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In pictures: backstage at the 72nd Goodwood Members’ Meeting

It was Glorious Goodwood on the last weekend of March, for Lord March’s latest classic motorsport event – the 72nd Goodwood Members’ Meeting. It’s one of only two race weekends to be held at the circuit since it reopened in the late 1990s: Lord March wants it to complement the world-famous September Goodwood Revival and become known as a classic in its own right. The difference here is that, as its name suggests, it’s a members-only event: only Goodwood Road Racing Club (GRRC) members can buy tickets.

Charity calls for parking on pavements ban

Campaigners are calling for a change in the law that would ban vehicles from parking on pavements. The Guide Dogs charity has branded drivers that block the pavement “inconsiderate and dangerous”, with seven out of 10 people backing restrictions that would keep the footpath clear for pedestrians. Parking wardens given ‘illegal’ bonus targets Driverless cars on UK pavements by 2015 Speaking to the BBC, Guide Dogs’ campaigns manager James White: “It can be frightening for anyone who is forced to step into a road because the pavement is blocked by a van, car or other badly parked vehicle.

Fewer people commuting but distances on the up

The average commute has increased in distance, but more people working from home means there are actually fewer cars on the road at rush hour today compared to 10 years ago, according to statistics from the most recent Census conducted in 2011. Figures show the average commute has increased from 8.3 miles in 2001 to 9.32 miles in 2011. People living in the east of England travelled the furthest to work at an average distance of 10.34 miles – while those in London had the shortest commutes averaging 6.83 miles.

In pictures: backstage at 72nd Goodwood Members’ Meeting

It was Glorious Goodwood on the last weekend of March, for Lord March’s latest classic motorsport event – the 72nd Goodwood Members’ Meeting. It’s one of only two race weekend to be held at the circuit since it reopened in the late 1990s: Lord March wants it to complement the world-famous September Goodwood Revival and become known as a classic in its own right. The difference here is that, as its name suggests, it’s a members-only event: only Goodwood Road Racing Club members can buy tickets.

Watch Bucky Lasek steal a sheriff's daughter with a Subaru Impreza WRX

Someone at Subaru probably canceled their plans, found enough Mountain Dew to keep them awake, plunked down in a comfy chair and watched the entirety of Grindhouse -- including the fake trailers -- to come up with the above fake trailer. Skateboarding hero Bucky Lasek, who races for Subaru's GRC team, does his best stoner-hippie Johnny Depp impression as he picks up the sheriff's daughter (Instagram "sensation" Kayslee Collins) and proceeds to do donuts around typical Midwestern fare -- and a peeing scarecrow -- in a 2015 Subaru Impreza WRX, made for jumping on dirt, storming through fireballs, being menaced by a shotgun and feeding Lasek donuts while he does donuts himself. You've been warned.

Opel leaving China, but planning a car for the US

General Motors' Opel is withdrawing from China after several years of declining sales, with the last vehicles slated to be exported from Germany in January 2015. Opel managed to sell only 4,365 cars in China in all of 2013, compared to a staggering 810,000 Buicks, GM's most popular division in China. The lackluster sales and the planned withdrawal from China highlighted the unique demands of the Chinese domestic market, where Buick now offers almost twice the number of models as in the U.S.

Drivers against remote stopping devices

EU PLANS to introduced remote stopping devices that can be activated by the police in an emergency have been met with concern by drivers. Under the proposed legislation a six-year timetable for remote stopping devices is planned with the aim of police being able to bring dangerous high-speed car chases to a halt. A device would be fitted to all cars that would allow a central control room to cut the ignition and fuel supply of any vehicle.

Hamilton rises again

LEWIS HAMILTON stayed true to the philosophy he has inked on his back as a victory to savour ignited his Formula One world title challenge for this year. The words 'Still I Rise' are tattooed across the top of his shoulders - and also adorn his helmet from this season - and are a reminder that in adversity there remains the capacity to perform and achieve. After enduring an unhappy season-opening Australian Grand Prix two weeks ago that was littered with technical problems, one of which forced his retirement after just two laps, Hamilton rose above such disappointment to clinch his first win in Malaysia, and 23rd of his F1 career.

