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Toyota is celebrating ten years of smug Prius owners in the UK by launching a 10th Anniversary special edition.

Based on the range-topping T Spirit version, the 10th Anniversary gets 17” smoked-finish alloy wheels, dark-tinted privacy glass and front, rear and side skirts. A sporty look, but still definitely not a sporty car.



Paint choice is White Pearl or Astral Black, while the interior is finished in black leather upholstery embossed with the 10th Anniversary logo.



The Prius 10th Anniversary will be limited to 1,000 examples, and is available to order from UK Toyota dealers now. Its on the road price has been confirmed at £26,150, including VAT at 20% (which seems to imply that deliveries won’t start until January 2011 at the earliest, as that’s when VAT increases from 17.5%).



Based on today’s prices adjusted for 20% VAT, a Prius T Spirit specified with leather seats, privacy glass and metallic paint from the options list would cost around £26,230. So, by comparison, the special edition isn’t bad value, especially if body kits and fancy alloys are your thing.

Toyota is celebrating ten years of smug Prius owners in the UK by launching a 10th Anniversary special edition.

Based on the range-topping T Spirit version, the 10th Anniversary gets 17” smoked-finish alloy wheels, dark-tinted privacy glass and front, rear and side skirts. A sporty look, but still definitely not a sporty car.



Paint choice is White Pearl or Astral Black, while the interior is finished in black leather upholstery embossed with the 10th Anniversary logo.



The Prius 10th Anniversary will be limited to 1,000 examples, and is available to order from UK Toyota dealers now. Its on the road price has been confirmed at £26,150, including VAT at 20% (which seems to imply that deliveries won’t start until January 2011 at the earliest, as that’s when VAT increases from 17.5%).



Based on today’s prices adjusted for 20% VAT, a Prius T Spirit specified with leather seats, privacy glass and metallic paint from the options list would cost around £26,230. So, by comparison, the special edition isn’t bad value, especially if body kits and fancy alloys are your thing.

The UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has published an Electric Car Guide.



Aimed at anyone thinking of going electric, it sets out to answer all the questions that potential customers are bound to have.



One sure uncertainty will be the financial aspects of electric car ownership, and so the guide includes some theoretical running cost estimations. These compare a non-specific, typical, mid-size diesel car against a purely electric model.



Although the electric car comes out with marginally better cost per mile figures after three years of ownership, the calculations suppose that a car powered by electricity will have a similar residual value to one run on diesel. The SMMT freely admits that that is a big assumption though, simply because nobody yet knows what the depreciation characteristics will be.



Nevertheless, with the OLEV Plug-in Car Grant (which will cover up to 25% of a qualifying vehicle’s price, to a maximum of £5,000) due to be offered from January 2011, the SMMT’s timing couldn’t be better.



The Electric Car Guide is now available free via the SMMT website, which can be accessed by clicking here.



Related posts:

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The UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has published an Electric Car Guide.



Aimed at anyone thinking of going electric, it sets out to answer all the questions that potential customers are bound to have.



One sure uncertainty will be the financial aspects of electric car ownership, and so the guide includes some theoretical running cost estimations. These compare a non-specific, typical, mid-size diesel car against a purely electric model.



Although the electric car comes out with marginally better cost per mile figures after three years of ownership, the calculations suppose that a car powered by electricity will have a similar residual value to one run on diesel. The SMMT freely admits that that is a big assumption though, simply because nobody yet knows what the depreciation characteristics will be.



Nevertheless, with the OLEV Plug-in Car Grant (which will cover up to 25% of a qualifying vehicle’s price, to a maximum of £5,000) due to be offered from January 2011, the SMMT’s timing couldn’t be better.



The Electric Car Guide is now available free via the SMMT website, which can be accessed by clicking here.



Related posts:

Electric bikes ignored?

Electric car grants saved

The future's electric

Going against the grain of downsizing, Dodge has revealed that the Challenger SRT8 will be getting a bigger Hemi V8 for 2011.



And, just so everyone knows, it’ll be known as the SRT8 392 - a reference to the engine’s capacity in cubic inches, which equates to 6.4 litres.

The new engine boasts 470 bhp (350 kW / 476 PS) and 637 Nm (470 lb/ft) of torque which, compared to the 6.1 litre Hemi that it replaces, is a useful increase of 45 bhp (33 kW / 45 PS) and 67 Nm (50 lb/ft). The newer model will be identifiable by its modified front spoiler and larger splitter, while underneath the suspension has been tweaked to cope with the extra grunt.



To celebrate the new arrival, the first 1,492 SRT8 392s off the line will be Inaugural Edition models which have 20” SRT wheels and ‘392 Hemi’ badges. Colour choice is Bright White Clear Coat with Viper Blue stripes or Deep Water Blue with Stone White stripes, both of which come with a Pearl White leather interior that features blue stitching.



