Peugeot 308 CC (2008): first photos

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 11 July 2008 09:26 Peugeot – the pioneer of folding hard tops – today unveils the new 308 CC. It's not a radical coupe cabriolet, but it's a gentle evolution of the 307 CC blueprint: a four-seater family hatch turned convertible.The French company invented the first production opening metal roof back in the 1930s, after a few coachbuilders toyed with low-volume concepts, and then brought them to the mainstream with the 206 CC in 2001. The new 308 CC follows the same formula with a metal roof that somersaults into its loadbed in 20 seconds to leave a completely flat (if long) rear deck.Gobbling boot space as it goes?Naturally, the  boot shrinks when the roof is lowered, dipping from 465 litres to 266 when it's stowed.

Mercedes-Benz A-Class concept

The A-Class concept from Mercedes-Benz is set to make its debut at both the Shanghai and New York auto shows later this month. A distinctively aggressive development over the outgoing model, the A-Class concept is said to draw on the 'defined edges and free interplay of surfaces' first demonstrated with the F800 Style. The taught muscularity of other Mercedes models is also translated onto the show car.

Nissan Leaf recall could force replacement of entire car

Nissan is recalling a total of 211 examples of the the Leaf pure-electric car supplied to the U.S., and another 65 Leafs sold in Canada for a problem involving missing spot welds in the motor compartment. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that the front structural member assemblies in these cars could be missing welds in several crucial places, to the left and right of the electric motor. As a result, the affected Leafs might not perform well in a crash.