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BMW M4 Convertible revealed. Price from £60,730

The BMW M4 Convertible (pictured) revealed We reported last month that the new BMW M4 Convertible would debut at this year’s New York Auto Show, and here it is ahead of that debut complete with trick folding metal roof, 425bhp and a price tag that just nicks over the £60k line. A direct replacement for the old M3 Convertible, the M4 Convertible will cost you just over £4k more than the M4 Coupe, but for the extra money you get the same car but with infinite headroom – and a big weight penalty. The new 3-piece metal folding roof can be tucked away in a mere 20 seconds at the flick of a switch, with better noise insulation than the M3 Convertible had and more room in the boot when the roof is down too.

Volkswagen XL1

Volkswagen chose the Qatar motor show to debut its new XL1 Super Efficient Vehicle. The latest evolution of the SEV niche – that stretches back to the 1-liter concept of 2002 – makes extensive use of lightweight materials and hybrid technologies to offer a reported 313mpg. The car's exterior is a clear evolution of the tandem seat L1 from 2009.

Concils 'confident' over winter salt stockpiles

COUNCILS are confident they can cope with bad-weather conditions on the roads this winter. A survey shows that local authorities in England and Wales have stockpiled more salt for this winter than last. A total of 1.3 million tonnes was stockpiled for winter 2012/13 and the Local Government Association (LGA) shows that 95% of councils are either maintaining or increasing stock levels this winter.