Aston Martin Db9 Sport Pack Springs on 2040-parts.com

Monterey in a Mulsanne – a Bentley mission to Pebble Beach

After a ten-and-a-half-hour flight from London, the idea of steering headlong – and solo – into the early Los Angeles rush-hour traffic in a five-and-a-half-metre-long, left-hand drive Bentley Mulsanne (worth some £230,000 with extras) and on the other side of the road to which I am familiar, might seem a little daunting. But as soon as I sink into the super saloon’s big leather seats, Bluetooth my iPhone to stream some music via the Naim premium audio, turn up the air-conditioning and press the accelerator gently, all becomes well. LAX Airport may be my starting point but the final destination is the Monterey Peninsula towards San Francisco, some 400 miles northward, for the world-famous annual classic car show Pebble Beach.

Chevrolet Volt chief leaves GM

A key driver of the Chevrolet Volt project is defecting to start his own consulting firm, according to published reports. Volt chief Bob Kruse, 50, has left General Motors. He's been replaced by GM engineering veteran Micky Bly, who has also been involved with development of the Volt.

Chrysler announces employee pricing, $6,000 rebates

Chrysler LLC, reeling from plunging U.S. sales and bulging inventories, will offer all customers the same prices paid by employees and boost rebates to as much as $6,000. The program, called "Employee Pricing Plus Plus," begins Monday on Jeep, Dodge and Chrysler models.