1985 Chevy Chevette Rear View Mirror on 2040-parts.com

Transmissions gone wild!

If you've been car shopping recently, or just paying attention to Autoweek car reviews, you've noticed that the six-speed automatic -- de rigueur as recently as a year ago -- suddenly has ratio envy. The new hotness? Eight- and nine-speed automatic transmissions.

A-Roads ‘greatest risk to drivers’

THE MOST DANGEROUS roads in the UK are A-roads, which are seven times more dangerous than motorways according to new research by the Road Safety Foundation. While 99% of motorways are rated in the "'low risk" category, 97% of single carriageway A-roads are not. The overall risk of death and serious injury on motorways and A-roads is lowest in the West Midlands and highest in the East Midlands, the poll revealed.

Audi SQ5 TDI arrives at Le Mans

The Audi SQ5 TDI – a 309bhp diesel Q5 – is revealed at Le Mans as the first Audi S model with a diesel engine. It’s quite appropriate that the first diesel S Model from Audi has arrived at Le Mans in the shape of the Audi SQ5 TDI, where Audi are expected to dominate in diesel-engined cars. It also shows that Audi are aware that powerful diesel compact SUVs are a must have in today’s car market, and they’ve got in first with a proper barn-storming diesel Q5 before a Range Rover Evoque Sport with perhaps the 3.0 litre V6 diesel or a BMW X3 M40d arrives.