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2012 Seat Exeo is Audi with the old, in with the new-ish

We know what you're thinking: This car looks an awful lot like an Audi A4. But it isn't. And it is.
Regular readers may be aware that Audi's Spanish sister-company Seat inherited the previous-generation A4 some time after it was replaced. They put some new badges on it and presto! A new flagship model for Seat.
Called the Exeo, it has now undergone a minor facelift that did nothing if not make it look even more like an Audi, if that were possible, and we got up close and personal with the new model here in Frankfurt. Check it out in our high-res gallery of live images from the show floor.

Infographic reconstructs Senna's miracle drive at Donington

Detractors will tell you every Formula One race is the same: a bunch of overpaid, glorified cab drivers posing as athletes sit in cars that have nothing to do with the ones we see and drive on the road and proceed to drive around in circles. Of course racing fans know different. We know that no two grands prix are the same. But even then, some stand out more than others. Take the 1993 European Grand Prix, for example. It was the only time an F1 race was ever held at Donington Park, and on April 14 it was pouring. Ayrton Senna had already won his three world championships and was now in his sixth season with McLaren. He qualified fourth, behind Alain Prost and Damon Hill for Williams and Michael Schumacher for Benetton. But once the race got underway, all bets were off. Off the line he was passed by Karl Wendlinger in the Sauber, but then proceeded to pass Schumacher, retake Wendlinger, overtake Hill for second and take the lead from his arch-rival (and former team-mate) Prost, all on the first lap. It was a command performance in the wettest of weather that saw Senna finish nearly a full lap ahead of Damon Hill in second, and will go down in history as one of the most breathtaking opening laps in racing history – and serves as a fitting remembrance today, the 20th anniversary of Senna's death. McLaren has it all broken down in the tidy infographic below. Source: McLaren.com News Source: McLaren Motorsports McLaren F1 infographic ayrton senna european grand prix donington

McLaren rolls out more accessible 625C in Asia

When McLaren first introduced the 650S, the initial idea was to keep the 12C it effectively replaced around as a more accessible option – particularly in certain Asian markets where buying a new car, much less an exotic supercar, is an even costlier endeavor than it is in other markets. Woking soon changed track and discontinued the 12C, but has now addressed that "entry-level" demand with the introduction of the new 625C. Based closely on the 650S, the 625C is being launched in Hong Kong and will be available exclusively in the Asia Pacific region, making this McLaren's first "regionally tailored" model. It's powered by McLaren's signature 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8, but carries the same 616-horsepower output as the 12C touted before it's demise. It also gets a softer rear suspension to make the Club model both "more refined and more accessible" than the 650S. As a result of the decrease in power, 0-62 is quoted at one tenth slower than the 650S at 3.1 seconds, while top speed and emissions figures remain the same. Asian buyers will be able to opt for coupe and convertible body-styles, but what's particularly interesting for those in other regions is that the 625C paves the way for other variants tailored to specific markets (say, like the North American one, for example) and that the nameplate ostensibly sets the precedent for a new naming scheme to usher McLaren away from its previous disparate nomenclature (12C, 650S, P1) and into a more clearly defined hierarchy. THE McLAREN 625C: THE FIRST REGIONALLY TAILORED McLAREN MODEL Sep 26, 2014 - New more refined and more accessible McLaren 625C created for the increasingly important Asian market - Based on the globally available 650S - Coupe and Spider models available from launch As McLaren continues to grow its presence globally, the British sportscar maker has announced plans for its first regionally tailored model aimed at the Asian market. The new McLaren 625C offers the greatest level of refinement of any McLaren model to date, combined with the optimised driving dynamics all McLarens are famous for. The Asian market has seen the biggest area of growth for McLaren Automotive over the past two years, not least with the entry into China in September 2013. Sales are set to grow from 20 percent in 2013 to more than a third in 2014.