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Mercedes Marco Polo (2014): first pics of Merc's camper van

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 10 July 2014 10:51 Mercedes has unveiled its answer to the VW California camper van: the new V-class-derived Marco Polo bijou home on wheels. As the exploratory name suggests, the Mercedes Marco Polo is for adventurous types who want to take their home with them on outdoor trips and camping holidays. Not sure we'd take one from Venice to the Far East though, like its namesake...

Driven: Citroën C4 Cactus

It wasn't our intention to hunt down random old Citroëns in the new C4 Cactus – on our first acquaintance with this new car in Amsterdam, they found us. The first was a beige 1971 DS Safari. It cruised by as we stopped for a photocall on the outskirts of the Dutch capital.

Olympic gold medalist Nicola Adams tries her hand at rally co-driving

The memory of the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2014 may now have faded, but for Olympic gold medallist Nicola Adams, the experience of the event is one she’ll be sure never to forget. That’s because Hyundai brand ambassador Adams was strapped into the passenger seat of the firm’s i20 WRC world rally car alongside factory rally driver Thierry Neuville for a white-knuckle ride around Goodwood’s famous forest rally stage. Thankfully for Adams, she got her own back in the ring, too… Please click on the image above to read more about Nicola Adams and Thierry Neuville swapping sports

Tired drivers carry on at the wheel

A QUARTER of UK motorists have admitted to driving while tired in the last six months, according to a survey. Of these, 42% opted to carry on behind the wheel rather than take a break, the survey of 2,000 adults by insurance company esure found. Carrying on while fatigued was worst among 18-34-year-old drivers, while Londoners were the ones most likely to continue when tired.

Suzuki Swift SZ-L Special Edition makes a ‘Swift’ return – price from £11,099

Suzuki Swift SZ-L Special Edition – price from £11,099 It was only in February that the Suzuki Swift SZ-L Special Edition arrived as a special offer Swift with cosmetic tweaks. And now it’s back. We did question why Suzuki were using a special edition name they’d rolled out before when the Swift SZ-L arrived in February, but it seems odd to relaunch it all over again just a few months later.

Money Advice Service’s Online Tool Helps Buyers Choose Wisely

NEW researched published by the Government-backed Money Advice Service (MAS) has found more than half of people who purchased a used car underestimated the running costs. Some 56% of motorists said that total cost, including maintenance, repairs, insurance and fuel had turned out to be higher than anticipated, while one in five (20%) have resorted to going into debt just to keep their vehicle on the road. One in four (26%) of the 3,000 people surveyed who have bought a second-hand car since 2012 now has regrets about their purchase, with many of them saying they had not worked out whether it was really affordable or that the purchase price was too much in the first place.

Peugeot Exalt to be reinvented for Paris show

Peugeot design director Gilles Vidal has confirmed to Car Design News that the Exalt concept, which debuted at the Beijing auto show earlier this year will be shown at October's Paris motor show. However, while the car shown in China featured color and trim materials specific to the region, the Exalt that will grace the show stand in France will be different. "The car was presented at the Beijing auto show, and all the materials used in this car are sourced in China or Asia," says Vidal.

Survey Reveals Car Use Slump Despite Lower Petrol Prices

USUALLY the news that petrol prices are down would be cause for celebration, but the latest AA/Populus survey reveals that car use is also on the slide. Despite more wallet-friendly prices at the pumps the situation is failing to kick-start more car use. The poll of more than 18,000 AA members, conducted in June, revealed that just 7% were more relaxed about prices at the pumps, and were using their car more than a year ago.

56% of drivers 'underestimated car expense'

MORE THAN half of people who have bought a second-hand car in the last two years have found it more expensive to run than they expected, according to a Government-backed body. Some 56% of motorists said that total cost, including maintenance, repairs, insurance and fuel had turned out to be higher than anticipated and one in five drivers (20%) have resorted to going into debt just to keep their vehicle on the road, the Money Advice Service (MAS) found. One in four (26%) of the 3,000 people surveyed who have bought a second-hand car since 2012 now has regrets about their purchase, with many of them saying they had not worked out whether it was really affordable or that the purchase price was too much in the first place.

How to buy a James Bond car on a budget

The name's Bond, budget Bond By Adam Binnie Motoring Issues 10 July 2014 09:06 News that a classic Aston Martin, full of James Bond gadgets, is to be sold at auction this Saturday 12 July 2014 may leave you yearning for a piece of the action for yourself. The idea of blasting through the Alps in a classic sports car with nothing on the horizon but a vodka martini and a suitcase full of secrets may leave you shaken and stirred, but sadly it is beyond the financial reach of most non-spies. Coys, auctioneers of the aforementioned DB 2/4 Vantage (below), were unable to speculate how much it would sell for, but it is likely to be an eye-watering sum.

