Dorman 80468 Help! Rear Passenger Side Interior Door Handle on 2040-parts.com

BMW i8 fetching 50% premiums in UK market

The BMW i8 (pictured) is commanding a 50% premium The simple rules of a capitalist market is that supply and demand dictate price. Which is why BMW’s i8 hybrid supercar is fetching premiums of up to 50 per cent. With the entire i8 supply sold out for the next year, those with deep enough pockets – and a compelling desire for an i8 – are turning to i8 owners who have already taken delivery and making them offer they can’t refuse.

Mercedes SLA Roadster looks likely

As car manufacturers start to look with fresh eyes at smaller, cheaper cars, reports from Germany confirm that Mercedes is close to committing to the SLA, a small Roadster to be based on the next generation A-Class platform. The original SLA concept was shown at Detroit in 2000, and aimed to slot in beneath the SLK. But at that time Mercedes didn’t have a suitable platform on which to base the car, and the project was shelved.

Vauxhall Insignia facelift stars at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show

Ten years on from the very first Insignia concept, unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in 2003, Vauxhall is showcasing a new, facelifted Insignia here at Frankfurt 2013. Part of the update to the Insignia is a new internet connectivity feature, which should make life on the road for travelling professionals a bit easier – now you can locate your nearest non-VAT qualifying hot food snack retailer in next to no time… We’re also fans of the rationalised trim range, down from 14 grades to eight for the new car. While the Insignia’s updated engine range boasts impressive efficiency (as we’ll see in a minute), we can’t help wondering if this might have been a good time to introduce a hybrid or range-extender powertrain, trumping Ford and its forthcoming Mondeo Hybrid in the process.