BMW X7 confirmed – but will it take on the Range Rover?

BMW today confirmed it will produce an all-new X7 model at its Spartanburg, US plant – reinforcing the American factory’s position as BMW’s largest production facility in the world. The new X7 is expected to be a large seven-seat range-topper that will appeal to the US market; it will probably be a rival to the Mercedes-Benz GL – and thus potentially be a premium alternative to the luxury Range Rover. BMW X4 revealed BMW X5 Plug-In Hybrid review (2014 onwards) BMW hasn’t confirmed anything other than the fact it will be ‘larger’ than the X5 and X6.

Mercedes GLA goes subterranean

FOR SUV owners looking to test their cars’ off-road credentials, the obvious place to put them to the test probably isn’t nearly 200 metres underground. But that’s exactly where the new Mercedes GLA found itself as it descended into Winsford Rock Salt Mine, 620 feet beneath the Cheshire countryside. The working mine, which supplies much of the UK’s gritting salt for wintry roads, played host to four standard (apart from extra driving lights) GLA models, which were lowered down into the mine nose first before being let loose in the 130-mile network of tunnels.

Cadillac ELR recall targets stability control software issues

The 2014 Cadillac ELR is being recalled for an issue with its electronic stability control (ESC) system. According to NHTSA, the software for the car's electronic stability control system may inhibit certain ESC functions, and fail to alert the driver than ESC is partially or fully disabled. This could potentially give the driver no warning that ESC may be off entirely, which could result in a loss of control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Jaguar F-Type Coupe ‘Lightweight’ Club Sport plotted

Jaguar are plotting a more focused version of the F-Type Coupe (pictured The new Jaguar F-Type Coupe is the first proper sports car from Jaguar in 50 years, and it looks like Jaguar are plotting to extend the appeal of the F-Type Coupe with more focused versions. We’ve already seen the Jaguar Project 7 F-Type with a hefty dose of DNA from the D-Type – even if that was billed as a one-off – but it now seems Jaguar are looking for a limited production run of a lightweight F-Type – perhaps the Jaguar F-Type Club Sport. Motoring in Australia managed to bend the ear of F-Type Production Director Russ Varney, who had some interesting speculation to add fuel to the fire over the rumours of a more focused F-Type Coupe.

Malaysian Grand Prix (2014): RESULT

Malaysian Grand Prix (2014): RESULT The opening Grand Prix of 2014 in Australia could have been a demonstration of Mercedes’ apparent superiority with the new F1 engines, but Lewis Hamilton’s car let him down leaving Nico Rosberg to take the win for Mercedes. But at the Sepang Track in Malaysia this morning, Lewis Hamilton had no such problems and was ahead of the pack from lights to flag to take a convincing win for Mercedes, 17.3 seconds ahead of his team mate Nico Rosberg in second place with reigning champion Sebastian Vettel trailing in third. An impressive Mercedes one-two in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysian Grand Prix Qualifying: Hamilton grabs pole for Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton takes pole in Malaysia in heavy rain Lewis Hamilton has secured his second pole position in two outings for Mercedes at the Malaysian Grand Prix – equaling Jim Clark’s record of 33 poles – as rain turned the Sepang track in to a lake. And with drivers quickly going on to full wets – and cars flying off the track as the rain took control of the qualifying sessions – the playing field was levelled, allowing Red Bull’s reigning World Champion, Sebastian Vettel, to almost pip Hamilton to pole, taking second place just 0.055s behind the Brit. Behind Vettel is the winner of the opening Australian Grand Prix, Nico Rosberg, in the second Mercedes, followed by the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso and the Red Bull of new boy Daniel Ricciardo – who was so impressive in Asutrali two weeks ago – taking fifth spot.

