Bendix Servo / Disconnect P/n 4009506-8501 Type No 30131 (outright) on 2040-parts.com

White Van Man numbers booming

THE ADVANCE of White Van Man is accelerating, according to figures highlighted by the RAC Foundation. Between 2002 and 2012 the number of light vans on the roads increased by 29% to 3.3 million. During the same period, the increase in cars was 11%, with one in 10 vehicles on the roads now a light commercial vehicle.

Honda Jazz Hybrid / Honda Fit Hybrid revealed

The Honda Jazz Hybrid will debut at the Paris Motor Show Despite not really believing that Hybrid cars are anything other than a stop-gap (if they’re any use at all in small cars) Honda is pushing forward with its hybrid range by dropping the hybrid bits from the Insight in to the Jazz to make the Honda Jazz Hybrid (in the Americas, China and Japan read that as Honda Fit Hybrid). The Honda Jazz Hybrid – which will be revealed at the Paris Motor Show in just over a month – will be the first B-Segment hybrid to hit the market (supermini in English), and its smaller size may help the Insight’s hybrid bits be a bit more fun. But don’t hold your breath.

2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra: A huge deal

Yesterday General Motors unveiled its new full-sized pickup trucks, the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra. It was a big day for me -- like Christmas for an 8-year-old: People who know me know what a Silverado slappy I am. Given that the trucks are the first new GM full-size pickups in years, and since CEO Dan Akerson called it the “biggest launch in probably decades,” clearly it's a big deal for them too.