Mazda may revive the rotary as a hybrid car powerplant

Mazda Motor Corp. has given a new lease on life to its rotary engine in the form of a Mazda 2 hatchback reconfigured as an extended-range hybrid. The prototype runs as an electric vehicle, with an electric motor powering the wheels.

Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake by Brabus (2012)

Mercedes tuning specialist Brabus has unveiled a raft of packages for the new CLS Shooting Brake. A range of tune-ups, body addenda, alloy wheel designs and sports exhaust packages are to be offered, but the real headline act is the 611bhp option for the flagship CLS63 AMG variant. It's not just a mad-cap power struggle though; Brabus offers a three-year/62,000-mile warranty on all its power upgrades, so bear that in mind if the other half isn't convinced your new family estate needs McLaren 12C-chasing poke.

Top Gear 'regrets' Clarkson remark

TOP GEAR'S producer has apologised after broadcasting a "light-hearted" joke by Jeremy Clarkson that sparked a complaint of racism. The episode, which was filmed in Burma and Thailand and shown in March, featured a scene where the motoring show's stars built a bridge over the River Kwai and as an Asian man walked over it Clarkson said: "That is a proud moment, but there's a slope on it." Somi Guha, an actress who complained to the BBC, said the use of the phrase was an example of "casual racism" and "gross misconduct". The BBC2 show's executive producer, Andy Wilman, said: "When we used the word slope in the recent Top Gear Burma Special it was a light-hearted word play joke referencing both the build quality of the bridge and the local Asian man who was crossing it.