BMW X7 SUV confirmed to top BMW’s X Range

The BMW X5 Plug-in Hybrid will be built at Spartanburg along with the new BMW X7 The idea for BMW to build an SUV bigger than the X5 was put on ice when the world’s economy went in to meltdown in 2008, but the idea of a range-topping BMW X7 was back on the cards as long ago as 2010. Now, four years on, BMW has confirmed that they are planning an X7, that it will be built at their Spartanburg Plant in South Carolina and that it will arrive in 2017 or 2018. BMW aren’t prepared to divulge what platform the X7 will use, but it looks likely it will arrive on a revised version of the platform used for the next generation BMW 7-Series, a platform that will likely also be utilised for the new Rolls Royce SUV when that arrives, with the announcement of the X7 making a Rolls Royce SUV even more likely.

David Brown’s Speedback is an Aston Martin DB5 for 2014 (video)

The David Brown Automotive Speedback (pictured) revaled ahead of Monaco debut Last month we revealed that the David Brown Automotive’s take on a classic, luxury British Sports Car would be based on the underpinnings of the Jaguar XKR, and we’d expected another classic E-type creation like the Lyonheart K being built by Envisage (as is the David Brown car). In fact, the David Brown Speedback – for that is what David Brown is calling his company’s creation – looks instead like a classic Aston Martin from the 1960s – think DB5 or DB6 – with perhaps a few hints of Maserati and Ferrari from the same era too. And it looks great.

Photos reveal the all-new Ford Mustang -- of 1979

If you need further proof that everything old is new again, just look at the engine options for the upcoming 2015 Ford Mustang. That optional 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-four is generating a lot of buzz; it's expected to help keep the car sporty while cutting down on fuel consumption, and it's going to help the Mustang make headway in overseas markets. Adding a turbo-four to the pony car equation isn't exactly novel: The Blue Oval put a forced-induction motor with the same cylinder count, configuration and displacement in the 1979 Mustang.

New range-topping BMW X7 SUV confirmed

BMW has officially confirmed it will add a new range-topping SUV called the X7 to its lineup. The X7 will be the largest SUV ever produced by BMW, offering seating for up to seven in three rows of seats. X7 production will start in 2016 at BMW's Spartanburg plant in South Carolina.

Concept Car of the Week: Citroën Camargue (Bertone) 1972

Coachbuilder Bertone presented the Camargue at the 1972 Geneva Motor Show as a 2+2 coupe alternative to the quirky Citroën GS hatchback. Named after the coastal region in the south of France, the Camargue was aimed to appeal to a young trend-conscious target audience. Penned by Marcello Gandini, the silhouette remained undoubtedly Citroën with a long overhang at the front, short at the rear and a long, sloping roofline.

BMW 2 Series Active Tourer gets (slightly inappropriate) M Sport Package

The BMW 2 Series active Tourer moves to the butch side with an M Sport Package Purists moan, but the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer MPV is a sensible move by BMW and aimed at BMW lovers who need a BMW equivalent to the Mercedes B Class; a premium family car for shifting kids and stuff around. Using the same platform as the all new MINI, the 2 Series Active Tourer is BMW’s first front wheel drive car, although a 225i Active Tourer will go on sale in November complete with BMW’s 4WD xDrive. But the 2 Series Active Tourer wouldn’t be a BMW offering unless it also came with the option of an M Sport Pack, which is exactly what will be on offer – however unsuited the Active Tourer may seem for such sporty embellishments – when the xDrive Active Tourer arrives in November (although the M Sport Pack will be offered across the whole Active Tourer range).

Corrie's Knox in drink-drive arrest

CORONATION STREET actress Barbara Knox has been arrested for drink-driving. The 80-year-old - who plays the role of Rita Tanner in the ITV soap - was held on suspicion of driving under the influence at her local police station in Knutsford, Cheshire. The veteran actress had gone there after her daughter, Maxine Ashcroft, 56, was earlier arrested for the same offence.

