Chrysler Oem Dodge Anti-theft Alarm Siren 68105834ab Image 1 on 2040-parts.com

Europe's Car of the Year 2011 shortlist announced

The 41 contenders for Europe's 2011 Car of the Year trophy have been whittled down to the final seven as the European CoTY shortlist is announced today. The winner will be voted for by 59 of Europe's most influential motoring journalists, including two CAR writers: editor Phil McNamara and European editor Georg Kacher. The 2010 winner - by just 10 points ahead of the Toyota iQ - was the Volkswagen Polo. Like the Eurovision Song Contest, Car of the Year has proved controversial in the past with accusations of block-voting and blind patriotism, yet the award remains one of the most prestigious in the motor industry.

Volkswagen Golf24 (2011): VW's new 'Ring racer

This flame-spitting beast is the Volkswagen Golf24, VW’s new Nurburgring 24hr racer. The Golf24 will race at the ‘Green Hell’ in the legendary endurance event on 25-26 June 2011, but although it’s been built as part of Volkswagen’s celebrations for the 35th anniversary of the GTI, it shares little with the hot hatch that we know and love. All sorts of parts from within the VW Group.

Lewis Hamilton on Pole for 2014 Italian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton on Pole for 2014 Italian Grand Prix F1 hasn’t been kind to Lewis Hamilton in 2014, especially with Nico Rosberg running in to him at Spa, but Hamilton is back on track with his first pole position since May and, better still, he did it by leaving Nico Rosberg in second place a comfortable 0.274s behind. That performance will no doubt help Hamilton’s state of mind as he battles Rosberg for the drivers championship, but he still has a mountain to climb as Mercedes’ sanctions on Rosberg don’t include a ‘resting’ race to level the playing field. And with just seven races to go, a 29 point deficit is a big deficit to make up.