#2 Lexus Bridgestone Steel Rim & Tire Spare Wheel 5-lug T125 / 70d 16 Tracompa- on 2040-parts.com

Saab on the road to independence

You’ve got to feel for Scandinavian car makers Saab and Volvo. Both swallowed up by big US car makers, and both now being abandoned in a vulnerable position after years of integrating their once independent products in to their parents infrastructure, they must wake up every day wondering if this is the day it all goes bang. Ford is simply trying (increasingly desperately) to off-load Volvo, but GM, which is in a much more precarious position than Ford, has now abandoned its Swedish child in a desperate attempt to appease Congress and survive.

Skoda Rapid & Rapid Spaceback GreenLine from £17,195

Skoda Rapid & Rapid Spaceback GreenLine (pictured) cost from £17,195 With the Skoda Rapid already on the market, and its sibling with a hatch – the Rapid Spaceback – about to launch, Skoda is introducing the emissions-friendly GreenLine versions of both cars. Both the saloon (liftback) and the Spaceback (hatch) get the same 89bhp 1.6 litre diesel driving the front wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox. Despite differences in dimensions and weight, Skoda are claiming the same 99g/km emissions and 74.3mpg for both saloon and Spaceback, practically perfect if you’re a company car driver.

Unsold Cars take over California

It’s a sign of the times. Unsold cars arriving at Long Beach - Image by NYT Long Beach, California, America’s second largest port is under siege from unsold cars. Day after day, thousands of cars roll off container ships, normally destined for dealerships around the country.