The 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 is scheduled to arrive in dealers during the fourth quarter of 2010.



It’s not just the Hemi that’s been revised, though. The V6 models are set to get the new Pentastar engine that was first introduced in the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It’ll also be seen in the Dodge Charger, Avenger, Durango and Journey, as well as the Chrysler Town and Country, 200 and 300.



Using one engine across so many models is all about manufacturing efficiency and cost saving. Incredibly, the Pentastar will eventually replace seven legacy V6 engines, and it’s expected that it’ll be found in a third of all Chrysler Group vehicles built.



Power and torque will be tuned for specific applications, and in the 2011 Challenger it’ll break the 300 bhp barrier. 305 bhp (227 kW / 309 PS) to be exact, which is a big increase versus the 250 bhp (186 kW / 253 PS) that today’s car has. Torque is also up, from 338 Nm (250 lb/ft) to 363 Nm (268 lb/ft).

Going against the grain of downsizing, Dodge has revealed that the Challenger SRT8 will be getting a bigger Hemi V8 for 2011.



And, just so everyone knows, it’ll be known as the SRT8 392 - a reference to the engine’s capacity in cubic inches, which equates to 6.4 litres.

The new engine boasts 470 bhp (350 kW / 476 PS) and 637 Nm (470 lb/ft) of torque which, compared to the 6.1 litre Hemi that it replaces, is a useful increase of 45 bhp (33 kW / 45 PS) and 67 Nm (50 lb/ft). The newer model will be identifiable by its modified front spoiler and larger splitter, while underneath the suspension has been tweaked to cope with the extra grunt.



To celebrate the new arrival, the first 1,492 SRT8 392s off the line will be Inaugural Edition models which have 20” SRT wheels and ‘392 Hemi’ badges. Colour choice is Bright White Clear Coat with Viper Blue stripes or Deep Water Blue with Stone White stripes, both of which come with a Pearl White leather interior that features blue stitching.



The 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 is scheduled to arrive in dealers during the fourth quarter of 2010.



It’s not just the Hemi that’s been revised, though. The V6 models are set to get the new Pentastar engine that was first introduced in the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. It’ll also be seen in the Dodge Charger, Avenger, Durango and Journey, as well as the Chrysler Town and Country, 200 and 300.



Using one engine across so many models is all about manufacturing efficiency and cost saving. Incredibly, the Pentastar will eventually replace seven legacy V6 engines, and it’s expected that it’ll be found in a third of all Chrysler Group vehicles built.



Power and torque will be tuned for specific applications, and in the 2011 Challenger it’ll break the 300 bhp barrier. 305 bhp (227 kW / 309 PS) to be exact, which is a big increase versus the 250 bhp (186 kW / 253 PS) that today’s car has. Torque is also up, from 338 Nm (250 lb/ft) to 363 Nm (268 lb/ft).

2010 has been a successful season for racers campaigning the BMW S 1000 RR.



For instance, Italian rider Ayrton Badovini completely dominated the 2010 FIM Superstock 1000 Cup, winning nine out of the ten rounds. Meanwhile, in the UK Steve Brogan secured the Mirror.co.uk British Superbike EVO Championship and Jon Kirkham took the Metzeler National Superstock 1000 Championship title.

Drawing on the experience gained in competition, BMW has now developed a range of High Performance Race Parts for the S 1000 RR that’s aimed at race teams and track day fanatics alike.



Included in the HP Race Power Kit are a replacement ECU and a titanium and carbon fibre Akrapovic exhaust system, which impressively weighs 6.8 kg less than the standard item.





Those components raise power from 190 bhp (142 kW / 193 hp) to 197 bhp (147 kW / 199 PS), while torque increases from 112 Nm to 120 Nm. Not dramatic, but the important 5,000 to 9,000 rpm midrange is said to be significantly improved.



After the new ECU has been installed, the revised mapping means that full power is available across all four engine management modes (‘Rain’, ‘Sport’, ‘Race’ and ‘Slick’). Instead, the modes alter the electronic rider aids with the Race ABS reducing input and the Dynamic Traction Control allowing full power at greater lean angles as the modes move from ‘Rain’ through to ‘Slick’.





To help with track riding, engine braking on the overrun is reduced to give a more balanced entry into corners, while a pit lane speed limiter is activated when the starter button is held down in first gear.



The HP Race Power Kit can be fitted by S 1000 RR owners but, interestingly, it has to be checked and activated by a BMW Motorrad dealer. Unfortunately, the kit isn’t road legal.



For those riders who like to keep their bike looking neat on the track after the indicators, number plate holder and mirrors have all been taken off, the HP Race Cover Kit is the answer. As the name implies, it includes two covers for the mirrors, two covers for the front direction indicators and a cover for the underside of the tail section.