Audi R8 GT Spyder arrives

Audi R8 GT Spyder - a mere £200k You didn’t think that Audi – Kings of the niche-fill – would settle for producing just 333 tin-top Audi R8 GT, did you? Of course not, so you’ve been expecting the next instalment in the race to make the most expensive Audi, and here it is – the Audi R8 GT Spyder. Just as it was with the R8 GT Coupe, the R8 GT Spyder will be limited to just 333 cars and all of those will come in LHD, even though Audi expect 30 to be sold in the UK.

Chrysler recalls Wrangler, Compass and Patriot

Chrysler Group said today it will recall more than 220,000 units of the Jeep Wrangler to fix a transmission flaw and 409,000 units of the Jeep Compass and Patriot worldwide to fix a software glitch that could stop airbags and seatbelts from working in a crash. The recalls add to a growing list of safety problems at Chrysler, which stunned the auto industry this week by taking the rare step of rebuffing a recall request from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. On Tuesday, Chrysler refused to recall 2.7 million units of the 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2002-07 Jeep Liberty, claiming that the vehicles were built in compliance with safety standards and are not more accident-prone than other vehicles of the time.

Drivers 'don't care' about engine oil

JUST 4% of drivers choose which engine oil goes into their car during a service, according to new research. The remaining 96% either don’t care or simply go with whatever a mechanic recommends, leading to calls from a leading engine oil manufacturer and the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) for raised awareness of the benefits of high-grade engine lubricants. In a study of 1,000 drivers, conducted on behalf of Mobil 1, 65% said they wouldn’t know what oil viscosity their car would need to take, while 69% added they had no idea which brand of oil their car manufacturer recommends.