Full Throttle 007-1026g Goldfinger Left Hand Throttle on 2040-parts.com

Local Motors launches Pacific Northwest competition

Local Motors' 20th design competition, themed 'Thrive in the Elements,' opens for submissions starting today, 17 March. The new American car company is calling for entrants to design a car based around the four core elements: Earth, wind, fire and water; challenging designers to create a vehicle that will 'inspire Pacific Northwesterners to thrive'. The deadline for entries is 30 March 2010.

Hyundai ix35 Facelift goes further in Korea – and looks better for it

Last year we had spy shots of the Hyundai ix35 facelift floating round Korea – Hyundai’s home market – which showed a much more convincing nose than the, then, ix35 in Europe, but they eventually turned out to be photos of the ix35 FCEV which Hyundai had given a nose much more like the new Santa Fe and which we thought pointed at the 2013 facelift for the ix35. But when the Hyundai ix35 did turn up at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show with a bit of a titivate, it was exactly that – some very minor tweaking which kept the 2013 ix35 looking very similar to the 2012 model. But that’s not happening in Korea.

Top Gear Tonight: Alfa Romeo 4C, McLaren P1, Camp Bastion & SIARPC is Tom Hiddleston

Top Gear tonight sees Richard Hammond in the Alfa 4C Tonight sees the second episode of Top Gear’s 21st series, which sounds to be a lot more interesting than the less than captivating first episode of the new series last week. Richard Hammond gets to go and play on the shores of Lake Como in Italy with a car we expect he’ll like very much – the new Alfa Romeo 4C. Lots of twisty roads and a small but powerful 2-seater Alfa Romeo sound like a recipe for fun, but this is Top Gear so there’s a twist – Clarkson turns up to challenge Hammond in his 4C to a race with Clarkson on a quad bike.