Contact Sets - Lucas - Dsb108c 54429246 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.

'Bin the booster', says car seat maker

A CAR CHILD seat manufacturer is urging parents to bin booster seats amid claims of ‘dangers’ involved in using them for older kids. Britax, which manufactures child seats for youngsters up to 135cm tall, or about 12 years old, claims that its own research suggests 49% of seating setups for 4-12-year-olds could be unsafe. Some form of child seat is legally required until a child reaches 135cm in height, to ensure that the seat belt crosses their chest at the correct and safe height, but Britax claims to have found many belts to have been fitted incorrectly.

Finalists announced in Fiat UK's 'Smiles per Hour' design competition

Fiat UK has picked five finalists in the ‘Smiles per Hour Design Competition', a design contest we first told you about back in July. The aim of the competition was to find a budding designer in Britain who would develop a clever and amusing new way to travel. Following an initial judging process, the selection for best designs comprised of Simon Tarrant's 'Street Rower'; Nick Rawcliffe's 'Snowbone'; Natalie Daghestani's 'Hylo female commuter shoe'; Steven Spong's ‘Longbow'; and Harley Zblewski's 'Suitcase Car' -  a design we first saw at Coventry University's annual Degree Show in June.