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Seat expands Leon hot hatch family with new FR+

Buyers looking for a hot hatch could do worse than a Volkswagen GTI. But European buyers also have the option of going with its Spanish version, the Seat Leon, which offers a touch of Latin flavor along with a little bit more power than its German sibling often at a more attractive price. Now, the Iberian auto marque is expanding the range of its Leon FR with a choice of new engines.
Where the Leon FR was previously available with either a 208-horsepower 2.0-liter TSI or a 168 hp turbo-diesel, these have now moved up a notch to the new FR+. Underneath them, Seat is offering the more accessible 123 hp 1.4-liter TSI and 138 hp 2.0-liter TDI, giving buyers the sportier treatment but with smaller engines.
Overseas buyers can also opt for either a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG, but those looking for the more hardcore hot-hatch experience can still go for the Leon Cupra R, which also gets a subtle refresh to keep it current. Check out the whole family in the press release after the jump and the images in the high-res gallery for more.

McLaren P1 GTR production model debuting in Geneva

The GTR nomenclature has always held a special meaning to the folks at McLaren. The F1 GTR was a racing champion in its day, and the coupe's overall victory at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans went a long way towards cementing that supercar as a world icon. Now, McLaren is bringing the trio of letters back for the track-only P1 GTR, and the company's latest teaser video reveals this even quicker supercar's production debut is at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show in March. We last saw the P1 GTR as a concept during the Monterey Car Week (pictured below). In that form, it boasted the standard version's 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 but turned the wick up to 986 horsepower, an 83-hp improvement. It also sported a wider front track, lower ride height and mirrors moved to the A-pillars. This latest version appears to further refine the shape of the body, and the gaping front almost looks like it has fangs. As a track-only model, the GTR is somewhat similar to Ferrari's XX programs. McLaren is promising a full support package to drivers, including time behind the wheel in the company's racing simulator. Actual production for these behemoths isn't set to begin until later in 2015, but watch this teaser for a taste of what's to come in Switzerland. Related Gallery McLaren P1 GTR: Monterey 2014 View 29 Photos News Source: McLaren Automotive via YouTubeImage Credit: Related images copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Geneva Motor Show McLaren Coupe Performance Supercars Videos mclaren p1 teaser video mclaren p1 gtr

F1 title fight gets closer | 2016 US Grand Prix recap

We ran into an old friend at the US Grand Prix: an on-form Lewis Hamilton. Reliability and proper clutch actuation helped the Mercedes-AMG Petronas driver resurrect the kind of performance we haven't seen since July at the German Grand Prix. After demolishing the previous qualifying record around the Circuit of the Americas, he put the field in his mirrors as soon as the lights went out, was never bothered by anyone behind, and crossed the finish line 4.5 seconds ahead of teammate Nico Rosberg. The drive was exactly what Hamilton needed to keep his molecule-thin Championship hopes alive. Rosberg, however, did exactly what he needed to do as well by finishing second. The German had a sketchier path to the checkered flag than Hamilton, getting pushed back to the third at the start by Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo. Worse, Ricciardo appeared to have the pace to keep Hamilton honest ahead and hold Rosberg behind. Red Bull and Mercedes matched one another's pit stops, and it was clear the German would need more help to pass the Aussie. Rosberg didn't have to make his own luck, Ricciardo's teammate Max Verstappen made the luck for him. Ricciardo pitted on Lap 26, ceding second position on track to Rosberg. On Lap 30, Verstappen's gearbox failed while headed down the back straight. The Dutch teenager said the team told him to try to get the car back to the pits, so he dawdled through a few corners before following more team orders to pull over and park. Verstappen's parking spot and bad gearbox meant marshals couldn't push the car off the track, they needed to use a crane. That brought out a Virtual Safety Car, slowing the whole race down and allowing Rosberg to run a longer stint while losing less time on old tires. When the German came in for new tires on Lap 31 he emerged ahead of Ricciardo, and they ran that way to the end of the race, much to Ricciardo's disappointment. Sebastian Vettel claimed fourth for Ferrari, a placing perhaps due only to Verstappen and Kimi Raikkonen retiring from the race. An otherwise anonymous weekend for the scuderia called attention to itself on race day when Raikkonen had to call it a day after a botched pit stop, and Vettel couldn't make any impression on the teams ahead. Fernando Alonso rode home to a brilliant fifth for McLaren. During the first stint while rummaging around outside the top ten, the Spaniard complained about his lack of pace. By Lap 15 Alonso was tenth, on Lap 34 he was eighth.