May 2009: UK new car sales and trends analysis

By Peter Adams Motor Industry 04 June 2009 12:00 The scrappage scheme was supposed to give the UK car market a massive boost, but latest figures out today show new car registrations are still down by more than a quarter. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reports that new car registrations fell 24.8% in May 2009 to 134,858 units. However, this fall marks an improvement on earlier months of the year.

In its first year, Indy 500 'glamping' shows potential

For the first time, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway offered “glamorous camping” or “glamping,” on the track's infield during the Indy 500. Across a small lake from the Brickyard Crossing Golf Course's eight hole, IMS settled “Glamptown,” a village of 70 10-foot x 15-foot canvas tents. The tents were available with the choice of a comfortable queen bed, double beds, or two to four military-style cots.

Peugeot 4008

Born of a PSA – Mitsubishi partnership, this is Peugeot's latest SUV, the 4008. The mid-sized SUV uses the same platform as Mitsubishi's ASX and is ‘a modern response to the needs of all-terrain vehicle customers' according to Peugeot. It adopts an aesthetic that sits somewhere between Peugeot's latest identity – typified by the 508 – and the heavily contoured hood, grille-dominated DRG and drawn-back lamps we've seen from the brand over the past ten years or so.