Piston Ring Set 4.560 1/16 1/16 3/16 on 2040-parts.com

GM's green future: EVs, plug-in hybrids

General Motors' future green-car efforts will focus on plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles rather than conventional hybrid powertrains, product chief Mary Barra said Wednesday. Barra said GM has narrowed its future development emphasis in an effort to defend its leadership position attained with the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. GM will unveil an electric Spark minicar in late November at the Los Angeles auto show.

Audi A1 prices start at £13,145 in UK

Audi’s new A1 supermini has gone on UK sale today, priced from £13,145 for a 1.2 TFSI SE trim model to £18,280 for a range-topping 1.4 TFSI auto. That pitches the A1 slightly above the Mini, whose boggo First three-door kicks off at £12,620. But study the two rival supermini ranges from Audi and  BMW more closely and you’ll see they’re quite evenly matched.

McLaren employees killed in crash

TWO MCLAREN EMPLOYEES were killed when the sports car they were travelling in crashed near to the Formula 1 giant's technology centre. The staff members, who were in a blue Subaru Impreza, were pronounced dead at the scene following a collision with a Ford Transit van on the A320 in Ottershaw, Surrey, at 12.10pm yesterday. A man in his 60s who was driving the van was taken to St George's Hospital in Tooting with serious injuries, Surrey Police said.