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Capitol Hill notebook: Obama defends autos, Akerson defends the Chevrolet Volt

Less than 10 hours after President Barack Obama wrapped up his third State of the Union address, manufacturing and automobiles continued to command the spotlight on Wednesday in Washington. The day began with General Motors CEO Dan Akerson defending the Chevrolet Volt before a U.S. House committee hearing, saying he didn't want it to become a "political punching bag," according to testimony provided by the company.

Brighton Speed Trials under threat

Nearly 8,000 people have signed a petition to see the Brighton Speed Trials return in 2014. The event, which dates back to 1905, was cancelled last year while an inquest determined the cause of a fatal motorbike crash that occurred in 2012. Now organisers are urging the local council to give them permission to return to the Speed Trials to Brighton’s Madeira Drive this summer.

VW Scirroco GT TDI 170PS – UK orders & prices

The VW Scirocco Gt TDI 170PS - now available in the UK But today frugality is the key and, if you can couple it with a fair degree of style and some half-decent performance, you should be on to a winner. VW thinks so, and has announced that the VW Scirroco GT TDI 170PS is now available in the UK, with prices starting at £21,755 OTR. This GT TDI is a frugal car and, with a combined figure of 53.3mpg and emissions of 139g/km Co2, you’d rather expect it to be a frugal eco-box that struggled away from the lights.