1998 Suzuki Gsx 600 Katana Motor on 2040-parts.com

CAR tech: who's to blame for your car's terrible fuel economy?

In early 2013 Audi lost a case brought by the Advertising Standard Agency (ASA) because of ‘misleading’ fuel economy figures used in an advert, after a customer complained they couldn’t get anywhere near the 68mpg quoted. The court case once more exposes the yawning gap between officially sanctioned mpg figures and those experienced by owners. A recent study by the Independent Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) looked at cars sold in the UK and Europe, and discovered the difference between official mpg figures and real-world driving had grown from 8% in 2001 to a barely believable 21% in 2011.

Classic style for road-ready Beetle Dune

A VERY special Volkswagen Beetle has hit the coastal roads of northern Germany, and it might just arrive in showrooms soon, too. The new Beetle Dune concept captures a little of the spirit of the classic version, with 50mm of extra ride height, big, bold wheels and a rear-mounted ski rack. It looks stunning on the move, where its broad-spoked 19-inch wheels look almost like solid discs of polished metal and the ski rack has the visual effect of an old-school Porsche 911-esque spoiler.

125th Anniversary of the Automobile: Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler put the world on wheels

The world will mark the 125th anniversary of the invention of the automobile on Jan. 29. Karl Benz filed a patent for a three-wheeled vehicle driven by a gasoline engine in Mannheim, Germany, on that day in 1886, the same year Gottlieb Daimler completed his motorized carriage in Cannstatt, Germany.