Monroe 139105 Front Quick Strut Assembly on 2040-parts.com

Toyota’s new Avensis (2008): more photos and details

By Nick Eaton First Official Pictures 10 September 2008 12:30 Two weeks ago, Toyota showed a solitary rear three-quarters photograph of the new Avensis. Today, it has released a slew of new photos to show how the saloon and estate will look from all angles. Toyota’s new Mondeo rival arrives at the 2008 Paris motor show, but here are our first impressions of the new Avensis ahead of its French debut.

Volvo S60 L plug-in petrol hybrid heading for Beijing Motor Show

The Volvo S60L Plug-in (pictured) heading for Beijing The Volvo V60 Plug-in is already doing good business for Volvo – despite a price tag of £50k – but the V60 plug-in is a diesel hybrid which doesn’t suit all markets. So Volvo are ploughing ahead with a petrol engine based plug-in hybrid with the debut at the Beijing Motor Show next week of the Volvo S60 L Plug-in, a petrol hybrid version of the long wheelbase S60. At first glance the S60 Plug-in looks just like its regular ICE sibling, but under the skin sits a 2.0 litre Drive-E petrol engine with 238bhp and 258lb/ft of torque – which drives the front wheels – and a 68bhp electric motor with 147lb/ft of torque that can drive the rear wheels, which can be recharged in 4.5 hours.

One Lap of the Web: Two-wheeled mayhem

-- The C-01 certainly qualifies as the lightest vehicle Lotus has ever built, because it's a bicycle. A sleek, carbon fiber bicycle for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics that blew minds and won races, while distilling form into agonizingly pure function. Simplify, and add Shimanos.