Ford hot hatch takes on Golf GTI

Ford has revealed a facelifted version of the high-performance Focus ST model at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It features the same 247hp 2.0-litre turbo engine as before but has had a number of detailed improvements to the chassis and steering in an attempt to wrest the hot hatch handling crown from the VW Golf GTI.

On the outside there is a revised grille and new lights, but the biggest change of all is the addition of a hot diesel version, with 185hp and 400Nm of torque.

Toyota pumped up about new hydrogen cars
Toyota plans to start selling a hydrogen fuel cell car in Europe and the US from next year. The Toyota FCV will go on sale next April, with prices rumoured to start from as little as $69,000 (€50,400). Toyota is expected to make a hefty loss on each vehicle sold.

Carmakers are still waiting for the hydrogen infrastructure to catch up with vehicle development, though. The US Department of Energy says it currently has only 10 hydrogen filling stations, a and Japan has around 31 such stations. Nevertheless, Toyota expects to sell between 5,000 and 10,000 FCVs a year.

Opel designs a 50th year celebration

Opel is celebrating 50 years since it first opened its advanced Design Studio in Resselsheim, just outside Frankfurt. Opel claims it was the first and largest such design facility opened in Europe by a car maker, and was effectively a copy of the similar studio of General Motors in Warren, Michigan. Such lauded car design names as Chuck Jordan and Chris Bangle have worked in the facility and it has been responsible for the design of such famous concept cars as the original Opel Experimental GT and the recent Monza concept.