Lotus V8: the new engine plan in full

Lotus has confirmed details for its new inhouse V8 engine family, which will make its first road car appearance in the 2013 Esprit. Responding to feedback which said the 'New Era' plan to launch five new models was weakened by its reliance on Toyota engines, the new management team decided last Christmas to design and develop its own engine. 'The feedback from customers was "how can you justify a £100,000 car with a Toyota engine?",' said chief executive Dany Bahar.

UK commuters spend 10 days a year in traffic

We’re now wasting more time stuck in traffic than ever before, as last year the average car journey took 27% longer than it would have done if the road was clear. That’s a rise of 1% compared to 2012, while the report by TomTom also found that 10 of the UK’s biggest cities now have more congestion than they did 12 months ago. Europe’s top 10 most congested cities Fewer people commuting but distances on the up London, Brighton, Sheffield, Nottingham, Leicester, Birmingham, Portsmouth, Cardiff, Belfast and Southampton have all seen traffic levels increase, while Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle and Glasgow failed to improve.

Aston Martin eyes Lagonda comeback

The last time we saw an Aston Martin Lagonda on the street, it looked like its sharp angles could deflect not only police radar and laser, but give pedestrians a paper cut if they weren't careful. And the last time we saw a Lagonda concept -- at the 2009 Geneva motor show -- it looked like, well, like what you see above. We're still not sure what we see above, and leading scientists aren't sure, either.