New car news

26 June 2008 - 15:00

Raw MiTo

Everybody's favourite manufacturer of gorgeous-but-frequently-flawed cars is set to build a GTA version of its MiTo supermini.

Word is that the hotted-up MiTo will be powered by a turbocharged 1750cc petrol engine, featuring direct injection and variable valve timing, and putting out some 230bhp.

In a car not much bigger than a Mini, that's a serious lump of power - the Cooper S, by comparison, has a mere 175bhp - so here's hoping the chassis is up to it.

If it is, we could be looking forward to a seriously entertaining slice of Italian hot hatch foolery when the MiTo GTA arrives next summer.

We'll see the standard MiTo on these shores early next year.