Mercury Tracer/ford Escort Interior Dome Light. on 2040-parts.com

New Smart ForTwo and ForFour set for 2014 unveil

Mercedes-Benz's struggling Smart city car division is seeking to add a new dimension to the urban driving experience with its third-generation ForTwo, currently undergoing the final phase of a three-year test and development program ahead of a planned unveiling mid next year. Set for North American launch in 2015, the ultra-compact two-seat hatchback represents a fresh chapter in operations for Smart, which has recently gained greater independence from parent company Mercedes-Benz as its boss, Annette Winkler, attempts to stem years of financial losses after almost a decade of rebuilding following its short-lived joint venture with Mitsubishi. The new ForTwo, known internally as project C453, has been developed in a joint engineering program with the upcoming second-generation ForFour and its sister car, the third-generation Renault Twingo.

M-way closures 'all year round'

SOME MAJOR MOTORWAYS did not operate at full capacity on any day last year, according to figures obtained under a Freedom of Information Act request. There were some lane closures on all 365 days of 2013 on the M1, M4, M5, M6 and M25 as well as on the M60 in north west England and on the M54 in Shropshire and Staffordshire. There were 358 days of lane closures on the M62 in northern England, 357 on the M40 which runs west from London to South Wales and 355 on the M27 in Hampshire.

McLaren genius joins supercar project

By Phil McNamara Motor Industry 11 August 2006 06:49 Gordon Murray – the engineer behind the 240mph McLaren F1 – is now working on a racer that could dethrone the F1 as the ultimate lightweight supercar. Murray has joined forces with former colleagues from McLaren Cars who left to create the Caparo T1, a highly focused, ultra-lightweight sports car. Murray becomes director of advanced concepts at Caparo Vehicle Products.