Yamaha Xt500 Rear Blinkers on 2040-parts.com

New MoT failure figures reveal surprises

BETWEEN January and August 2013 253,000 vehicles failed their first MoT, according to new data. 70 million records from the Vehicle Operation and Services Agency (VOSA) were examined to reveal the patterns of failure for cars receiving their first MoT, required three years from the date of first registration. However, while the best performers have pre-existing reputations for reliability, the bottom of the table reveals some surprises.

Caterham sells F1 team

Caterham The Caterham Formula 1 team has been sold to a consortium of Swiss and Middle-Eastern investors following a poor season so far in 2014. Rumours that Caterham would cut its losses have been rife, since team founder Tony Fernandes threatened to quit if things didn't improve this year. The team is currently bottom in the championship and Fernandes hinted of an exit last week, when he tweeted “F1 hasn't worked, but love Caterham Cars.” Graham Macdonald, Caterham Group CEO: “Firstly I want to thank everyone who was involved in the F1 team for all their hard work and dedication since the team’s first days in 2009.

Fiat 500 gets dressed up by Mopar

Chrysler is cranking up its Mopar parts unit to make it easier to customize the diminutive Fiat 500. Mopar will have more than 150 parts for the Fiat, including a Wi-Fi router to turn your microcar into a wireless hot spot. "The Fiat 500 is one of the most accessorized vehicles in Europe," said Pietro Gorlier, president and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC's service, parts and customer-care brand.