F150 2000 Hood Hinge 39842 on 2040-parts.com

2014 Volkswagen Polo facelift, new engines and new tech

The 2014 VW Polo (pictured) gets a raft of updates If you want a premium feeling supermini, the VW Polo is hard to beat. And with a mid-cycle facelift, new engines and new technology it’s now even more impressive for 2014. Cosmetically, the facelift is a minor one, with tweaked bumpers and grill, new optional LED headlights, a chrome strip between the fog lights, new alloys, new instruments and steering wheel and a tweaked centre console with HVAC controls.

Ford launches Cobra Jet and Boss Mustangs

Two new potent Mustangs that channel the past but pack serious modern muscle will soon be available for enthusiasts. Ford revealed the 2012 M-FR500 Cobra Jet Mustang for drag racing at the Performance Racing Industry Show in Orlando on Thursday. For road racers, the Blue Oval is adding the 2011 Mustang Boss 302S.

Honda cutting production in Swindon again – 500 jobs at risk

Honda is cutting another 500 jobs in Swindon It’s only a year since Honda announced 800 job cuts at Swindon (which eventually was 550) and now they’re about to cut a further 500 as weak demand – particularly in Europe – sees the Swindon plant producing just half the cars it could. The plan is to cut shifts from 3 to 2 a day, which will result in the loss of 340 permanent jobs and 160 temporary ones, and production will be centred on just one production line to increase efficiency and flexibility. The Swindon Plant – which builds the Civic, Civic Tourer, CR-V and Jazz (and the Civic Type-R from next year) – has been hard hit by the slump in European sales in the last five years and, despite still strong UK sales, production levels of 120,000 cars a year – just half of the Swindon capacity – are not enough to sustain the current staffing levels.