Chevy Blazer S10 Left/right Oem Front Turn Signal Housing Unit Assembly on 2040-parts.com

Business groups call for Severn tolls cut

BUSINESS groups are calling for a reduction in the Severn Bridge tolls as soon as the famous structure comes into public ownership. Following the recent announcement that tolls will be set to increase, the Federation of Small Businesses in Wales and the Freight Transport Association (FTA) have called for the tolls to be reduced to a level that only covers maintenance. In a joint statement the groups expressed their concern for the negative impact the increased tolls could have on the southern Welsh economy.

Driven: BMW 6 Series convertible

Every large BMW coupe – from the E9 3.0 CS, through the shark-nosed E24 6 Series, Claus Luthe's beautiful E31 8 Series, right up to the outgoing, Bangle-era E63 6er – has had an exoticism beyond every other car in the brand's range. We drove the latest from the most southern point of Europe back to our London office to find out if it too is a truly Grand Tourer. Stepping off the 'plane in Gibraltar, greeted by a Deep Sea Blue 650i with Ivory White leather, 19-inch rims and Shadow Line exterior trim under the early summer Mediterranean sun, it's clear that the right colorway and a more appropriate setting certainly help the F12's cause after our disappointment with the car at its debut in Detroit earlier in the year.

The scramble for scarce tires

North American automakers are struggling with a nagging shortage of tires, caused in part by tire plant closings and rising demand for low-volume specialty tires. Automakers are paying much higher prices -- double-digit percentage increases from a year ago -- as tire makers gain pricing power. "We have been bombarded from every side for additional tires, and we can't keep up," said David O'Donnell, Continental Tire's vice president of original equipment in the Americas.