04 Grand Prix Hood Hinge 485234 on 2040-parts.com

Ford's NA Design Director aims to shorten product lifecycles

Peter Horbury, Ford Motor Company North America Design Director, has told Automotive News he intends to shorten product lifecycles at the ailing company from an average five years to three years starting this decade. "We feel there is no value in minor changes but a huge value in major changes," Horbury told the industry weekly. Ford needs to ensure that buyers continue visiting showrooms as the giant automaker struggles to retain market share.

England's first motorway pub set to open

The British motorway network has a history of firsts. The first motorway was famously the eight-mile stretch of Preston bypass, which opened on the 5 December 1958. Then came the first motorway services at Watford Gap in November 1959.

2014 Jaguar XK Signature and Dynamic R specification revealed

The 2014 Jaguar XK Dynamic R (left) and XK Signature The Jaguar XK – in naturally aspirated guise or as an XKR – is getting a bit long in the tooth, so Jaguar have launched two special editions – the XK Signature and Dynamic  R specification – to try and put a bit of fizz in to sales. Jaguar are proclaiming the XK Signature and Dynamic  R specification as special editions, but at substantial discounts to the current models – and with increased specification – it looks like these two new models are going to be the Jaguar XK range for 2014 (plus the Jaguar XKR-S). The Jaguar XK Dynamic R gets the same 503bhp 5.0 litre supercharged engine as the XKR but gets both the Black Dynamic Pack and Speed Pack as standard as well as a sports exhaust, Performance Seats with diamond stitching and 20” Vortex diamond turned wheels.