Congestion charge to rise by 15%

THE LONDON congestion charge is to rise from £10 a day to £11.50; a sudden 15% increase. The increase, the first since 2011, will take effect from June 16, Transport for London (TfL) has said, although the rate for those on the auto-pay system, and also for fleet customers, will be £10.50 per day. TfL said that customer improvements will be introduced next year, including direct debit payments for auto pay customers, online discount applications, and easier NHS patients and staff reimbursement.

Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato Sanction II fetches £1.23 million

Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato Sanction II - sold for £1.23 million The continuation of the Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato – the Sanction II cars – hits a new price peak of £1.23 million at Bonhams Aston Martin Sale. Last month we reported that one of just four Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato Sanction II Coupés was up for grabs at Bonhams Aston Martin Sale at Newport Pagnell and expected to make £1.2 million. It made almost exactly that – £1.23 million, a new record in auction for a Sanction II car and a record sale at Newport Pagnell.

Swedish raincoat company teases Volvo Concept Estate

Volvo has brought the station wagon back to America; one small slice of the automotive continuum has been set to right. But the new V60 is a rather slinky, sporty thing, far removed from the box-plus-box-equals-box machines of the wagon's Stateside heyday. If this glimpse of the Swedish brand's new Concept Estate is any indication, do not expect a reversion to angularity when the next generation of cars arrives.