Porsche 911 930c Arrera 72-76 Factory Original Driver Side Mirror 911.731.013.00 on 2040-parts.com

BMW 1 Series dead in US after 2013

With its successor set to bow at the Detroit Auto Show in a couple of months' time, word's come down from BMW that 2013 will indeed be the end of the line for the BMW 1 Series — at least in the US. It will remain available elsewhere in the world as a three-door and five-door hatch. The coupe and convertible, meanwhile, are being replaced by the 2 Series, in convention with BMW's new naming scheme.

Frankfurt auto show: Mercedes-Benz previews the electric B-class

Mercedes-Benz revealed an electric-powered B-class with range-extending capabilities at the Frankfurt motor show. This rounds out the company's line of standard gasoline- and diesel-engine versions in the second generation of the multipurpose fiver-seater. Set to go on sale in selected markets in 2013, the B-class E-cell Plus is propelled by a 136-hp electric motor that draws electricity from a lithium-ion battery mounted low within the car's MFA platform structure.

Government bid to cut driving options

PLANS DESIGNED to reduce petrol prices at motorway service stations and a freeze on the cost of the MoT test have been announced by the Government. A crackdown on whiplash injury fraud is also part of the driver-friendly package to be introduced from next year. Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said t he statutory maximum price of the MoT test for a car will be frozen at £54.85 until 2015 - potentially saving up to £50 million for drivers every year.