Ducati Scrambler Fold Away Gear Shift Lever Silver 96280281a on 2040-parts.com

Plug-In 2013 conference plugs along

Every now and then, the electric car industry comes together in a sort of Woodstock-of-the-Watt-Hour to take stock of itself and to exchange ideas, sign contracts and maybe have a beer. The most recent parliament of the plug-in was last week in San Diego at an annual industry event known as Plug-In 2013, although obviously they change the year in the title as necessary. Why keep gathering?

New 200hp engine for Vauxhall Astra

The Vauxhall Astra GTC is now available with a 1.6-litre direct injection engine that produces 200hp – making it the most powerful non-VXR Astra ever. The new four-cylinder Ecotec engine is the same as that used in the convertible Vauxhall Cascada. On Bing: see pictures of the Vauxhall Astra GTC Find out how much a used Vauxhall Astra GTC costs on Auto Trader Vauxhall claims the new engine is one of the most refined units in the segment, and also points at its improved performance and fuel economy figures over the previous 1.6-litre turbocharged motor.

Mercedes C 63 AMG Coupé drifting at Laguna Seca (Video)

Mercedes C 63 AMG Coupé drifting at Laguna Seca To celebrate 2 million views on their YouTube Channel, AMG has taken a C 63 AMG Coupe for a bit of a blat round the Corkscrew at Laguna Seca. Car makers are slowly waking up to the joys of the Interweb as a way to promote their wares, and they’re all busy feeding their Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and YouTube channels with new content to keep fans amused. It’s never exactly the most unbiased content so it often needs taking with a pinch of Maldon’s finest, but YouTube, in particular, gives car makers the chance to showcase their cars in action, and if they can do that and makes ‘fans’ feel a part of it, so much the better.