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Tata Nano (2008): first official pictures

By John Sootheran First Official Pictures 10 January 2008 09:33 Shove over a bit Henry Ford, Ferry Porsche and Alec Issigonis, because as of this morning there's a new entrant for the People's Car Hall of Fame. The first day of the Indian Auto Expo 2008 in Delhi, saw Ratan N Tata (yes, the fella who's leading the bid for Jaguar and Land Rover) reveal his much vaunted 'one lakh' car (that's 100,000 rupees or a measly £1300). Despite being the Chairman and CEO of one of the world's biggest corporations, Ratan Tata admits to being a nervous presenter, so much so, that the initial information was presented by his hologram! When he did appear, it was behind the wheel of one of three 'one lakh' cars being driven onto the stage. The 3000-strong audience of press and VIPs went beserk amid scenes of euphoria last witnessed at the Clinton comeback in New Hampshire.

Redesigned 2012 Volkswagen Beetle priced from $19,765

The redesigned 2012 Volkswagen Beetle will launch with a base price of $19,765, including shipping charges, a minimal increase over the base price of the current version. The base VW Beetle, known as the 2.5L, is powered by a 2.5-liter inline five-cylinder engine rated at 170 hp. A five-speed manual transmission is standard and a six-speed automatic is an option.

Mayor warning over London cycling protests

SAFETY protests sparked by the deaths of six cyclists on the streets of the capital risk scaring people off switching from cars to bikes altogether, London mayor Boris Johnson will warn today. Mr Johnson will urge "more careful" language, suggesting pro-cycling campaigners could jeopardise the push to boost bike use by concentrating on recent fatalities when overall numbers were not up. Mr Johnson - addressing a safety summit bringing together cycle and haulage groups - will hail a £913 million investment in safety measures but urge people not to expect instant results.