

Now in its sixth generation, the Passat was originally launched back in 1973 and, over this 36 year period, has become one of the most successful models for Volkswagen. To date, more than 16 million Passats have been produced worldwide with over half a million being delivered to customers in the UK.

Škoda announces Superb Estate pricing (UK)

Prices for the award-winning new Škoda Superb Estate have been announced. Prices start at just £17,715 OTR for the Superb Estate S with the 1.4 TSI 125bhp engine. With class-leading legroom and boot space, a long list of standard equipment and Škoda’s legendary great value, the Superb Estate sets a new standard for estate motoring.


The Superb Estate will be available in three trim levels, S, SE and Elegance. A choice of six engines will be offered, three petrol and three diesel, ranging from the entry-level 1.4 TSI 125bhp to the range-topping 3.6 V6 260bhp DSG 4x4.

The estate will carry a premium over the hatch of £1,050 for the S trim and £1,200 for SE and Elegance models. A complete price list is below.

The Superb Estate includes features that are unique over its sister hatch version. These include roof rails (black on the S; chrome on SE and Elegance); a removable LED torch; and load-bay illuminating lights built into the tailgate. SE and Elegance also feature a load partition and tethering system in the boot as standard.

New options available for Superb Estate include an electrically operated boot with an automatically retractable parcel shelf; electrically operated panoramic sunroof; KESSY keyless entry and start system and a variable boot floor that pulls out to protect the rear bumper. Option prices will follow shortly.

Superb Estate offers fantastic value with class-leading legroom, a cavernous boot space (1,865 litres seats down) and a long list of standard equipment. A complete list of standard equipment is below.

Škoda’s newest flagship model goes on sale 26 February 2010.

Audi A3 is ‘Executive Used Car of the Decade’

Highly regarded vehicle valuation specialist CAP has named the Audi A3 ‘Executive Used Car of the Decade’ in its Used Car Awards, acknowledging the major contribution made by the pioneering three and five-door hatchback in distilling the premium sector values traditionally reserved for larger prestige cars and introducing them into the compact class.


CAP supplies residual value data to leading finance institutions, contract hire and leasing companies, vehicle retail groups and insurers. In its citation for the award, Mark Norman of CAP describes the A3 as a ‘true benchmark vehicle’ and a ‘genuine pioneer’ which ‘effectively invented the concept of the small car in prestige guise’. He went on to say that the 2003-2008 A3 ‘has brought the prospect of the highest engineering and build quality standards to those who would previously have ruled out choosing a prestige brand on the grounds that it would mean running a larger car than they needed.’ He summed up the rationale for the award by saying that the A3 is ‘never the cheapest used car purchase, but the benefits of low depreciation are certainly realised when trade-in time arrives.’

The latest generation Audi A3 is available in three-door, five-door Sportback and Cabriolet body styles with a choice of eight direct injection FSI and TDI engines, the diesel range containing the most economical and efficient unit in the premium sector in the new 1.6 TDI with combined fuel economy of 68.9mpg and CO2 output of just 109g/km. According to CAP, the A3 2.0 TDI retains 43 per cent of its value over 3 years or 60,000 miles (November 2009 figure), a higher proportion than any other comparable premium sector compact hatchback. Prices for the A3 line-up range from £15,770 OTR to £29,300 OTR.

SEAT and Shakira get together again

SEAT and Shakira have signed a collaboration agreement which sees the sporty Spanish car manufacturer become the main sponsor of the international pop star’s forthcoming European tour.


This agreement will link the young, sporty image of the SEAT brand to the musical talent of Shakira, currently enjoying great success with her latest album She Wolf.
The Colombian-born singer will thus become a distinguished ambassador for SEAT throughout her European tour.


The deal will also see SEAT and Shakira support efforts towards universal education. The Spanish brand will enter into close collaboration with the Barefoot Foundation, created by Shakira when she was just 18, to help provide education for children living in extreme poverty.

This is not the first time that SEAT and Shakira have joined forces for a good cause. In 2007 the car manufacturer sponsored the ‘Oral Fixation’ European tour off the back of the singer’s Oral Fixation album, taking it to Oslo, Prague, London, Paris, Stockholm and Berlin, among other cities.

SEAT also spearheaded a charity campaign which brought in more than €100,000 for the Pies Descalzos (Barefoot) Foundation. For her part, Shakira autographed a purple SEAT Leon re-named the SEAT Leon Pies Descalzos. The car was presented at the 2007 Barcelona International Motor Show to the winner of a draw which included everyone who had made a €1 contribution to Shakira’s foundation.