Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

Watch the sad, final moments of a crusher-bound heap

Automotive wrecking yards are good places to reflect on the real-world values of heavily depreciated vehicles versus global current scrap-metal prices, and to see which cars have suddenly had the fix-it-versus-total-it line moved by insurance companies (the early-21st-century Subaru Legacy Outback, for example, appeared in large numbers in high-turnover wrecking yards just during the last year, as fairly minor collision damage on these cars is no longer worth fixing). You'll see the things that a car's last owner does in a desperate attempt to sell (or at least live with) an increasingly decrepit heap (as we learned in "Repo Man," you really will find a Little Tree in every car). During a recent trip to a San Jose, Calif., yard, I encountered this sad yet strangely compelling scene.

Bugatti Veyron ‘Rembrandt Edition’ (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 03 March 2014 19:00 Every time there’s an international motor show, Bugatti looks sheepish and scuffs its shoes when the teacher asks for its homework. ‘Not done it, miss’. While Koenigsegg pulls the wraps off a car with almost 150bhp more than the Veyron Vitesse, all Bugatti can muster is yet another spurious special edition.

Tough new sentences for banned drivers

Newspress Disqualified drivers who cause death on the roads face lengthier sentences, under tough new measures introduced by the justice secretary, Chris Grayling. The changes - which are expected to come into force in early 2015 - include a new offence of causing serious injury while disqualified. Drivers convicted of this new offence can expect a four-year prison term.