Prairie Seat Kawasaki 650 on 2040-parts.com

Tiremakers offer new tread designs and compounds for winter

When preparing your vehicle for winter, most people think about getting the battery tested, installing new wiper blades and having plenty of windshield-washer fluid on hand. Those are all good habits. But if you live in a cold-weather part of the country, installing a dedicated set of winter tires is another thing you should consider.

Opel/Vauxhall Corsa E

If this fifth-generation Opel Corsa looks familiar, that's because this is more a heavy facelift than an all-new car.Opel has concentrated efforts on the eight-year old Corsa's mechanicals rather than an all-new bodyshell. Instead every exterior panel has been redesigned, alongside the entire interior.This is the first Corsa developed under GM Europe's VP of design, Mark Adams and his influence is clear to see, with the incorporation of the lower bodyside 'blade' surface and the pouting mouth of the Adam.While its proportions and upper body are clearly carried over, the new nose treatment in particular disguises the car's high scuttle thanks to the lower grille, lamps and diving shoulderline. The hood also gains a deeply recessed center surface that visually cheats down its height.In order to disguise the carryover glass, the rear of the five-door version's DLO now kicks up at the base of the C-pillar rather than running through into the rear, giving a stronger aesthetic.

McLaren turns the corner, posts first profits

By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 04 June 2014 10:48 McLaren Automotive today announced it had broken even for the first time in its brief three-year history, posting a £4.5 million pre-tax profit in 2013. It's great news for the young supercar brand, which until now has lost money every year. McLaren's turnover was £285m, up from £267 in 2012, as it increased production towards its long-term goal of 4000 cars a year.