Honda - Custom Engraved Key Ring (free Engraving) on 2040-parts.com

Dacia prepares for its UK market D-Day

Renault may have halved its UK product range and taken a profit tumble in 2011, but its budget car subsidiary Dacia has been growing strongly with its range of no-nonsense value-for-money cars. The Dacia Duster SUV has been winning plaudits for its cheap-and-cheerful blend of practicality and value,and leads the UK market launch next month. Dacia: Renault's developing market brand heads West Dacia was founded by the Romanian government in 1966, and began with license-production of the Renault 8 (Dacia 1100) and Renault 12 (Dacia 1300).

Lamborghini LP550-2 – the Balboni Video

Video of the Lamborghini LP550-2 Valention Balboni The LP550-2 features a unique colour scheme, with a big stripe right up the middle of the car – echoed on the interior trim – but more importantly the Lp550-2 is set up to be a real driver’s car, with rear wheel drive replacing the LP560-4′s four wheel drive. The LP550-2 Balboni has now been launched at dealerships throughout the world – including here in the UK – and Lamborghini has seen fit to produce an ‘Advertorial’ for the LP550. It features almost five minutes of the LP550 and Valentino Balboni, and is worth the watch.

2013 Nissan LEAF updated

Nissan has updated the LEAF EV in Japan for 2013 with better range, less weight and a new LEAF S entry-level model. Revealed in Japan – but likely to come to the UK from 2013 when the LEAF starts rolling out of Nissan’s Sunderland factory – there are significant upgrades to the powertrain which result in both less weight and better range. Nissan has had a play with the electric powertrain and made it both smaller and lighter with a new motor that uses 40 per cent less dysprosium (a rare earth metal) than before, and comes in 30 per cent smaller and 10 per cent lighter, and a new streamline battery case and a few other tweaks drops the LEAF’s weight by 80kg.