Moog Es800404 Tie Rod-steering Tie Rod End on 2040-parts.com

Car-buying confidence hits new high

THE NUMBER of people who believe they will buy a new car in the next three years has jumped to 71%, according to the latest AA Car Purchase Index; up from 55% last year. Of the 19,786 survey respondents who said they were going to buy a new car, 42% said they would choose a petrol engine, with 38% saying definitely diesel. A further 13% don’t know what fuel type they will opt for, but 7% will choose some kind of hybrid and 1% will go fully electric – a total of exactly 100 respondents.

WRC Mini Concept (2010) first official pictures

While the Mini Countryman might be destined for suburban mumsville, BMW has confirmed the new model will also terrorise the countryside in the form of the WRC Mini from 2011, with IRC champ Kris Meeke at the wheel. Officially launched at the 2010 Paris motor show in concept guise, the WRC Mini will be engineered and run by motorsport doyen Dave Richards and his Prodrive outfit, although customer packages will be available too, allowing independents to compete in the car. Not so much – this is no time for misty-eyed Paddy Hopkirk odes.

LA Motor Show: Huge numbers define new Mercedes S 65 AMG

TWELVE cylinders, two turbochargers, 5,980 cubic centimetres, 621bhp and 738lb.ft of torque are numbers designed to catch the eye. These are the figures boasted by the new Mercedes-Benz S 65 AMG, which has made its motor show debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The stats are good enough to endow the standard-bearing saloon with epic performance, including a 0-62mph time of just 4.3 seconds.