Genuine Nissan Bracket 26970-7y001 on 2040-parts.com

Call for reform over road repair funding

FUNDING patterns mean most road maintenance is being carried out in "less-efficient, cold and wet" times, a report from a Government spending watchdog has said. The current pattern of funding, combined with the need to spend money within the financial year, means that most maintenance work goes on between September and March, said the report from the National Audit Office (NAO). It went on: "Although this is less disruptive for road users, it is less efficient than carrying out the work at other times of year because materials can be more difficult to handle in cold and wet conditions, and daylight hours are shorter." The report went on: "As a result of the additional funding for emergency repairs, which is made available at the end of the financial year, almost all highways authorities need extra capacity from the market at the same time, which makes it less likely that they will get value for money." The NAO report said there was a "lack of predictability" over road spending adding that historically, local highway authorities spent more revenue on maintenance, but were now carrying out fewer routine activities such as clearing gullies which are essential to preventing water seeping into roads' sub-structure.

UK Car Insurance Company reports buyers downsizing

Swinton Insurance claim quote requests for bigger cars are down 20% Swinton say that it has seen an increase of 25% in quote requests for smaller engined cars in the last six months and a decrease of 20% in car insurance quotes for cars over 1.8 litres (which, short of the big-engined cars being scrapped begs the question: What’s happened to the big-engined cars? Did they just disappear, or are they just not being insured?). But this got us thinking.

Maserati Levante SUV – 525bhp & Made in Italy

The Maserati Levante – the production version of the Kubang Concept SUV – is based on the new Jeep Grand Cherokee and it was planned to be built in the US alongside the Jeep, but demand for the new Grand Cherokee means Maserati will be building the Levante in Italy instead. Which will probably do its credentials no harm at all. Nor will its engine offerings, which will include the new 3.0 litre twin-turbo V6 from the Ghibli with around 400bhp, the new diesel engine from the Ghibli (and perhaps Fiat’s new V8 diesel when that arrives) and the thumping twin-turbo V8 from the Quattroporte with a round 525bhp.