Kia Soul: driving in Miami, Britney Spears encounters, more

In a sea of sameness, the 2010 Kia Soul stands out. Perhaps nowhere is that more apparent than Miami, a city filled with image-conscious denizens and head-turning sights on every corner. We got yet another test drive of the hot, five-passenger hatch in South Florida this week and it was an interesting few days, to say the least.

Local Motors Announces Alaska Motors Competition Winners

Startup American independent car company Local Motors has announced the winner of its Alaska Motors competition, which called for entrants to design a concept vehicle for the Wrangell Mountain Extreme, a made-up race that takes place in the grueling Alaskan frontier.   Challenged to design a conceptual vehicle for the most difficult environmental conditions, designers competed for Wacom prizes and the finalists were then chosen by the community, as they have been for the last 17 competitions. Coming in first place was recent Strate College graduate Anthony Colard for his 'B-Polar' concept, a vehicle that features a unique moving chassis with a rotating axis around its fuel tank allowing it to easily maneuver through rough terrain.

New car sales surge again

NEW CAR sales have risen again in September thanks to rapid growth in demand from private buyers, according to statistics released today. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said that a rise of 16.7% in the private sector helped to drive a ‘super September’ that saw overall sales rise by almost 11% over the same month last year. The new 63 registration plate has helped drive customers to showrooms across the country, with the latest breed of fuel-efficient, smooth and quiet petrol engines selling particularly strongly.