AA warns of automated penalties

DRIVERS are still suffering a year on from the time most wheelclampers were banned from operating in private car parks, according to the AA. Twelve months on, parking enforcement firms are reaping large sums from issuing automated "penalty" tickets. The AA said that while Communities Minister Eric Pickles is reining in local authorities who over-zealously use CCTV, private parking operators now rely heavily on this technology and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) to watch drivers and issue tickets through the post when they put a foot wrong in parking areas.

Mercedes-Benz reveals new S-class interior

Mercedes-Benz has revealed the interior for its next-generation S-class in a series of darkly lit photographs aimed at emphasizing the car's ambience. While appearing similar to current models in a number of key areas, the cabin of the flagship Mercedes-Benz sedan has been redesigned in a bid to provide it with added levels of luxury, comfort, space and new multimedia functions. Key among developments is a new dashboard with horizontal architecture and ambient lighting to accentuate its width.

Design an MG sports car for 2025, win a scholarship and internship at SAIC

SAIC has announced its second university student design competition. To be in with a shout, SAIC wants students to design a dream sports car or GT car for the MG brand to be launched in 2025. The brief asks for a concept that must not only must reference MG's history – 2014 is the firm's 90th anniversary – but that also reflects China's post-90s generation.