Denso 3442 Spark Plug on 2040-parts.com

Mitsubishi at the Paris motor show 2008

By Guy Bird Motor Shows 06 October 2008 09:13 The heavily revised Mitsubishi Colt was the biggest real-world news for the Japanese brand at Paris. It now gets the large signature jet fighter grille from its bigger Lancer brother, alongside a whole new front end, interior changes and a Ralliart version.  It’s not just a nose job, honest. The rear of the car gets smaller lights rather than the previous full-length ones, partly for ease of crash repair, and interior ergonomics have been improved – the rear seats now fold flat for instance.

Skoda confirms prices for two new models

SKODA has announced prices for its two latest models; the Rapid Spaceback and the facelifted Yeti. The Spaceback, which is 180mm shorter and smaller of boot than the ‘notchback’ Rapid, is designed to be the brand’s long-awaited direct rival to the likes of the Ford Focus and Kia Cee’d. It will start from £14,340 on the road for the 1.2 TSI petrol S model with 85bhp.

Happy 80th Birthday, Syd Mead!

Take a poll among car designers to name their greatest influence, and one name is sure to appear at the top of the list: Syd Mead. The car designer, illustrator and futurist has inspired generations of the men and women who shape the cars we drive or admire. Syd has created the designs for the movies Blade Runner and Tron, while the illustrations published in his books such as Oblagon and Sentury (sought-after collector items today) depict the vision of a future dominated by superior technology and aesthetics.