08 Honda Odyssey Second Row Passenger Bucket Rear Seat 850912 on 2040-parts.com

2014 BMW X5 M50d: Specs, photos and price ahead of November on sale

The 2014 BMW X5 M50d (pictured) goes on sale November 2013 The new BMW X5 goes on sale in November – after a public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month – including the most powerful diesel X5, the 2014 BMW X5 M50d. Because the M50d is a bit special, BMW has seen fit to relay not just a pile of new photos of the M50d (above) but specific details on its spec and options ahead of the on sale date in Europe. Just as in the first X50d, the new X50d gets the world’s most powerful in-line 6-cylinder diesel engine under the bonnet, which means a thumping 376bhp and a planet turning 546lb/ft of torque, enough to sprint to 62mph in a very un-diesel like 5.3 seconds.

Audi introduces free smartphone app for roadside service

With its new roadside-assistance tool, Audi joins the crew of carmakers creating smartphone apps. Available for iPhone, Android and some Blackberry devices, the free app connects you directly with Audi and its insurance partner, Allstate. The app sends your vehicle information to Audi Roadside Services, allows you to select the type of service you require and communicates your location using your phone's GPS.

Lotus to invest £500 million to build Esprit, Eterne, Elite & Elan. 1900 new jobs

The new Lotus Esprit Dany Bahar – Lotus boss – revealed plans at last year’s Paris Motor Show to turn Lotus in to an East Anglian Aston Martin. Those plans included one car we knew about – the new Lotus Esprit – and a number we didn’t – the Lotus Eterne, Lotus Elite, Lotus Elan and a new Lotus Elite. But the plans seemed to be nothing more than a wish list, and although it was intimated that Lotus owners Proton were going to provide a war chest of £770 million to fund the development, that later appeared to be an intent to provide Lotus with funds to develop a new range of cars, rather than an actual commitment.