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German new car sales drop 11 per cent – pre-reg accounts for 33.5 per cent

New car sales in Germany dropped by 11 per cent in September with pre-reg cars accounting for over a third of all sales. That drop of 11 per cent in Germany is despite deep discount offers – an average of 12.2 per cent in September – with even the previously invincible Mercedes and VW having to offer discounts of up to €3k, despite which VW’s sales fell by 20 per cent in Germany and Mercedes by 12 per cent. What’s perhaps most interesting about the decline in car sales in Germany is the number of pre-reg cars sold (pre reg cars are cars registered by dealers to hit sales targets and then sold at a discount of up to 25 per cent).

2014 Maserati Ghibli S Q4 drive review

What is it? For those jaded by the prospect of yet another A6, 5-Series or E-Class, Italy proudly presents a pretty and powerful alternative. Although the new Maserati Ghibli is a conventional sedan -- an extra-curvaceous one, to be sure -- the trident-badge brand's leadership believes it can challenge the coupe-like competitors from Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Volkswagen XL1: Geneva Motor Show 2013

The VW XL1 is going in to limited production with the promise of 314mpg and a price tag likely to be £100,000. Surprisingly, one of those ‘Super’ cars is a Volkswagen that will cost £100,000 and has all the attributes of a supercar. Except its party trick is extreme performance in economy, rather than performance.