Harley Flhxi Street Glide Left Frame Cover 2006 86336 on 2040-parts.com

Skoda at the Paris motor show 2008

By Ben Whitworth Motor Shows 02 October 2008 17:33 Skoda launched its revised Octavia at the Paris motor show – and it's clear to see they've injected some mini-Superb DNA. And that was about it for the Czech marque this year; 2008 is a bit of a slow period for Skoda, before the product onslaught begins in earnest next year. With its new nose and tail bringing it into line with the new Superb, the Skoda Octavia now has much needed visual presence.

Listen: Upcoming Ford Focus ST to employ sound symposer

While BMW employs a digitally sanitized/perfected sound file to give M5 owners the proper sense of aggro urgency when motoring at pace, Porsche went a little more organic with its employment of a sound symposer to feed the 911's flat-six growl into the cabin of the extra-refined 991. Essentially, the sound symposer is an electrically controlled diaphragm in a tuned sound tube that brings the proper engine noises into the passenger compartment. It can be opened and closed by the car's onboard electronics to offer snarl when you want it and serenity when you don't.

MINI Baker Street and MINI Bayswater arrive

MINI Bayswater and MINI Baker Street Two new MINI Special Editions named after London districts arrive in the form of the MINI Baker Street and MINI Bayswater. MINI decided around this time last year that they would name all future limited editions after London districts, since which time we’ve had the MINI Hampton and MINI Pimlico followed by the MINI Soho and even the MINI London to get a bit of extra mileage out of BMW’s Olympics 2012 sponsorship. And now we get the MINI Baker Street and MINI Bayswater.