Motec Power Distribution Module Pdm32 on 2040-parts.com

2014 BMW X3 Facelift and more efficient engines

The 2014 BMW X3 (pictured) gets a facelift and new engines The current version of the BMW X3 SUV has been with us for more than three years, so BMW are giving it a bit of a mid-cycle facelift and more frugal engines to keep the X3 on top of its – very successful – game. Engines on offer for the 2014 X3 include the 2.0 litre diesel in the sDrive18d which offers 148bhp and 56.8mpg and the 187bhp in the X3 xDrive20d which returns 52.3mpg, the xDrive30d – which gets the 3.0 litre diesel unit – with 254bhp and 47.9mpg and the X3 xDrive35 which has an impressive 309bhp but still manages official economy of 47.1mpg. When it comes to the cosmetic facelift bits, BMW hasn’t really pushed the boat out, but the new X3 does get a new headlight design which is sleeker, new front and rear bumpers and a new surround for the kidney grill, which all contrive to make the new X3 look even more like a baby X5.

New Maserati GranCabrio MC Stradale arrives early

The 2013 Maserati GranCabrio MC Stradale – the drop-top version of the  GranTurismo MC Stradale - revealed ahead of Paris 2012. The 2013 Maserati GranCabrio MC Stradale falls in to the latter camp – Maserati hasn’t revealed the cabrio MC Stradale out in to the wild officially, but the photos have leaked on to the interwebs in Russia. The new GranCabrio MC Stradale is almost certain to get the same levels of power and torque from the 4.7 litre V8 as the tin-top GranTurismo MC Stradale, which means 444bhp and 376lb/ft of torque delivers through Maserati’s MC Race Shift auto ‘box.

CAR interviews Dany Bahar on the crisis at Lotus (2012)

CAR yesterday sat down with Dany Bahar, the chief executive officer of Lotus Cars, to discuss the company's financial situation. He talked about the recent takeover of parent company Proton by DRB-Hicom and what it means for Lotus, the financial performance of Hethel and the latest on plans to launch the new Esprit supercar and all the other new Lotuses in the pipeline. Read on for CAR Magazine's full interview with Dany Bahar, split over the next three pages.