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Mini Convertible (2009): the new R57 cabrio

By Simon Stiel First Official Pictures 28 November 2008 10:46 Mini has just issued the first photos of the new R57 Mini Convertible, which rolls into dealerships in March 2009 and follows the lead set by the latest hatchback. So it's cleaner, a little bit more polished inside and out, and there will probably be evidence of some middle-aged spread when we drive it in 2009.So what's new on the R57 Mini Convertible?All the changes are in line with the Mini hatch, so you get the latest PSA-shared 1.6 petrol engines, BMW group Efficient Dynamics – now redubbed Minimalism in Minispeak – stop-start and intelligent alternator control, helping to contribute to a 22% jump in fuel efficiency, Mini claims. The 1.6 Cooper pumps out 137g/km of CO2.

Classic car prices on the up: Jaguar D-type sells for £3 million

Classic car prices seem to be ever-rising, with historic models becoming an investment to rival buying property or gambling on the stock market. The inaugural RM Auctions Paris sale this week was a case in point, and resulted in nearly £15 million’s worth of the world’s rarest and most exotic cars going under the hammer. Four cars alone went for in excess of £1 million, and a Jaguar D-type sold for three times that amount.

Toyota wins unintended-acceleration case

Toyota secured a legal victory on Friday against the landslide of unintended-acceleration claims that have dogged the company for more than a year. A jury in New York found in favor of Toyota, rejecting claims of a driver who said a floor mat was the cause of his 2005 crash in a Scion tC. The jury took 45 minutes to reach the verdict after a weeklong trial in federal court.