Chevrolet Accessory Exhaust Tip With Chevrolet Bowtie Emblem Badge on 2040-parts.com

Driven: Range Rover Evoque

As Sam Livingstone opines in his review of the latest Porsche 911, we are in a period of car design consolidation, with the new 911 the ultimate expression of a slightly suffocating trend. Yet every so often, a vehicle appears that breaks these rules and – through a combination of factors that can be difficult to quantify – captures the imagination, becoming a symbol of the times and an overnight market success. Such vehicles tend to emerge once a decade or so, yet the late 90s and early noughties were extraordinary for giving birth to three – the Ford Ka of '96, Audi TT of '98 and Mini of '01.

UK Car Sales up again in October 2012

New car registrations rose in October by 12.1 per cent in the UK, the ninth month of 2012 to see rising car sales. The European car market may be in a real mess with carnage looming for production facilities run by mainstream car makers, but the UK continues to grow its new car market with sales in October up by 12.1 per cent. Total new car registrations (which includes pre-reg) rose to 151,252 units, the ninth monthly increase of 2012, and the SMMT are now predicting total sales for 2012 of over 2 million, back to 2010 levels after a fall in 2011 to below the 2 million mark.

Kia K9 launches in Korea

Kia K9 launches in Korea Kia’s new range-topping saloon car – the Kia K9 – has launched in Korea and will launch overseas – with a new name – later in 2012. Kia’s most impressive – and certainly most ambitious - new car has launched in Korea and goes on sale today. But it’s extremely unlikely, even with a change of name from Dr Who’s robotic dog, that we’ll see it in the UK.