Jones Trans Am Boss 302 Tachometer on 2040-parts.com

Fewer people commuting but distances on the up

The average commute has increased in distance, but more people working from home means there are actually fewer cars on the road at rush hour today compared to 10 years ago, according to statistics from the most recent Census conducted in 2011. Figures show the average commute has increased from 8.3 miles in 2001 to 9.32 miles in 2011. People living in the east of England travelled the furthest to work at an average distance of 10.34 miles – while those in London had the shortest commutes averaging 6.83 miles.

New venom for Viper

It appeared onstage for a few fleeting moments, more phantom than future sheetmetal. But like a ghost that won't go away or a car company that refuses to die, a reborn Viper has been penciled in for Dodge for 2012. A concept version of the next American supercar was shown in September in Orlando, Fla., by Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne to a convention center filled with thousands of people—most of them notoriously talkative car dealers.

First Sight: Mercedes-Benz S-Class

The new S-Class is replacing a model series which is the world number 1 in the luxury class, and of which around 485,000 have been produced since its introduction in 1998. The previous W220 series was much admired on introduction and still seems competitive to many eyes but will be replaced by the latest model at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.   Specification The new flagship model by Mercedes-Benz is larger than its predecessor in every respect.