UK car sales slump as credit crunch bites

By Nigel Wonnacott Motor Industry 07 July 2008 13:18 It’s finally happened. The new car market has succumbed to the economic slowdown and punters are staying away from showrooms in droves. Latest figures from industry trade body the SMMT showed an 11.9 percent fall in private sales in June 2008 to 83,425 cars.

2013 facelift for the Mercedes E Class & Estate revealed

The 2013 Mercedes E Class and E Class Estate get a facelift with updates to the styling and engines and higher levels of equipment. The restyling of the 2013 E-Class is surprisingly comprehensive for what amounts to a mid-life facelift, with new single headlights replacing the old split lights, new grill – with the choice of a traditional grill or a sporty version (think SLC grill) – new bumpers, new bonnet, smoother haunches and a crease line down the side all the way to the new LED tail lights. Inside, the new E Class gets two part trim the extends right across the dash in either wood (if you’re old) or aluminium (if you’re not), new analogue clock in the middle between the air vents, new instrument cluster, new air vents, new centre console  and new steering wheel with a Direct Select lever and flappy paddles.

Porsche Panamera to get new V6 engine

Porsche will reveal two new 3.6 V6 petrol versions of the Panamera at the Beijing motor show 2010. These are the first official photos of the new models, the Panamera and Panamera 4, which will be offered as cheaper alternatives to the S, 4S and Turbo versions. In the rear-wheel drive entry-level Porsche Panamera, the new 296bhp, 295lb ft V6 powerplant produces 265g/km of CO2 and will manage just 25 miles on a gallon of fuel.