Concept Car of the Week: Vauxhall VX Lightning

Both Ford and Vauxhall celebrated their 100-year anniversaries in 2003, but despite much of the attention being focused on the American giant, GM's UK subsidiary unveiling its own birthday present: the VX Lightning. Revealed at the Dorchester Hotel in London in May, the Vauxhall Lightning concept was a joint project between the GM North America (GMNA) Advanced Design Studio in England and the Opel/Vauxhall Design Center in Rüsslesheim, Germany. The Vauxhall ‘V' brand motif is a recurring theme throughout the car, despite the company's relative lack of global recognition.

Oh, puh-leeze: Lighten up, people

Rarely do I come to the defense of a competitive member of the fourth estate, but the people at Car and Driver are getting the hooey knocked out of them by everyone from "professional media representatives" to the NASCAR faithful. What was CD's egregious sin? Its editors concocted an April Fool's joke with them good ol' boys Chrysler and General Motors as its punchline.

Caterham off to China in 2012

Caterham Cars - China Bound It’s quite an eventful time for car-making minnows Caterham – keepers of the Colin Chapman Flame- with a takeover at Caterham  by Tony Fernades and Team Lotus only just complete, and now the news that Caterham are going to be selling cars in China from 2012. The takeover by Team Lotus has seen Caterham Cars’ profile on the international stage rise considerably as its logos appear on the Team Lotus F1 cars, which will do its prospects of selling Caterhams around the world no harm at all. Caterham has now signed an exclusive deal with Chinese importer Courtenay Trading International (CTI) who are aiming to appoint six retailers in key provinces of China over the next twelve months with a modest sales target of 50 cars in the first year.