Evinrude Johnson V-4 1974-76 N.o.s Clutch-shifter Dog Assy #0317797 on 2040-parts.com

Kia Sportage and Soul recall – affects 7000 UK cars

5,787 UK Kia Sportage models (pictured) are being recalled. Recalls are a fact of life for car makers, but at least the industry now tries to respond to problems as they arise, and before they cause damage to people of vehicles. This latest recall comes from Kia in the UK, which is recalling a total of 5,785 Sportage models and 1.432 Soul models to address a problem that ha been identified with the seat belt pre-tensioner mechanism.

Brabus at 2009 Frankfurt motor show

By Tom Sharpe First Official Pictures 18 September 2009 13:12 Mercedes tuning supremo Brabus unveiled its new 788bhp EV12 at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show – a car so powerful there’s only room for ten on the open road. Number one of ten limited-edition Brabus EV12s struck a brooding figure at the tuner’s stand – hardly surprising with a 6.3-litre bi-turbo V12 under the bonnet and a £440,000 price tag. The E-class has been transformed into a tarmac-shredding supercar-chaser thanks to the introduction of a newly developed SV12 R bi-turbo engine which, Brabus claims, was implanted under the bonnet with 'almost surgical precision'.

Festival of the Unexceptional: the bad cars we love

Ever been to a classic car show and noticed how many old MGBs and sports cars of yesteryear have turned up, driven by their proud owners, but wondered what happened to all the more mainstream stuff? There are twice as many Ferrari 308 GTBs on the roads in the UK than Austin Allegros, because the everyday cars of the past fail MOTs, get chucked away and replaced with shiny new hatchbacks. Fortunately, there is a select group of people in the UK who care for the mundane stuff of yesterday and, because of this, a new event for “unexceptional” cars will be taking place this summer.