Film Friday: 'Head On' pits a 1938 Chevy against a mighty locomotive

The train is, in many ways, the enemy of the automobile. We're not even getting philosophical about personal transportation versus mass transit or diving into disputes over whether to fund interstates or railways: Trains are simply bigger and heavier than even the bulkiest of cars, and they're quite happy to turn any vehicle that happens to be parked on their tracks into scrap-metal pancakes without slowing down. It's physics, people.

Here's what an exploded car looks like

Automotive art crosses our desks almost daily here at One Autoweek Tower. Some of it's good, and some of it isn't as good, but once in a while, we see something that actually makes us stop and look. “Hatch” and “Disintegrating” by Swiss artist Fabian Oefner are two of those stop-and-look moments.

New V6 for 2015 Ford F-150 to be built in Ohio

Ford Motor Co. is investing $500 million to build a new compact, lightweight turbocharged V-6 engine for the redesigned F-150 pickup at a plant in Lima, Ohio. Ford introduced the 2.7-liter engine in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit along with the 2015 F-150.

Roger Moore’s Aston Martin DBS from The Persuaders up for sale at Bonhams (+video)

Lord Brett Sinclair’s Aston Martin DBS V8 from The Persuaders For those of a certain age, the 1970s TV show The Persuaders evokes fond memories of Roger Moore as Brett Sinclair and Tony Curtis as Danny Wilde fighting crime on the French Riviera and driving an Aston Martin DBS and Ferrari Dino respectively. Now, more than 40 years since The Persuaders was aired, the Aston Martin DBS used by Brett Sinclair is to be offered for sale publicly for the first time at Bonhams Aston Martin works sale in May. With The Persuaders the most glamorous and expensive of Lew Grade’s TV adventures, the Aston Martin DBS was the perfect fit for Lord Brett Sinclair’s character (although the Tony Curtis/Danny Wilde Dino wasn’t exactly top-drawer Ferrari) and Aston Martin worked with ITC to make everything work for the show.

Tesla Model S battery fire inquiry closed by NHTSA

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it closed a three-month-long investigation of fires in the Tesla Model S this week, as Tesla announced a design change to better shield the electric car's batteries. Tesla Motors Inc. said today it has started building the Model S with a titanium underbody shield to prevent battery fires like the two that occurred in the United States last year when Model S drivers struck road debris.

Mitsubishi Evo returns: new FQ-440 most powerful Evo ever

Mitsubishi has announced that the high-performance Lancer Evolution is returning to the UK – in a limited run of just 40 Evolution X FQ-440 MR editions, celebrating 40 years of Mitsubishi on these shores. As is par for the course for an Evo FQ, the 440 represents the horsepower, making this new car the most powerful Evo ever. But priced at £50,000 it's also the most expensive Evo ever.

Buy a real Mario Kart and throw bananas at your kids

Real-life Mario Kart is either really weird or very French. This toddler-special Mario Kart Ride On is neither. The Kart, shown above, is based on the vehicles from "Mario Kart 7," released just in time for the eighth installment to hit Nintendo's Wii U.

Motorway drink-driver to be sentenced

A CARE ASSISTANT who admitted drink-driving the wrong way along a motorway will be sentenced today. Katy Homer, 26, is due to attend Wolverhampton Crown Court after pleading guilty to charges of driving with excess alcohol and dangerous driving. CCTV footage of the incident showed oncoming drivers flashing their headlights as Homer drove her Vauxhall Astra north on a southbound section of the M5 in the West Midlands.

Ecclestone faces £4 million bill

MOTORSPORT boss Bernie Ecclestone must pay lawyers' bills adding up to about £4 million despite winning a High Court fight with a German media company, a judge has ruled. In February, Mr Justice Newey had dismissed a claim for around £80 million in damages by Constantin Medien - which had said it lost out after Mr Ecclestone entered into a "corrupt agreement" with a banker to facilitate the sale of the Formula 1 Group to a buyer chosen by him. But, despite ruling against Constantin after a High Court trial in London, the judge had described 83-year-old Mr Ecclestone as not "reliable or truthful".