26-32511a1 Mercury Quicksilver Seal Kit Mercruiser/alpha One 1978-95 on 2040-parts.com

All used up: Pre-owned sales rise as consumers seek new-car alternatives

Used-car sales took a leap upward in April, and the trend is expected to continue at least until midyear as pent-up demand for affordable pre-owned vehicles jacks up at least one segment of the car marketplace. Sales of new cars continued an unabated slide toward what analysts say is a 30-year low in the United States, but used-car sales showed strength as buyers unable to finance new cars shifted their sights to less expensive used models. As a result, retailers such as the large Penske Automotive Group reported that despite an overall decline in sales in the first three months of 2009, improving used-car sales kept them in the black.

Audi R15 TDI (2009): first official pictures

By Ben Pulman First Official Pictures 10 March 2009 10:23 This is Audi’s new R15 TDI Le Mans racer, with an all-new V10 diesel engine and lithium-ion battery technology. The R15 is Audi’s second diesel endurance sports racer, after the R10 TDI that first raced in 2006. It’s designed to fight Peugeot’s oil-burning 908 and Aston Martin’s petrol-powered LMP1.

Mini 5 Door

We don't normally cover the addition of new variants to an established model range, but the five-door version of the latest, third generation Mini is an exception. In terms of pure numbers, the new model is 161mm longer than the Hatch, at 3,982mm, and has a 72mm-longer wheelbase, at 2,567mm. Standing 1,425mm high makes it 11mm taller.