The 1st-generation M3 was available in the U.S. between 1988-1991 and was basically a racing car tamed for road use. Based on the E30 3 series, it was a winged, spoilered, coupe powered by a full-on BMW M engine- 4 cylinders of 2.3 litres and 192 hp plus four valves per cylinder at a time when no regular BMW had more than 2 valves. This M3 was a fine piece of engineering, but certainly wasn’t for everyone. The 2nd-generation is more well-known than the first. The mission of this model, which was based on the E36 series and made its debut in 1995, was to grow the spectrum of buyers of the BMW M in the U.S. By powering the M3 with a specially developed version of what was then standard of BMW: an inline 6-cylinder engine with dual overhead camshafts, 4 valves per…

Launched in January 2016, the GTi Clubsport arrived just in time to celebrate the GTi’s 40th birthday. It is  significantly more powerful than the standard GTi, with 261bhp out doing even the performance pack GTi- which has a decent 227bhp. This leads to it arriving at 62 mph in just 5.9 seconds, a whole half second quicker than the standard. The impressive part though, is the boost function which lets out an extra 10% of secret power. The bodykit, which is made up of an all-new front bumper and side sills, redesigned rear diffuser and an striking rear roof spoiler, creates downforce on both axles where in the standard GTi there was lift. The clubsport, as with all GTi’s, is kitted out with electric front diff lock and mechanical variable. As well as the rear springs and dampers being retuned for the extra power….

September 2014 could be a “pivotal” moment for the used car market in the UK. That’s the view of Glass’s chief car editor Rupert Pontin who said volumes of used cars in the trade were set to rise. “We will start to see an increase in the volume of used cars coming to the market as a direct result of the increase in registrations following the recession,” said Pontin. “There will still be a plethora of base and low spec level cars that have been used predominantly for business, and as such will not achieve the best condition grades. “The trade has long been concerned at the volume of poor quality low specification C and D segment diesel models typically favoured by companies for staff covering significant mileages that have been floating around unsold in auction centres and wholesale channels for several months now,”…

HPI, the vehicle information specialist, has appointed Neil Hodson as its new managing director. Hodson, who has spent over 20 years in the used car market, joins from Manheim where he had been group sales director responsible for Manheim Remarketing, Retail and other UK businesses, as well as supporting the group’s international sales strategy. He was previously sales director of Manheim Auctions and sales director of Manheim Retail Services. Before joining Manheim in 2007 he was director and general manager of Experian Automotive where he helped set up Car Data Check. “This is truly an exciting opportunity for me to use my expertise to further develop one of the most respected and successful brands in the UK automotive market,” said Hodson. “I aim to re-focus on our existing customers and ensuring we continue to deliver high quality, high value data solutions that provide a…

Hyundai has launched an OEM parts service for independent non-franchised repairers. The Made for Trade programme will offer genuine Hyundai parts to the UK’s 35,000 independent motor traders, in a move prompted by the brand’s growing sales which it forecasts will see its vehicle parc to be 70% more by 2017 than 2012. The brand piloted Made for Trade with 40 independent dealers, selected according to location and their quality of customer service. “The creation of our Made for Trade parts programme follows the introduction earlier this year of Hyundai’s overnight parts delivery service. Both help to enhance standards of aftersales care offered to customers and trade professionals,” said Tony Whitehorn, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor UK. The new programme uses number-plate recognition software to speed up parts ordering, a stock check analysis tool, promotional offers and training programmes.

The Citroën C1 has been crowned the most reliable new car of 2014 in the Which? Car Survey The supermini achieved a 99.3% reliability rating for the first three years in a survey of more than 49,000 car owners and 58,055 cars. The joint top performing manufacturers were BMW and Toyota who both  came top in two of the eight car classes: BMW with the 3 Series Touring (Estate Cars) and 3 Series Coupé (Sports Cars); Toyota with the Auris (Medium Cars) and Verso (MPVs). Six of our eight highest-scoring new car models had no reported breakdowns last year. The least reliable car in the survey was the Hyundai iX20 diesel with a reliability score of 75.2%. Which Car? Most Reliable New Cars by Class Superminis: Citroën C1 (petrol, 2005-2014) 99.3% Medium cars: Toyota Auris (2012-) 98.8% Large cars: Skoda Octavia (2013-) 98.7% Luxury…

Dealers can expect continued high demand for sub-£5K used cars well into the economic recovery, according to The Warranty Group. Despite the economy’s return to its pre-recessionary level, The Warranty Group said demand for low cost used cars will continue as a result of real world wages having fallen since the recession began. “There is perhaps an expectation that the burgeoning economic recovery should see people start to spend more money on cars right across the used sector. However, this is not happening and is unlikely to do so. The recession has left a lot of people feeling much worse off and that situation is unlikely to change for quite some time, “ said Ian Simpson, sales and marketing director. “Dealers specialising in the sub-£5K sector will continue to do well if they retail quality, low cost cars that are likely to provide value…

UK car production rose 3.5% to 791,314 units in the first half of 2014. June output rose 3.7% to 136,419 cars, according to figures from the SMMT, “UK car production continued its steady growth in June, leading to a first half-year increase of 3.5%,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive. “With several manufacturers having started assembly of new models this year and billions of pounds of investment still to reach production fruition, this is an exciting time for the UK automotive sector. “However, with this growth comes a need to bolster the domestic supply chain and address major skills shortages; both of which the UK industry is committed to addressing,” he said. Original Story taken from Motor Trader News –http://www.motortrader.com/automotive-news/uk-car-production-rises-3-5-first-half-2/