Cessna Garwin Engine Gauge Cm2634-l2 on 2040-parts.com

Mini Vision concept: what does it say about the brand's future?

The sight of Mini design head Anders Warming presenting a holographic, 3D projection of the Mini Vision concept as if appearing in his own cartoon was certainly a new one on us, but it captured the quirky, slightly left-field image the subsidiary of BMW Group has cultivated since its relaunch 13 years ago. As the 'Vision' tag suggests, this is billed as a marker of intent for the brand's future design direction rather than a pre-production teaser of the new Mini hatchback (Cooper in most markets) we'll see later this year. However if the third-generation 'new' Mini doesn't look remarkably similar we'd be amazed, such is the level of productionized detailing on this purely digital model.

Saab 9-5 Sportwagon (2011) first official pictures

This is the new Saab 9-5 Sportwagon, and is the third new model released under Spyker ownership after the 9-5 saloon and 9-4X SUV. Saab has released this solitary teaser image ahead of the car’s debut at the 2011 Geneva motor show in March, and while we can’t see the front on the new Saab 9-5 Sportwagon, it’s the back that’s the business end. It’s not your typical hearse-like load lugger: note the raked rear screen and wraparound rear glass.  Figures first, and seats up there’s 527 litres of boot space in the new Saab 9-5 Sportwagon.

M1 motorway changes 'risk lives'

THE PROPOSED changes to the M1 motorway could put drivers’ lives at risk due to the removal of the hard shoulder, according to campaigners. The Association of British Drivers (ABD) says the lack of a continuous hard shoulder, combined with many vehicles' lack of a spare wheel, is a recipe for danger. The Highways Agency is currently assessing options for the M1 between junctions 28 and 35A that include a reduction in speed limit to 60mph to cut emissions pollution.