These convincing looking shots of the new 2010 Audi RS5 have leaked onto the Internet a week ahead of the car’s official unveiling at the 2010 Geneva motor show. From what we’re hearing, under the hood the new Audi RS5 has a naturally aspirated 4.2-litre V8 engine that churns out some 450bhp and 332lb ft of torque, which is mated to an automatic S tronic transmission. Expected to be officially unveiled sometime on March 2nd, the 2010 Audi RS5 will be available as a soft-top version at first, with a sportier coupé (pictured) coming up, soon after. As for what this beast will go for, rumors have it that in the UK it will cost you a good £60,000.

I recently took the new VW Golf VI for a ride to see how much has really changed since the Mk5. After the success of the Mk5, it was clear that the Mk6 had much to live up to.

The moment I left the driveway I could tell the ride is much softer than it was which made me a bit concerned as to whether it would have any effect on handling. I am happy to report that is not the case. The Mk6 now features VW’s EDL (Electronic Differential Lock) which works by applying pressure to front inner wheel exactly where it is needed on fast cornering to prevent spinning. This maximizes traction, reduces under steer and improves response.

The Mk6 manages to achieve a perfect and subtle blend between performance handling and comfort driving. Under intense driving the GTi has a steering pulse which alerts you that the limit of traction is about to be reached, so you don’t end up sliding into a ditch.

So handling wise the car hits the nail on the head once again, but performance was the one area where the Mk5 needed attention since it was outperformed by the other hot hatches. VW’s answer was to make the engine 3kg lighter and adding on a supercharger to the turbocharged 2.0l engine increasing the power output to 155kw and 280Nm torque, with the torque kicking in at 1800rpm. This launches the GTi from 0 – 100km/h in 6.9 seconds and takes it to a top speed of 240km/h. In the DSG model, which is the same one I drove, you get a dual clutch semi-auto gearbox, so the one clutch is leading while the other preselects the next gear, making gear changes smoother and quicker.

As both a family and performance car the Golf GTi is an absolute pleasure. With a 275 liter boot, loads of legroom and an impressive 6.1 liters per 100km, it’s a perfect blend of the two. You can really point its nose in the direction you want to go and shoot at it. Safety features include ABS, EBD, ESP, adjustable whiplash optimized head restraints and 7 airbags, making the GTi one of the safest cars ever built and giving it 5-star Euro NCAP rating.

There are a couple of other cars to choose from in the same price class as the Mk6 GTi, but for a balanced combination of speed, luxury, reliability and practicality I’d say the GTi is certainly one of the best.

Finally a straight challenge for the Mini has been released; it’s called the Citroen DS3, and its Citroen’s version of the legendary Mini. Unfortunately Citroen SA has not yet approved the car for import, so for now we can only hope it will reach our shores soon.

The new DS line will have three versions to choose from, although the other two will only be released at a later stage. For now the DS3 will be available in one of five CO2-efficient Euro V engines, two of them diesel and three will be petrol, with the latter being co-developed by BMW. The two HDi diesel engines will produce 90bhp and 110bhp and will have Citroen’s DPFS, which stands for diesel particulate filter system. The three petrol engines will produce from the VTi 95bhp and 110bhp, and the THP will produce 150bhp.

The car will also have some premium features to it, like a colour contrasted floating roof, “shark fin” B pillar and LED headlights, with the floating roof being available in a choice of four colours, black, white, blue or red, very similar to the Mini. Mirrors and body ding strips will be available in chrome or personalized colours as well as some variations in wheel finishes. With the interior there will be leather and fabrics available in a variety of colours and the gear knob can be tailored in a choice of five ways.

Citroen promises that the DS3 will be spacious even though it is the smallest car in its class, measuring 3.95m long, 1.71m wide and 1.46m high. Citroen also claims they have made space for five people in full sized seats by raising the fascia to provide more leg room and the boot will take 285 liters and the seats can fold 60.40. There will be loads of tech too, Satnav with Bluetooth and audio features compatible with WMA and MP3, and an amplified subwoofer mounted in the boot. An indicator will let the driver know of optimal range in which to change gears for the lowest CO2 emissions, as well as cruise control with speed limiter.

All in all the DS3 sounds like a decent good competition to the Mini, with all its stylish features and accessories, and even though it’s not due for us yet, it is sure a car to keep an eye on in the motoring market.

Article by Dewildt Smith

The fist photos of the pre-production Chevrolet Camaro Convertible surfaced back in 2008, and since then, the development has taken a pretty long time. GM has finally revealed the first images of the production ready 2012 Camaro Convertible prototype through social media outfit Facebook. The convertible looks similar in design to the Coupe and a few noticeable changes include a repositioned third brake light, a trunk-mounted antenna, and a key slot for opening the rear trunk. The 2012 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible will feature the same engines as the coupe including a 312hp 3.6L V6, a 400 hp 6.2-liter V8, and a 426hp 6.2L V8 option. We expect the convertible to arrive by April 2011.