Going, going, gone: Ford sells Volvo to Geely

Little more than a year ago, the name Geely would happily slip under the radar of most. Today, the Chinese company completed its purchase of Volvo from Ford. Geely stumped up a $1.3 billion in cash for the Swedish brand and issued a $200m note.

Icon Helios: the Tesla Model S streamliner inspired by DC-1s

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 01 August 2014 07:04 US craft modders Icon have come up with an unusual take on the electric car: the new Icon Helios is a dramatically rebodied Tesla Model S inspired by streamliners and ‘30s aircraft. Better known for modifying Land Rovers and Jeeps, Icon CEO and lead designer Jonathan Ward has now turned his hand to a more futuristic idea - making electric cars truly desirable. The Icon Helios is the result.

First sight: Volkswagen Passat (2015)

In recent years, European buyers have been switching their mid-size sedans and wagons for smaller cars, crossovers and SUVs. The Volkswagen Passat, Europe's most successful company car, has defined this market segment pretty much since it arrived back in 1973, and this latest, eighth-generation model has been designed to attempt to reverse that buying trend. When we catch up with design director Dr Klaus Bischoff at the car's unveiling, he's certainly confident that the new car represents a significant step forward.