New Lexus NX Compact SUV ‘Grows’ on UK debut

The Lexus NX in a flower bed at Hampton Court The new Lexus NX – a compact take on the Lexus RX Hybrid SUV – arrived officially at the Beijing Motor Show in April and will cost from £24,495 when it arrives in the UK in October. Ahead of its official arrival in Lexus UK dealers, the NX has had its first public outing in the UK at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Palace Flower Show – the world’ largest annual flower show – where it was plonked somewhat incongruously in the middle of a flower bed (above). The NX was included in the ‘Inspire’ zone to showcase the NX’s contemporary design and technology and the debut was part of Lexus’s relationship with Quiet Mark, an international seal of approval from the Noise Abatement Society which encourages quiet technology.

Watch Kimi Raikkonen’s lawnmower race before British Grand Prix

By Adam Binnie Motoring Issues 09 July 2014 11:27 Former F1 world champion Kimi Raikkonen revealed an unusual pre-race warm-up ahead of the 2014 British Grand Prix, by haring around a grass track on a racing lawnmower. Drivers are usually encouraged to keep their cars off the grass but as this video shows, the 2007 F1 champ is clearly able to transfer his skill from the tarmac track to the lawn. Kimi raced against former F1 drivers Martin Brundle, Johnny Herbert and also Anthony Davidson around the grass track in a publicity stunt.

Jaguar Land Rover Ingenium engines: sub-100g/km confirmed

By John Mahoney First Official Pictures 09 July 2014 17:00 Jaguar Land Rover  (JLR) today lifted the lid on details of its new four-cylinder engine family dubbed Ingenium. This is a high-tech engine family to replace the Ford-derived legacy engines left over from the Blue Oval's ownership of JLR. Key headlines include the promise of 'sub-100g/km CO2 emissions' in the new 2015 Jaguar XE, the first model to premiere the new British-built motors.

Bored of wheels? Wings are up for auction

ONE-TIME opportunities don't come much rarer than having a chance to buy the only Panavia Tornado F3 in private hands anywhere in the world. Or a Harrier jump jet, if you prefer, and what's more the Harrier's flying days might not be over. That's right: alongside around 100 classic cars and motorbikes, Silverstone Auctions is to sell both of these astonishing pieces of British aviation history – with no reserve.

Van drivers at greater risk of crashing

VAN DRIVERS are 50% more likely to be involved in a collision when driving too close to the vehicle in front and a massive 142% more at danger of crashing when reversing. Drivers of vans are also 43% more at risk of being in an accident even when parked, while performing a U-turn puts them at 39% more likely to be in a collision than other road users. Other areas where van drivers are more at risk is when changing lanes (36%) and on motorways (19%).

Green Light For More Smart Motorway Schemes

THE Government has announced plans to speed up journey times on selected parts of the nation’s motorway network. As a result, work will start to convert the hard shoulder into a running lane on two sections of the M1 and on a stretch of the M3. The M1 work will be between junctions 28 and 31 in Derbyshire and between junctions 32 and 35a in South Yorkshire, with claims that it will boost capacity by up to a third and improve journey times by up to 10%.

Opel/Vauxhall Corsa E

If this fifth-generation Opel Corsa looks familiar, that's because this is more a heavy facelift than an all-new car.Opel has concentrated efforts on the eight-year old Corsa's mechanicals rather than an all-new bodyshell. Instead every exterior panel has been redesigned, alongside the entire interior.This is the first Corsa developed under GM Europe's VP of design, Mark Adams and his influence is clear to see, with the incorporation of the lower bodyside 'blade' surface and the pouting mouth of the Adam.While its proportions and upper body are clearly carried over, the new nose treatment in particular disguises the car's high scuttle thanks to the lower grille, lamps and diving shoulderline. The hood also gains a deeply recessed center surface that visually cheats down its height.In order to disguise the carryover glass, the rear of the five-door version's DLO now kicks up at the base of the C-pillar rather than running through into the rear, giving a stronger aesthetic.

The weirdest job titles in the car industry revealed

Car companies are diversifying into new areas of specialism - and this attention to detail is bringing some novel new job titles to the automotive industry. A quick browse through the recruitment pages and job ads reveals that manufacturers are hiring for strange and unusual roles. Here's a pick of the job titles we found recently.

Vauxhall Corsa (2014) in pictures: GM's new supermini grows up

By Adam Binnie First Official Pictures 09 July 2014 00:01 This is the first look at the new 2014 Vauxhall Corsa, which has been redesigned from the ground up in the interest of improving driveability, refinement and comfort. The Corsa supermini is Vauxhall’s best-selling car, and during its 32-year life has clocked up more than 12 million sales across Europe. However, while this fourth generation is the same length as its previous incarnation, the two cars have very little else in common.

The good times return to Bentley and Maserati

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 09 July 2014 11:35 Bentley and Maserati today both reported record sales in the first half of 2014 - putting both luxury car brands on track for another record year. Crewe said global sales leaped by 23% in the first six months of the year, while Maserati said it had posted a 223% increase in UK sales in the same period. It's a world away from the ugly years of the recession, when sales of luxury cars collapsed and Bentley had to wind down production.

