Mitsubishi Diamante 1999 Fuel Pump [1920600] on 2040-parts.com

McLaren P1 gets an Arctic shakedown (+video)

So McLaren are busy throwing the worst conditions they can at the P1 to make sure it can perform even in the harshest of conditions and be the best driver’s car in the world – even when there’s several feet of ice under its wheels. McLaren has had several XP prototypes of the P1 running round the world’s harshest climates – hot and cold – and have delivered a video of the P1 prototype playing on the ice in the north of Sweden – inside the Arctic Circle – to keep interest in the P1 bubbling along ahead of its dynamic debut in the UK at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July. Despite its enormous power – 903bhp from a combination of its turbo 3.8 litre V8 and electric motor – the P1 does look composed and capable, even with sub-zero temperatures and a surface that has zero grip.

Beware valet parking insurance loophole

USING A VALET parking service could mean losing your car with no insurance cover. Drivers are being warned to check their insurance policies before handing over their car keys to valet parking attendants as more than half (51%) of the UK’s motor insurance policies do not cover this service. While valet parking companies provide insurance cover for their employees to drive your car, many insurance policies do not cover ‘damage to vehicle while in the control of valet parking staff.’ This means if your car is damaged or written off while it’s being parked or retrieved by valet parking staff, you could be left seriously out of pocket with no claim against the valet parking company.

Porsche considering full factory F1, Le Mans teams

New Porsche CEO and president Matthias Muller is weighing up a review of Porsche’s motorsport activities – and claimed the sports car brand could re-enter Le Mans with a full factory team, or even F1. Muller was appointed on 1 October 2010 and has lots on his plate: he’s a VW veteran and is charged with integrating Porsche smoothly into the Volkswagen business empire as Wolfsburg ratchets up its ownership of Porsche. That integration includes motorsport, he told CAR at the 2010 Paris motor show.