Francis Barnett, James, Amc 17t 175cc Engine & Gearbox - Eng No 17t-3001 on 2040-parts.com

Aston Martin Virage dropped – to be replaced by new DB9

Less than eighteen months since it debuted – and after just over 1,000 cars – Aston Martin is dropping the Virage. The Aston Martin Virage always seemed a bit of a stretch too far for Aston Martin, and so it has proved. After a lifespan of no more than eighteen months – and with just over 1000 cars built – Aston Martin has decided that there are just too few buyers who feel the Virage is enough of a step up from the DB9 to warrant the extra cost.

Volvo V40 Review: D3 SE Nav (2012)

This week we have Volvo’s very promising new V40 in for review and test in the guise of the V40 D3 SE Nav manual. For perhaps the first time, Volvo are offering a serious alternative to cars like the BMW 1 Series (and the new Mercedes A Class) with the V40. Certainly on all the things that grab the headlines – looks, performance and equipment – the V40 seems to be a very credible effort from Volvo.

New car sales accelerate again

NEW CAR SALES could be back to pre-recession levels by the end of this year after a good start to 2014. Latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show there were 176,820 new vehicles registered in April - an 8.2% rise on the same month last year. Last month's figure took the total for the year so far to 864,942 - a 12.5% increase on the first four months of 2013.