Hyundai beefs up its WRC team

Hyundai revealed last year that they’re preparing to take on the World Rally Championship (WRC) from 2014 when a rally car based on the i20 will take to the world rally stage to cast some sport fairy dust on Hyundai’s showroom cars. At that time we had little information about the team, but in January we learnt that Hyundai had appointed Michel Nandan to head up their WRC efforts, a good move as Nandon was the technical director for the Peugeot WRC team until 2005, so he knows his stuff. Now we learn that Hyundai is beefing up its WRC team as it prepares for a full season of WRC in 2014.

Vauxhall Mokka, Astra VXR, Insignia BiTurbo & RAD-e concept at Geneva 2012

Vauxhall's line-up for the 2012 Geneva Motor Show Vauxhall will be debuting the new Vauxhall Mokka compact MPV, the Astra GTC-based Astra VXR, Rad-e concept and Insignia BiTurbo at Geneva 2012. It’s interesting to get the heads-up on new models ahead of their actual public debut, but that can take away the impact for new cars. Which is just what Vauxhall’s stand at Geneva will suffer.

Used-car shoppers should watch out for potential flood damage

Heavy spring rains swelled rivers such as the Mississippi and flooded numerous towns. You might have stayed dry, but there's still a risk of being affected--if you wind up with a flood-damaged car. Large sections of the Midwest and the Southeast flooded because of heavy winter snow and an especially wet spring.