Dorman C95509 Brake Cable-cable - Parking Brake on 2040-parts.com

Gordon Murray Design T27 crash tested

The original Smart car probably did more than its fair share to persuade us that small cars needn't necessarily be unsafe. But now Gordon Murray is on the same mission: to persuade us that his titchy T27 city car is as safe as houses too. Gordon Murray Design has just issued its first crash test results, showing a T27 electric car after a crash test at the UK's MIRA industry research lab.  The crash test in question was the European-standard 40% offset deformable barrier front high-speed impact.

McLaren Special Operations (MSO) P1 and 650 S Spider Pebble Beach debut

The McLaren P1 MSO (pictured) will debut at Pebble Beach 2014 It may be Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations in the news at the moment, but McLaren’s own Special Operations has been around since 2011, creating extreme examples of McLaren’s cars for deep-pocketed customers. And they’re back with two new MSO specials for this month’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The most impressive of the two MSO cars is, of course, a special edition of the already very special McLaren P1.

Smoking in cars containing children to be banned

SMOKING IN CARS in the presence of children is to be outlawed in England by the end of the year, Downing Street has signalled, after MPs voted overwhelmingly to make it a criminal offence. A No 10 source said Parliament had made its view clear and ministers are now looking at the practicalities of implementing the ban, with a view to getting it place before 2015. The Commons voted by 376 to 107 last night - a majority of 269 - to give the Health Secretary the power to impose a ban in England.