Acura Integra Moon Roof Switch 95-01 on 2040-parts.com

Only the top is soft in new Audi A5/S5 cabriolet

Audi is bucking the trend among luxury automakers who are churning out hardtop convertibles, as the new A5/S5 cabriolets that will reach these shores in October will be the old-fashioned, soft-top design. While other manufacturers such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus and Volvo, among others, offer folding hard-tops, Audi says the compromise necessary to make room for the top and all its mechanical apparatus makes a soft-top the right choice for a small to mid-size convertible. The soft top is well insulated; even during a steady rain during our first drive of the car, the cabin was relatively quiet.

2013 Audi A3 Sportback revealed (+video)

Audi has revealed the 2013 A3 Sportback ahead of a Paris 2012 debut, the five door version of the new A3. The new A3 Sportback is bigger than both the new A3 – by 35mm – and the old A3 Sportback – by 58mm – and it get a bigger boot than both – 380 litres with the seats up and 1220 litre with the seats down. There’s not a lot to say about how it looks, because it looks just like the new A3 with an extra pair of doors and a set of roof rails, but that extra length does mean a small amount more legroom in the back.

Call for stronger penalties for texting drivers

DRIVERS convicted of causing death by dangerous driving should be given stronger and more consistent penalties, according to road safety charity the Institute of Advanced Motorists has said. An IAM analysis of eleven recent prosecutions involving mobile and smartphone use revealed that the average sentence for causing death by dangerous driving is four-and-a-half years in prison and a disqualification from driving for seven years. In all of the cases analysed, the convicted drivers were found to have lost their concentration due to using their mobile phone.