Peugeot 404 404c Worm & Wheel Assy - 324231 on 2040-parts.com

Final second-generation Mini leaves production line

THE FINAL Mini hatchback of the current generation has left the production line in Oxford, after more than a million were made for customers around the world. There’s no time for production staff to rest, though, with assembly of the new Mini hatchback already under way alongside the many other Mini model derivatives. In total, more than 1.8 million hatchback Minis have been built at the factory since 2001, of which 1,041,412 were the currently outgoing model.

Donkey Kong Derby Car wins IDSA Launch Day 2013 competition

Product design consultancy Priority Design's ‘Donkey Kong Derby Car' was the winner of the IDSA Launch Day 2013 competition, earning its team a brand-new 3D printer. The Launch Day competition, which took place at the Industrial Design Society of America conference on 24 August, asked for designs for a tiny 3D-printed car that could be launched down a miniature model of a ski jump before smashing into a crash site. Featuring Mario and Princess from the classic Nintendo series in glorious 32-bit form, the Donkey Kong Derby Car – car being a very loose term, as it has no wheels – was, in fact, a barrel.

Government to make UK hub for driverless cars

The government has today announced plans to make the UK a world centre for the development of driverless cars – with a £10 million cash incentive to any town or city that builds a test site for autonomous vehicles. The news comes as part of chancellor George Osborne’s 2013 Autumn Statement – alongside plans to scrap the car road tax disc and freeze fuel duty. Tax disc to be scrapped after 93 years On Bing: see pictures of driverless cars Milton Keynes is already experimenting with driverless pods – with plans to introduce a trial in 2015.