Cars of the week!

Mini Roadster

The new Mini Roadster is now the sixth model in the Mini line-up.  The Roadster is designed as a strict two-seater, rather than a four-seater like the Convertible – it's available as either a Cooper Roadster, Cooper S Roadster, Cooper SD Roadster, or John Cooper Works Roadster.

The Roadster makes use of BMW-sourced petrol and diesel engines, ranging from a naturally-aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine producing 122hp to turbocharged versions producing 184hp and 211hp. The 2.0-litre diesel engine in the Cooper SD Roadster produces 143hp.

The Roadster’s soft-top operation is semi-automatic, which can be opened at speeds of up to 20mph.  The most efficient car of the range is the Cooper SD, with a claimed fuel economy figure of 62.8mpg and a CO2 output of 118g/km.

Mercedes Benz G63 and G65 AMG

Last week Mercedes Benz released information on their updated G-Wagon, and this week, they’ve released more info and pictures on the G63 and G65 AMG versions.

As previously reported, the G63 AMG makes use of a 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 engine with 544hp and 560lb ft of torque, and gets a seven-speed 7G-Tronic automatic transmission.  Acceleration from 0-62mph takes 5.4 seconds, while its top speed is limited to 210 km/h (approximately 130mph).

The G65 AMG has the familiar twin-turbo 6.0-litre V12 producing 612hp and 737lb ft of torque, enabling it to get from 0-62mph in 5.3 seconds and on to a limited top speed of 230 km/h (143mph).  It too gets the 7G-Tronic transmission, as well as standard 20-inch wheels.

Both cars will be available for purchase as of June, with the G63 AMG costing 137,504.50 euros, and the G65 AMG costing 264,180 euros.

Mercedes Benz Concept Style Coupe

As is the purpose of many concept cars, the Concept Style Coupe is here to set the tone for the design of future Mercedes Benz products.  Apart from the very sleek styling, the four-door coupe makes use of a new 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine producing 211hp, and is connected to Mercedes Benz’s 7G-DCT double-clutch transmission and 4MATIC all-wheel drive system.

Audi RS Q3 Concept

Another concept car came in the form of the Audi RS Q3, set to make its debut in a few days at Auto China 2012 in Beijing.

The RS Q3 gets the same turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine found in the RS3 and TT RS, but with a bit more power at 360hp.  It sends drive through a double-clutch seven-speed S-tronic transmission and all-wheel drive Quattro system, allowing the car to get from 0-62mph in 5.2 seconds, and reach a top speed of 165mph.

The RS Q3 sits 25mm lower than a standard Q3, and features 20-inch wheels.

It also features a more aggressive exterior, while the interior has a sportier ambiance thanks to making use of materials like alcantara, aluminium, and having a colour-contrasting theme.