This day in Autoweek history: Driving across France in a Ford Sierra RS Cosworth

Today we relive a drive across France in the Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth with Cynthia Claes. This potent four-door sedan offered rear-wheel drive, a Borg-Warner five-speed manual transmission and a claimed top speed of 150 mph from its turbocharged 2.0-liter, twin-cam four-cylinder engine. Introduced in 1986, the original Sierra saw 5,542 units constructed; 5,000 were needed for homologation in Class A rally competition, its original purpose.

Win a year driving BMWs: CAR's amazing competition

****THIS BMW COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED**** For more BMW content click here   Have you entered CAR's competition to win a year driving brand new BMWs? Time is running out - we close the competition at 11.59pm BST this Thursday 12 April 2012. It's a doddle to enter and only takes a couple of minutes to fill in the form below.

Survive The Worst Of Winter With The IAM’S Top Tips

WITH weather forecasters warning of the prospect of freezing temperatures, ice and even snow, road safety charity the IAM has been quick to offer a few tips to help drivers stay safe on the roads. IAM chief examiner Peter Rodger said: "Some bits of the country have already had a first taste of this year's winter. That means it's time for the rest of us to start thinking about how to deal with it too." Rodger’s six top tips for driving safely and confidently in icy conditions are: 1) Keep to the main roads as they're more likely to be salted.