Bilstein Shocks 25-187724 - 46mm Monotube Shock Absorber; 5165 Series; 27.40 In. on 2040-parts.com

£250 a gallon – the price of petrol in Afghanistan!

Thirsty military vehicles in Afghanistan get through 800,000 gallons a day So how on earth do they come up with that figure? Is it a case, as we’ve so often heard in the past, of Governments being ripped off by suppliers charging through the nose simply because the bills are often not checked? They claim not not.

Volvo S60 DRIVe & V60 DRIVe launch

The Volvo V60 DRIVe This week we’re out playing with a Volvo DRIVe model, although our car is the S40 DRIVe. DRIVe models are Volvo’s push at all things green (or all things blue if you’re German) and take a regular Volvo and eco the bejesus out of it with stuff like stop-start, low rolling resistance tyres and the plethora of eco-toys car makers use to make the headline economy and emissions unbelievable. The result is a Volvo that drives pretty much the same as any Volvo but which can – as long as you play the eco-driving game – run almost on fresh air, and because cars like this are designed to hit emissions targets on official cycles, they’re also good on stuff like VED and BIK. And if the S40 DRIVe we’ve got this week is anything to go by, you can still drive with enthusiasm and enjoy it as long as you don’t mind the economy suffering.

Detroit motor show 2010: the CAR live blog from NAIAS

6.43pm: Standing outside the Cobo Hall entranceJS I'm done for. The show is emptying. I borrow a Haagen Daas choc ice from Mercedes on the way out into the D-town sleet.