Review of 2011: news stories that shaped the year

Updated: 26 January 2015
 
 
   
         
10 January – Porsche 918
RSR concept unveiled
Read more 918 articles here
  14 January – Detroit auto
show 2011: live blog
Read more from the show here
  25 January – VW XL1 concept
car (2011) first photos
Read more on the VW XL1 here
         
         
   
         
26 January – Pagani Huayra (2011): the unpronouncable car
Read more on the Huayra here
  15 February – How the Chinese
relaunched MG in 2011
Read more on MG’s return here
  22 February – AC Mk VI. Can AC Cars really return to the UK?
Read more on AC’s return here
         
         
   
         
7 March – A guided tour to the Mini Rocketman concept
Click here to read more
  24 February – Victor Muller sells Spyker Cars to CPP
Read more on this story here
  28 February – Geneva motor show 2011: A-Z review
Read more stories on Geneva here
         
         
   
         
1 March – Infiniti signs F1 deal with Red Bull Racing
Click here for more details
  2 March – Aston Martin unveils new AMR-One Le Mans racer
Read more on the Le Mans racer
  16 March – UK new car average CO2 now under 140g/km
Read more
         
         
   
         
23 March – UK budget for 2011:
the outcome for motorists
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  24 March – CAR interviews Renault’s electric car cheif
Read more
  28 March – Change afoot at
Saab as CEO retires
Read more Saab 2011 articles
         
         
   
         
11 April – John Cooper Works
WRC launch campaign
Read more on the WRC Mini
  12 April – BMW Z4 GT3
completes testing
Read more on the Z4 GT3
  15 April – CAR scoops VW’s WRC return announcement early
Read more
         
         
   
         
18 April – Nissan Leaf muscles up in Nismo race spec
Read more here
  18 April – Bugatti Galibier ‘will be
a hybrid’ Durheimer tells us
Read more
  19 April – Audi A3 E-Tron concept (2011) first pics
Read more on the A3 E-tron
         
         
   
         
20 April – Bristol Cars is sold to Frazer Nash
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  27 April – Team Lotus buys Caterham Cars
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  28 April – Alfa Romeo TZ3 Stradale
by Zagato: we’re in love 
Read more here
         
         
   
         
11 May – UK plans on-the-spot fine for careless driving
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  6 May – Jaguar to build C-X75 hybrid supercar. Swoon
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  9 May – Land Rover Defender goes EV for Safari concept
Read more here
         
         
   
         
2 June – Skoda Fabia RS 2000 (2011): the open-air hot-hatch
Read more about the open-top
  9 June – VW and Chinese ‘in talks to buy Vauxhall/Opel’ from GM
Read more
  21 June – Mini coupe pictures and video released
Read more about the coupe
         
         
   
         

24 June – Bugatti sells its
last Veyron
Read more

  30 June – The £41K Mini
inspired by Goodwood
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  7 July – Renault Frendzy concept (2011) first pics
Read more on the Frendzy here
         
         
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18 July – BMW M3 DTM concept car first pictures
Read more about the DTM
  25 July – Infiniti, Red Bull considering performance cars
Read more
  27 July – Ariel moves from Atoms to motorbikes in 2012
Read more
         
         
Í    
         
28 July – Vauxhall and Opel ‘not
for sale’ – CEO Akerson
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  8 August – All the BMW E and F codenames explained
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  12 August – Bentley will return to top-level motorsport
Read more
         
         
   
         
19 August – Kia’s M5 rival: 2011 four-door sports saloon concept
Read more on this Kia concept
  23 August – Ferrari 458 Spider
(2012) first official pictures
Read more 458 Spider articles
  27 August – Audi Urban Concept
cars… the A0?
Read more on the Urban concepts
         
         
   
         
5 September – Citroen Tubik concept car first pictures
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  6 September – Audi A2 is reborn as new concept
Read more
  7 September Jaguar C-X16 concept car, here in 2012 
Read more on the C-X16
         
     
   
        ere
7 September – Vauxhall’s new two-seat EV city car concept
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  13 September – Frankfurt motor show 2011: A-Z guide
Read more
  13 September – Renault confirms standalone sports car
Read more
         
         
   
         
20 September – CAR sets new hybrid speed world record
Read more on the M35h here
  20 September – Jensen to build new Interceptor in 2014
Read more on the Interceptor e  
  21 September – Gordon Murray’s roadster unveiled
Read more here
         
         
   
         
3 October – Seat Mii: the Spanish VW Up city car
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  14 October – Toyota will compete at 2012 Le Mans with a hybrid
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  24 October – Citroen to launch ‘3CV’ plus DS3 cabrio, DS4 SUV
Read more
         
         
   
         
24 October – 50 years of Bond cars at the National Motor Museum
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  9 November – Nissan Pivo 3 concept first pics
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  10 November – Honda small sports EV first pics
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10 November – Suzuki Regina, Q-concept, Swift EV at Tokyo
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  14 November – Seat unveils electric Altea, Leon plug-in hybrid
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  25 November – Daimler finally culls Maybach brand
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27 November – Toyota GT 86 first pictures at last!
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  2 December – Tokyo motor show 2011. A walkaround review
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  6 December – Chinese car maker Geely to launch in UK in 2012
Read more
         
         
   
         
8 December – Rinspeed Dock + Go – a more practical Smart
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  12 December – Honda to show new NSX supercar at Detroit 2012
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  16 December – Eterniti motors readies two SUVs/sports car
Read more
         
         
         
Renault cuts back UK range, axes Laguna, Espace, Modus
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  Saab files for bankruptcy: the end of the Swedish saga
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  Gavin Green’s review of 2011, the motoring year
Read more
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