Half of all drivers experience road rage

MORE THAN half of the drivers in the UK say they have been the victim of road rage at some point in the past 12 months. The same research showed that 11% of drivers in the UK have used full beam in an effort to annoy another driver, while 4% said they had threatened to damage another person’s vehicle. The study by the Van Discount Company showed that women over the age of 50 were the most common target for road rage, with 40% of women in this age bracket saying they experienced road rage at least once a month.

Coys To Auction Aston Martin Linked To Bond Author Ian Fleming

A 1954 Aston Martin DB 2/4, considered by many to be the inspiration for James Bond’s original Aston Martin in Ian Fleming’s novel Goldfinger, is to be auctioned by international auctioneers Coys this Saturday 12th July at Blenheim Palace. Not only was the DB 2/4 potentially the catalyst for Fleming’s characterisation of the famous fictional spy, but this particular car boasts an equally intriguing history. This Aston Martin, a DB 2/4 Mk I Vantage, was owned by Phillip Ingram Cunliffe-Lister, whose father was Lord Swinton, a close confidant of Winston Churchill, head of MI5 and the Security Executive during WWII, and Ian Fleming’s boss.

Aston Martin DB 2/4: classic laden with Bond gadgets up for auction

By Adam Binnie Motor Industry 09 July 2014 10:02 A classic Aston Martin, thought to be the inspiration behind James Bond’s car in the Ian Fleming novel Goldfinger, will be sold at auction this Saturday, 12 July 2014. When a father-and-son restoration team discovered the unassuming DB 2/4 Mk I Vantage collecting dust they had no idea of its potential significance. As they began to peel back the layers they uncovered a set of unique modifications, similar to those in the fictional Bond car, including reinforced steel bumpers, concealed lockers, heavy-duty anti-interference ignition system, and connections for a two-way radio or homing device.

Almost 80% of drivers admit illegal acts behind the wheel

FOUR OUT OF FIVE drivers in the UK admit to driving illegally at some point in the past 12 months. Offences range from talking on a mobile phone while driving to having bald tyres on their car. In a survey by Flexed, 79% of drivers questioned said they had broken the law within the last year and a further 5% were not prepared to answer.

New 2015 Vauxhall Corsa revealed

The new 2015 Vauxhall Corsa revealed – debuts at Paris The King of the supermini market in the UK is the Ford Fiesta, but the Vauxhall Corsa isn’t all that far behind and Vauxhall are doubtless hoping the arrival of the new Vauxhall Corsa in early 2015 will help steal customers away from Ford. Vauxhall hasn’t messed too much with the fourth generation Corsa, and although every body panel is new it’s still very much a Corsa. Yes, the nose is more ‘modern’ Vauxhall and there are changes everywhere when you start to look – like the ‘blade running down the lower doors – but nothing that will frighten off the existing 80,000 plus buyers the Corsa goes home with each year.

Revealed: the longest and shortest new car waiting lists

Is there anything more infuriating than a long wait for something you really, really want? Like a car, for example. You walk into a dealership, hand over a large amount of money and want to drive away as soon as possible.

2015 Volvo XC90 preview: tech details

More details about the all-new 2015 Volvo XC90 are continuing to emerge, and the latest concerns the new premium SUV's amazing blend of performance, safety and efficiency. In fact, Volvo says there has never been a seven-seater off-roader to offer such an incredible combination of power and eco-friendliness before. Click through or gallery to read more about the all-new 2015 Volvo XC90

Smart video hints at new ForTwo and ForFour designs (2014)

By Adam Binnie Motor Industry 08 July 2014 12:42 Good news if you cannot wait for the official launch of Smart’s two new 2014 models: a sneak preview of the new ForTwo and ForFour has been released. The video shows off the innovations of the new models, including the ForTwo’s new ‘smile’ and wider stance, and was uploaded to the Daimler AG YouTube channel ahead of the cars’ launch in July 2014. It shows how the latest evolutions of Smart’s clever small cars retain features from their predecessors, such as the Tridion safety shell and wheel-in-each-corner design.

Germany to tax foreign drivers

GERMANY plans to introduce a car toll that seeks to make money from the millions of foreigners who drive through the country every year, the transport minister said today. Germany has a truck toll but, unlike many European countries, no car toll. Alexander Dobrindt said it wasn't fair that foreign drivers do not contribute to maintaining the roads and that "fairness gap" should be closed.

2015 Vauxhall Astra means new UK jobs

Vauxhall has announced that it will take on 300 new staff at its Ellesmere Port plant, ready for production of the new Astra in 2015. It follows the plant’s successful bid to build the 2015 Astra, which secured investment of £125 million for the UK factory in 2012. 20 reasons why Britain’s car industry is booming Read a Vauxhall new car review Meanwhile, in 2011, Vauxhall’s Luton plant received a £185 million investment to build the new Vivaro van – and now the Bedfordshire base is planning to create a further 250 jobs.