International 324877c91 Cable on 2040-parts.com

Smart car inventor Nicolas Hayek dies

Nicolas Hayek, the engineer and industrialist who founded the Swiss watch company Swatch and brought the world the Smart car, died on June 28 of heart failure at his office in Switzerland. He was 82. Hayek saved the Swiss watch industry from lower-priced Asian competition in the early 1980s by offering colorful, inexpensive Swatch timepieces that he backed with equally colorful marketing.

Ariel Atom 3.5R (2014) first official pictures

By Ben Pulman First Official Pictures 07 May 2014 15:20 This is the new Ariel Atom 3.5R, a riposte to Caterham’s mad Seven 620R. It’s made up of the best bits from the manic Atom V8 and the little-less-manic Honda-powered Atoms, and improves upon 2012's Atom 3.5. With a little help from a supercharger.

Porsche Panamera Junior (Porsche Pajun) still on the cards

Porsche Panamera Junior (Porsche Pajun) still on the cards The idea that Porsche would build a saloon to sit below the Panamera have been on the cards almost as long as the Panamera has been with us. Back in early 2011 we reported that a Porsche Pajun was being planned for 2016 and in 2012 a Porsche source confirmed that a baby Panamera was under development with plans to get it to the market in 2015. Now, Porsche boss Matthias Muller has all but confirmed to Autocar that the ‘Pajun’ is under serious consideration, although the logistics of building a ‘volume’ model like the Pajun is a tough logistical ask as Porsche has just gone through that exercise to produce the Porsche Macan.