Brake Cable, Passenger 48½", Yamaha G1a&e/g2e/g9e on 2040-parts.com

Volkswagen puts a price on the VW Polo BlueGT

The Volkswagen Polo Blue GT – a warmed over Polo – will cost from £17,400 for the 1.4-litre 138bhp 6 spd manual. The Polo Blue GT gets the 1.4 TFSI engine with 138bhp so the little Polo can row along well enough, but it also get cylinder deactivation for when you’re not blatting from traffic light to traffic light to endow the Blue GT with official average economy of 60.1mpg (or 62.7mpg if you opt for the DSG ‘box). When you’re not worried about being parsimonious with your fuel the Polo GT skips along to 62mph in 7.9 seconds and handles well enough thanks to the Polo’s already decent setup and a 15mm lower suspension.

SEAT Altea XL

Two years after the Seat Altea hatchback was launched comes the extended XL version, which effectively becomes a mini-MPV thanks to a 187mm increase in length. This of course benefits the interior most, the trunk growing from 409 liters to 635 with the rear bench pushed forward - though is conspicuously without the extra row of seats offered by rivals. Outside, changes are most noticeable at the rear where the styling theme has been softened to reflect the car's renewed family-focus.

Mercedes B55 (2011) - a ballistic V8 B-class

Mercedes' tuning arm AMG has not yet ventured into sensible B-class territory, but a bunch of Merc trainees in Germany has come up with this: the B55. It's a V8-powered B-class, complete with AMG-spec 383bhp 5.5-litre V8 mounted up front and driving an old W210 E-class rear axle. Sounds like a promising skunkworks special, derived from an old B200 CDI hack that was kicking about the training centre.