121 new cars: A
Our round-up begins with the letter A, with new cars including the new Aston V8 Vantage and all-new Audi A3
Abarth 695 Tributo Maserati
On sale: Now
Price: From £37,500 (est)
Only 499 of these limited-edition Abarth 500s will be made. Available exclusively as a convertible, it uses the Abarth’s existing 1.4-litre turbo engine, but with power uprated to 178bhp. It also gets 17-inch Maserati Neptun alloys, larger Brembo brakes and firmer suspension.
AC 378 GT Zagato
On sale: Late 2012
Price: From £89,990
This is the first in a line of new models from British sports car maker AC. The 378 GT is the result of a collaboration with Italian designer Zagato, and delivers 434bhp from a 6.2-litre V8. The lightweight supercar will go on sale alongside the more traditional Cobra later this year.
Artega GT Panoramic
On sale: Now
Price: From £58,950
Mid-engined, rear-driven sports car has a brand new removable panoramic roof that extends all the way to the bootlid. The 3.6-litre Volkswagen-sourced V6 sends power to the rear wheels through a six-speed twin-clutch DSG box, also made by VW.
Aston Martin DBS Carbon Edition
On sale: Now
Price: £186,582
The DBS Carbon Edition comes in Flame Orange or a more subtle Ceramic Grey, and has seven coats of paint plus a 25-hour polish to give it a stunning depth of colour and shine. Aside from the £1.2million One-77, the DBS Carbon is the most expensive Aston ever.
Read our first drive of the DBS Carbon Edition >>
On sale: Now
Price: £84,995 (coupe)
The revised V8 Vantage is available as a Coupe or Roadster, with a new front splitter, rear diffuser and side sills inspired by the Vantage S. The 420bhp 4.7-litre V8 remains and can now be mated to a seven-speed Sportshift automated manual box, replacing the old six-speed. Prices have been slashed, too: the Coupe is £5,900 less than the outgoing model, while the Roadster is £5,000 cheaper, at £93,995.
Read our first drive of the V8 Vantage >>
Aston Martin V12 Zagato
On sale: Late 2012
Price: From £396,000
Aston Martin and Zagato have produced some of the world’s most beautiful cars in the 50 years-plus they’ve been working together. This latest collaboration is based on the V12 Vantage and wraps the car in hand-rolled aluminium and carbon fibre – a process that takes 2,000 man hours to complete and cuts 100kg from the standard car’s kerbweight. The 510bhp 6.0-litre V12 is untouched, but the price has increased dramatically – to £396,000 for each of the 150 examples being produced.
Aston Martin Virage Volante Q
On sale: Now
Price: From £159,995
The Virage Volante Q showcases Aston Martin’s new range of customisation options, above and beyond the standard paints and trims. It features diamond-turned wheels, Marina Blue satin paint and an external luggage rack. The sky is the limit for the spec – and the price.
Audi A1 Quattro
On sale: Sold out
Price: From £39,930 (est)
This pumped-up A1 uses the same 2.0-litre turbo as the TT-S, tuned to 252bhp and hooked up to four-wheel drive. Audi claims the A1 quattro has more than 600 new or modified parts compared to a standard A1, and only 19 examples will be coming to the UK.
Read our first drive of the A1 Quattro >>
On sale: September
Price: From £19,000 (est)
The new A3’s design is sharper and more aggressive, but isn’t revolutionary – it’s the technology that sets the car apart. This is the first model to use the VW Group’s new MQB architecture – the new Golf will follow later this year – which makes the A3 up to 80kg lighter than the car it replaces. The interior is all-new with a super-slim display screen that rises from the dash and a new MMI system featuring improved connectivity, better graphics and more intuitive controls. Power comes from Audi’s range of efficient turbocharged petrol engines and frugal diesels, with emissions as low as 99g/km for the first time. High-performance S and RS versions are set to follow over the next few years, and a plug-in hybrid has been confirmed for 2014.
Audi A6 Allroad
On sale: Now
Price: £45,145
The rugged A6 Allroad rides 60mm higher than the standard A6 Avant and gets new bumpers, skid plates, roof rails and additional underbody protection. Every Allroad model is four-wheel drive and there’s a choice of four V6 engines – three petrols and one diesel.
Read our first drive of the A6 Allroad >>
Audi RS4 Avant
On sale: May
Price: From £60,000 (est)
The most extreme A4 ever will be sold only as a practical estate. The RS4 Avant is set to take on the Mercedes C63 AMG Estate and features a 444bhp 4.2-litre naturally aspirated V8, for 0-62mph in 4.7 seconds. Stiffened and lowered suspension includes adaptive dampers as standard.
Watch our video of the RS4 Avant at the Geneva Motor Show >>
Audi TT RS+
On sale: May
Price: From £50,000 (est)
Audi has taken the top-of-the-range TT RS and tweaked the 2.5-litre TFSI engine to produce 20bhp more power – so the RS+ delivers 355bhp. Other modifications include a new valve in the exhaust for extra noise, as well as stiffer suspension.
