1994 Polaris Sportsman 400 4x4 Fuel Tank on 2040-parts.com

German new car sales drop 11 per cent – pre-reg accounts for 33.5 per cent

New car sales in Germany dropped by 11 per cent in September with pre-reg cars accounting for over a third of all sales. That drop of 11 per cent in Germany is despite deep discount offers – an average of 12.2 per cent in September – with even the previously invincible Mercedes and VW having to offer discounts of up to €3k, despite which VW’s sales fell by 20 per cent in Germany and Mercedes by 12 per cent. What’s perhaps most interesting about the decline in car sales in Germany is the number of pre-reg cars sold (pre reg cars are cars registered by dealers to hit sales targets and then sold at a discount of up to 25 per cent).

Spyker & Youngman D8 SUV & Phoenix Joint Venture

Spyker and China’s Youngman are launching joint ventures to build the Spyker D8 SUV and develop the Saab Phoenix platform. Did you really think Victor Muller would come out of Saab with nothing? Especially after he told is in April he was looking for investors to push the Spyker D8 SSUV in to production? Muller’s Spyker and China’s Youngman – putative seller and buyer of Saab – are teaming up with a pair of joint ventures that will see Spyker’s long awaited Super SUV – the once D12 SUV and now D8 – coming to market, and Saab’s Phoenix Platform exploited.

Nissan Townpod concept preview

Nissan has just released this image of its new Townpod concept, which offers insight into how the brand could expand its portfolio of zero-emission vehicles. It will be displayed at the Paris motor show.  Designed to offer zero-emissions mobility to a future generation of home-based, innovative entrepreneurs who are creative and tech-savvy, the Townpod "combines eye-catching design with a spacious and practical interior," Nissan says. "[It's] more than just a car and it's more than just a van – it heralds a new-era of flexible, stylish vehicles that will bring electric-vehicle mobility to the masses." We'll bring you more information, our critique of the design and our own unique photographs of the Townpod in a few weeks' time.