Arctic Cat Shift Main on 2040-parts.com

Bogus DVLA websites costing motorists

A number of websites claiming to offer Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency (DVLA) test booking services are costing drivers up to three times as much for routine applications, according to new reports. The Office of Fair Trading has confirmed that these fake sites exceed the standard DVLA costs for booking a driving theory or practical test – priced at £31 and £62 respectively – but that the independently run services are not actually illegal. On Bing: see pictures of the driving test MSN Cars learner drivers guide Preying on less experienced learner drivers looking to put in for their test, these sites generally appear as sponsored links resulting from an internet search.

Volvo PCP Performance Division planned on the back of rising sales

The Volvo C30 PCP by Polestar - 400bhp and £50k You’re not a serious player in the desirable saloon car stakes unless you have a performance division. BMW has the M Division and Mercedes has AMG; even VW has swapped out its Volkswagen Individual in to a division just to fettle ‘R’ cars and sell associated paraphernalia - Volkswagen R GmbH. And now it seems it’s the turn of Volvo.

New techniques cut cost of carbon fiber

Carbon fiber, once so costly that it was the preferred material only for fighter planes and supercars, is catching the attention of weight-conscious automakers. Carbon fiber's cost is falling dramatically, thanks to production advances that let suppliers speed the material's finicky, and costly, curing process. One technological breakthrough that makes carbon-fiber auto parts more affordable may come from a process used to make carbon-fiber golf clubs.