Peugeot 404 Before 1967 Pinion (1st Reverse Gear) on 2040-parts.com

Drivers' 'huge petrol tax burden'

BRITISH DRIVERS are still facing a huge petrol and diesel tax burden despite three years of fuel duty freezes, according to the RAC Foundation. The UK has the highest rate of diesel tax in Europe while only Sweden imposes a higher petrol tax duty than the UK, the foundation said. Its figures showed that tax accounts for 59% of the price of diesel in the UK, with Sweden (56%) second and Italy (55%) third.

Mini at the London motor show 2008

By Guy Bird and CAR reader reporter Carcare Motor Shows 23 July 2008 22:14 Mini went ‘all intellectual’ on us with a university theme to its London stand on account of its Oxford connections. It also served up some quality crumpet (more of which later)… So what’s new on Mini’s London motor show stand?The ultimate Mini – the John Cooper Works version – went on sale on press day of the London motor show, offering 208bhp, 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds, a 148 mph top speed and a cool body kit. Click here for CAR's first drive of the JCW hot hatch.The £20,995 JCW hatch is the first of many planned JCW-badged Minis, with a Convertible version tipped for an unveil at the Detroit show in January 2009 and a Clubman JCW to follow in the same year with a similar price premium over existing models of about £1500.

Kia GT concept (2011) at Frankfurt motor show

When CAR visited Kia’s Korean test facility in Namyang back in April 2011, there were several clues to suggest the company was looking into some kind of high-performance saloon: we saw an M3 and a Nissan GT-R in the car park, plus a senior engineer told us that he and the team often pondered what it would be like to build a – very specific this – V6 turbo, rear-wheel drive sports coupe. Board members, meanwhile, suggested we wait until the 2011 Frankfurt motor show to see what performance treats they had planned. Well, here’s the first glimpse of what all those clues could mean: the Kia GT.