2004 Suzuki Sv 650 Rear Wheel Rim W/ Tire on 2040-parts.com

Jaguar XJ & XF get 4WD

Jaguar has announced that four wheel drive versions of the Jaguar XJ and Jaguar XF will be available – but not in the UK. Jaguar has long bemoaned the lack of a 4WD platform for their cars, and even blamed such a lack of flexibility for the delay in launching the XF Sportbrake. We’ve been expecting Jaguar to reveal a 4WD version of the XJ for a while (especially as the new Range Rover utilises the same platform) but we didn’t expect a 4WD XF until the next generation XF launches in a couple of years.

Want to drive the latest Volvo? Now you can.

Volvo is rolling out a new test drive programme that allows car buyers around the UK to enjoy proper test drives of the latest Volvos. It’s always difficult to change perceptions of a car brand. Even when you get the cars right, potential car buyers will still be saddled with their preconceptions.

Dramatic CCTV footage shows consequences of tyre failure

AS A PART of October's Tyre Safety Month initiative the Highways Agency have released dramatic footage of the consequences of tyre failure. In the clip, viewable on the Highways Agency YouTube channel, motorway cameras capture the moment a front tyre explodes on a large lorry, sending it out of control and into the central reservation in a spectacular crash. Further clips show the chaos caused when all three lanes of a motorway are closed to retrieve tyre debris, and the eye-watering £2 million cost of a lorry fire caused by tyre failure results in all six lanes of a motorway being shut for hours.