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Few cars perform well in new insurance group crash test

The insurance industry has unveiled a new, tough frontal-crash test. The first batch of 11 luxury and near-luxury cars put to the test by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety didn't fare so well--only three were rated as good or acceptable. The test rams the front corner of a car into a fixed barrier at 40 mph.

Aston Martin US dealers could lose DB9 & Vantage – which could see many shutting up shop

The Aston Martin V12 Vantage S Roadster (pictured) might not make the US The rules and regulations car makers have to conform to are both enormous and onerous, and different markets have different regulations. And it looks like new side impact regulation could scupper AML’s sales in the US. New side impact rules – due to come in to force in the US in September – means that two of Aston Martin’s big sellers – the DB9 and Vantage V8 and V12 – would have to be withdrawn from sale in the US as they won’t comply.

Glass’s Guide Luxury Cars price crash

I think we all knew it was happening, but Glass’s guide, the trade bible for used car values, has confirmed that luxury cars in the UK have fallen out of bed in a big way. Comparing luxury diesel saloons with a year ago, they say that average values have dropped by a massive 21%. And in pure money terms the top end coupes, such as the Porsche 911, have fallen by 18%.