Vauxhall Astra VXR Extreme (2014) first official pictures

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 30 January 2014 12:50 Meet the Vauxhall Astra VXR Extreme – the most hard-core hot hatch ever to wear the Astra badge. Inspired by the Astra Cup racing car, it’s essentially an Astra with ‘Speciale’ or ‘GT3’ treatment applied to it, in the vein of Ferrari and Porsche’s fire-breathing specials. Expect less weight, less refinement – and a lot more on-track performance.

Toyota Yaris & Yaris Hybrid get updated for 2014. Price from £10,895

The Toyota Yaris & Yaris Hybrid have been updated for 2014 Toyota has decided to have a play with the Yaris and Yaris Hybrid, bringing in new trim levels as well as getting the 1.4 litre diesel in to the sub-100g/k emissions bracket. Toyota call the new trim levels a simplification, but you’ll still have the option of Active, Icon (but not on the hybrid), Icon Plus and Trend depending on how many goodies you want to fork out for. The entry-level Yaris Active offers a basic equipment level with electric front windows, USB, and audio controls on the steering wheel, but you’ll have to pick the Yaris Icon to get stuff like 15″ alloys, electric door mirrors, Toyota Touch Media System, rear-vew camera, AirCon and Bluetooth.

Diesel pollution affects honeybees senses

DIESEL pollution makes it harder for honeybees to find flowers - by changing the chemical make-up of their scent, scientists have found. Honeybees use floral odours to find flowers that will give the best yields of pollen and nectar. But diesel fumes can affect their ability to locate and recognise the plants, potentially affecting pollination and ultimately global food security, the study published in the journal Scientific Reports found.