04 05 06 07 08 Acura Tl Radio Information Display Screen 39050-sep-a0 C51873 on 2040-parts.com

New car sales accelerate again

NEW CAR SALES could be back to pre-recession levels by the end of this year after a good start to 2014. Latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show there were 176,820 new vehicles registered in April - an 8.2% rise on the same month last year. Last month's figure took the total for the year so far to 864,942 - a 12.5% increase on the first four months of 2013.

Flashback: Pontiac killed on April 27, 2009

It was precisely two years ago today--April 27, 2009--that Pontiac met its demise. In hindsight, the decision made a lot of sense for General Motors, which six weeks later would file for bankruptcy. But at the time, many enthusiasts were more than a bit upset that 80 years of Pontiac--once the third-best-selling brand in the United States--was set for the scrap yard.

Alfa Romeo MiTo Sprint launches

The patriotically-painted Alfa Romeo MiTo Sprint Today we have yet another limited edition – the Alfa Romeo MiTo Sprint – which Alfa has ostensibly put together to celebrate its ongoing support of UK Athletics. Which does at least makes a change from following the herd. This year, that would have meant the Alfa MiTo Black.