1969 Ford Thunderbird Center Console Lid Door on 2040-parts.com

BMW 1 Series dead in US after 2013

With its successor set to bow at the Detroit Auto Show in a couple of months' time, word's come down from BMW that 2013 will indeed be the end of the line for the BMW 1 Series — at least in the US. It will remain available elsewhere in the world as a three-door and five-door hatch. The coupe and convertible, meanwhile, are being replaced by the 2 Series, in convention with BMW's new naming scheme.

CAR tech: why Porsche needs hybrids

At the launch of the 997-generation 911 Turbo in 2006, Porsche faced a daunting future. Anti-car chatter from EU legislators proposed banning anything that produced more than 241g/km of CO2 and exceeded 101mph. ‘We’ll have to close if the European Commission decides that every carmaker must reach [these targets],’ a Porsche exec told CAR.

Volvo Concept Universe: Volvo aims high

Volvo Concept Universe - complete with spangly nose We got the tease on the Volvo Concept Universe, which is what you would expect in this age of pre-launch torment from car makers. And now we get the reality. And we’re not too sure what to think.