1973-75 Yamaha Rd 250 350 Original 2 Reed Valves on 2040-parts.com

Used cars 'getting cheaper'

CONSUMERS holding on to their motor for longer are driving down the cost of used cars, according to new research. The average price for a second-hand car in July-September 2011 was £8,870 - a 2.4% decline compared with the same period a year ago, according to the Auto Trader company. It is the first time the price has dipped below £9,000 since the company started tracking the market in January 2010.

Film Friday: 'All in One' presents the car as man's best friend, proposes dog power for a greener future

Remember the time Chevrolet built a dog-powered car? Yeah, neither did we. And we're not even sure if the Bowtie was behind this canine-powered contraption, dubbed the "Bow-Wow Buggy" by this Jam Handy film's unwaveringly enunciative narrator (could it be Jam Handy himself?).

McLaren 650s Configurator goes live

The McLaren 650S Configurator The new McLaren 650S arrived at the Geneva Motor Show last week – and as the 650S Spider too – and looks, and performs, far better than the 12C. That seems to point to the McLaren 12C being allowed to whither on the vine as McLaren’s customers opt for the new 650S instead of the 12C – even with a price difference heading towards £20k – although officially you can still buy a 12C (although we hear 12C production has been halted). We hear McLaren have already built a number of 650S models and now they’ve even got the 650S Configurator up on their website so customers – and dreamers – can spec up their new 650S.