Free tyre safety checks during October

A NOT-FOR-PROFIT tyre safety organisation has produced a website that allows drivers to locate a free tyre ‘health check’ during October. The website, from safety campaigners TyreSafe, will let users enter their home postcode to find the nearest garage to them that is offering to check for any issues like too little tread depth, incorrect pressures and foreign objects like nails or glass. October is set to be Tyre Safety Month, and with the weather turning cold and the nights drawing in – especially when the hour goes back – it’s crucial that drivers make sure their rubber isn’t putting their safety in jeopardy.

Kia Cee'd

Despite the Detroit Auto Show still being in full swing, Kia has given a first look at the all-new Cee'd, set to debut at Geneva in March. Very little detail about the second-generation Cee'd has been released, but externally the car adopts Peter Schreyer's tiger-inspired grille and high-set, wrap-around headlamps. The chrome detailing across the DRG and around the DLO are said to give the car a more premium appearance.

Novitec Alfa Romeo 8C Spider adds boost for a sensuous 600 hp

Novitec has laid hands on the near-perfect Alfa Romeo 8C to create the 8C Spider Kompressor, a car the tuner claims is the “most powerful street-legal Alfa Romeo of all time.” Heady words, but they're nicely backed up by a supercharged version of the 4.7-liter Alfa V8 cranking out 600 hp and 434 lb-ft of torque. That's up from approximately 450 hp and 346 lb-ft on a stock Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. Tweaks supporting the force-fed mill include a water-to-air intercooler, custom injectors and revised fuel and ignition mapping, plus a variable stainless-steel exhaust system.