Nissan Skyline 2000 Speedometer [0161400] on 2040-parts.com

Shocking bald tyre sparks safety warning

A TYRE that was completely bald after being taken off a high-performance BMW has sparked warnings from tyre safety charity TyreSafe. The shocking pictures of the incredibly dangerous tyre, whose owner is lucky to be alive, show the extent of the lengths to which some people are pushing the limits of safety. As it is, the tyre would be almost completely ineffective in wet or damp conditions, and how the driver had avoided an accident is a mystery.

Volvo S60 DRIVe & V60 DRIVe launch

The Volvo V60 DRIVe This week we’re out playing with a Volvo DRIVe model, although our car is the S40 DRIVe. DRIVe models are Volvo’s push at all things green (or all things blue if you’re German) and take a regular Volvo and eco the bejesus out of it with stuff like stop-start, low rolling resistance tyres and the plethora of eco-toys car makers use to make the headline economy and emissions unbelievable. The result is a Volvo that drives pretty much the same as any Volvo but which can – as long as you play the eco-driving game – run almost on fresh air, and because cars like this are designed to hit emissions targets on official cycles, they’re also good on stuff like VED and BIK. And if the S40 DRIVe we’ve got this week is anything to go by, you can still drive with enthusiasm and enjoy it as long as you don’t mind the economy suffering.

Design-firm boss Sergio Pininfarina dies after long illness

Sergio Pininfarina, who ran the famous Italian automotive design company of the same name for 40 years, has died after a long illness. He was 85. Pininfarina had the last word on the company's design projects for almost 50 years.