1980 Datsun 720 5-speed 4wd Pickup Relay Lot on 2040-parts.com

Mandelson to announce help for car makers

Lord Mandelson is the man charged with finding ways to fund UK Car purchases (yes, he of the dodgy mortgage debacle – at least he should know a few tricks!) as the credit crunch has dried up funding, leading to an unprecedented drop in new car sales in the UK. Mandelson is due to make a statement in the Lords just after 3pm today, outlining the help the government is going to offer to ailing car makers. Central to this package is expected to be a funding channel directly from the Bank of England to inject liquidity in to the car financing sector.

BMW to offer four-cylinder diesels in North America to improve fuel efficiency

BMW will offer four-cylinder diesel engines in North America as it seeks to improve fuel efficiency and match the performance of its current six-cylinder gasoline engines. BMW is considering diesels in a range of models, including its 1 series, 3 series and 5 series sedans and possibly the X3 crossover and Z4 roadster, said Tom Baloga, vice president of engineering for BMW of North America. "You're going to see it in the 3 series, and the 5 series is a good possibility," Baloga said.

New BMW 4 Series: Official – Full specs, prices and photos

The new 2014 BMW 4 Series (pictured) has been revealed ahaed of a Frankfurt debut We had the arrival of the new BMW 4 Series as a concept back in  December, but this afternoon BMW has revealed details of the production 4 Series ahead of a debut at Frankfurt in September. Looking little changed from the concept, the new 4 Series – a replacement for the old 3 Series Coupe – sits on the same basic platform as the new 3 Series but with wider track and lower suspension. A bit longer, a bit wider and a bit lower than the old 3 Series Coupe, the new 4 Series also gets a longer wheelbase – a bit more room in the back – and weight rises a bit too.