Steve Davies

I must admit to being in two minds about this car, on the one hand I love unusual hybrid cars - Hayabusa powered 2-seaters, supercar-baiting SUVs and even EV sportscars such as the Tesla Roadster. What these all have in common is the ability to surprise and delight, to perform in a way beyond what you would expect from their appearance.

You can gain a sense for how BMW has chosen to position the new 3 Series, by the new marketing campaign which was kicked off today. The launch campaign for the new 3 Series developed by creative agency Interone, Munich, underlines the sporty and dynamic character of the vehicle, coupled with high levels of efficiency and impressive design.

On the eve of the inaugural Indian Grand Prix at the Buddh International Circuit, New Delhi, news reaches us of a second project, this time for a Grand Prix standard racing circuit in Mumbai - approximately 1,400 km south west of the nation’s capital.

Next season's DTM series promises to be a classic, as BMW join Mercedes and Audi on track for the first time since 1995. For the DTM season finale at Hockenheim today, the contenders met for the first time in a friendly demonstration for the fans.

Earlier this evening BMW revealed the new BMW M Performance Accessories liveried M3 DTM to selected members of the public, two days before the car makes an appearance as part of the season-ending DTM event at the neighbouring Hockenheimring.

I am a big fan of vehicles which succeed in contradicting first impressions - Jaguar's C-X75 which looks like it's powered by a gas-guzzling 6-litre V12, but instead is propelled by a novel turbine-based hybrid powertrain, Volkswagen's 172 bhp Transport Sportline which could give a sporty hatchback a run for its money and Porsche's new 911 which offers 170 mph performance combined with near 40 mpg economy.

And now there's the Lexus CT 200h F-Sport. Kind of.

Although the 2011 DTM driver's championship has already been clinched by Audi's Martin Tomczyk, the team title is still up for grabs with Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline leading by just 5 points (77 pts) over THOMAS SABO / Mercedes-Benz Bank AMG (72 pts). There's also the consolation prize of 'Vice-Champion' to be decided, which will go to either Mercedes' Bruno Spengler (51 pts) or Audi's Mattias Ekström (49 pts).

As tributes continue to flood in for British driver Dan Wheldon, I suspect many of you are only now learning what a great ambassador he was for the sport. I never met Dan, but like many enthusiasts I enjoyed watching his rise to fame in IndyCar racing and the irrepressible spirit he showed when he sniffed the opportunity of a race win.