Mini offers new engines for 2010 spruce-up

Mini is replacing the current 1.4 and 1.6 petrol engines in spring 2010 – with a single more powerful and efficient Valvetronic 1.6. The new engine will power all the entry-level First and One models instead of the current 1.4. The new and improved 1.6 will also replace the existing engine found in the Cooper and Cooper S models.

‘Hidden’ damage on hire cars costing drivers

MORE THAN one in three hire car users have found unreported damage on hired vehicles upon collection, according to new data. A survey conducted by YouGov found that 37% of business travellers found damage to their hired vehicle which was not marked down on the documentation when they collected the car. This could lead to the user being charged for the damage and liable to lose any insurance excess amount – which could be as much as £2,000.

Interior Motives magazine reboots

This evening saw the launch of Car Design News' all-new specialist interior design publication Interior Motives magazine.  Senior designers gathered together at Le Sip nightclub in Geneva for the annual Auto Design Night were among the first people in the world to get a look at the Spring 2009 relaunch edition of Interior Motives, which features a completely new treatment and a cutting-edge design format conceived to give readers an exclusive look behind the scenes of the most important interior designs unveiled during the last few months. Published every quarter, the new Interior Motives magazine features never-been-seen photos, sketches, renderings and breakdowns of the build process, offering unparalleled insight into the thinking behind these important new interiors and the people that created them - both at OEMs and the suppliers they collaborated with. The perfect accompaniment to Car Design News' up-to-the-minute news, interviews, essays, auto show coverage and detailed online design reviews, Interior Motives breaks new ground in the publishing sector, providing unparalleled depth and incisive quotes from the people and companies that are pushing interior design in new and exciting directions.