Honda will officially enter the FIA World Touring Car Championship with recently redesigned 2012 Civic. Interestingly, it will be the European version hitting the track, not the U.S.-spec model.

Powering these compact racers will be a bespoke 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-four, developed by Honda R&D in accordance with FIA’s Super 2000 regulations. Modifications have also been made in partnership with Mugen and J.A.S. Motorsport.

“We have made a decision” said Honda CEO, Takanobu Ito “to enter into the WTCC with the European Civic. We will develop a totally new engine for this project and we are all excited about starting this new challenge.”

Honda is expected to join the WTCC later this year, either in Japan, China or Macau. The automaker plans to compete in every race during the 2013 season.

Racing has always been heavily involved in racing. In the late 1950s Honda first entered the Isle of man T.T and then Formula 1 in the 1960s. Honda sees the WTCC as the next chapter in a ongoing commitment to motorsports.

The Suzuki Regina Concept, which made its debut at the Tokyo Auto Show last year, has officially been renamed and will make an appearance at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. When it goes on stage, the new Suzuki G70 will have a few updates to set itself apart from the Regina, but its three-cylinder powertrain is likely to remain unchanged.

The G70 is a small five-door that weight just 730kg and has a drag coefficient at least 10 percent lower than that of a current Suzuki ‘A’ segment model. Its small engine is of course highly efficient, producing 70g/km of carbon emissions.

There’s been no word yet on output or other powertrain specs, but the name change could mean that Suzuki is seriously considering putting this vehicle into production.

Other Suzukis making it to Geneva include the Swift Range Extender, Suzuki’s latest endeavor in hybrid vehicle technology. The Swift Range Extender was first shown at the Geneva Show in 2010 and, since then, has undergone further development which has resulted in a 100 percent improvement in battery driving range to around 19 miles.

On the plus side, James Foldenauer now holds a semi-official record as the fastest convicted speeder in the state of Iowa. The down side to that is that Foldenauer is now facing a one-year suspension of his license, serious fines, up to two years in prison for eluding police, and, we’ll bet, some impressive legal bills. The Council Bluff…

There may be one final sad truth to the history of Saab: in bankruptcy, the pieces that once made up the whole of the brand are worth more than the brand itself. Saab’s receivers see more profit in parting out the automaker than in selling it intact, and profit is what the creditors want. China’s Youngman is learning this the hard way…

James Key is packing his bag of technical tricks and heading back to the U.K. from Sauber F1 Team’s Swiss headquarters. After spending two years working with the team, he was offered a new role closer to home which he decided to accept, Key said. No doubt he’ll be forced to accept a few months of “gardening leave” before joining his new team. The…

BMW has given the 3-Series its most radical set of changes in many years, and because we—and sport-sedan owners and enthusiasts in general—so often use the 3-Series as a benchmark, maybe even the archetype for sport sedans, it’s time to take note. Which is what we did this past week; while we got a taste a few months back, with a…

On the plus side, James Foldenauer now holds a semi-official record as the fastest convicted speeder in the state of Iowa. The down side to that is that Foldenauer is now facing a one-year suspension of his license, serious fines, up to two years in prison for eluding police, and, we’ll bet, some impressive legal bills. The Council Bluff…

There may be one final sad truth to the history of Saab: in bankruptcy, the pieces that once made up the whole of the brand are worth more than the brand itself. Saab’s receivers see more profit in parting out the automaker than in selling it intact, and profit is what the creditors want. China’s Youngman is learning this the hard way…

James Key is packing his bag of technical tricks and heading back to the U.K. from Sauber F1 Team’s Swiss headquarters. After spending two years working with the team, he was offered a new role closer to home which he decided to accept, Key said. No doubt he’ll be forced to accept a few months of “gardening leave” before joining his new team. The…

BMW has given the 3-Series its most radical set of changes in many years, and because we—and sport-sedan owners and enthusiasts in general—so often use the 3-Series as a benchmark, maybe even the archetype for sport sedans, it’s time to take note. Which is what we did this past week; while we got a taste a few months back, with a…