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Maintenance 'favours' end up costing more

GETTING help from family, neighbours or friends for basic car maintenance tasks costs the UK public an estimate £300million a year, according to a new survey. Over 2,000 people were surveyed on behalf of Halfords Autocentres and one in six said they regretted asking for help in the first place. 45% who subsequently had to pay a professional to rectify mistakes were left with a bill in excess of £100.

Concept Car of the Week: Saab Aero X

In January 2005 Bryan Nesbitt, then-executive director of GM Europe Design, charged the 15-strong Saab Advanced design team in Gothenburg, Sweden, to create the "ultimate vision of the brand". The design team – led by head of Advanced Design at Saab, Anthony Lo – worked on a number of sports car proposals, which were considered 'the jet fighters of the road.' The chosen proposal by Alex Daniel was for a large, front-engined sports car that would become one of the most universally acclaimed concept cars of recent times. Of course the Aero X's door arrangement – complete with huge, forward-hinged canopy – is its party trick, but even without the theatrics the car's proportions, surfacing and graphics are exceptional.

Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe

By Ben Oliver Motor Shows 09 January 2007 05:53 Drophead Coupe makes waves in Detroit CAR Online brought you the first pictures of the new open-top Phantom and exclusive video footage last month, but this £260,000 monster still stole the Detroit show when Rolls-Royce chairman Ian Robertson officially unveiled it in what will be by far its biggest market. The 100EX concept on which the production car is based stole the 2004 Geneva show too, and features which we all thought would only be seen on the concept, such as the teak ‘decking’ on the hood cover and the rear-hinged suicide doors, have made it to the finished car. Production starts at Goodwood this summer.