Quicksilver/mercury Anchor Pin 17-45598 on 2040-parts.com

Kia's chief designer seeks a sporty car to blow the doors off its image

Kia's design boss wants to add a sports car or convertible to lend more appeal to the brand. No such car is officially in the pipeline, said Peter Schreyer, Kia's chief design officer. Kia first needs to get on more solid footing, he said.

Car insurance market condemned by MPs

CAR INSURANCE is a "highly dysfunctional market" in which firms' pursuit of profit has led to higher prices for consumers, a report by MPs has said. In some cases, business practices have not been in the consumer interest and have "inadvertently encouraged criminal activity", the report from the House of Commons Transport Committee said. There was no clearer example of this than "insurance firms' willingness to pay compensation for whiplash claims which they suspect are fraudulent without requiring the claimant to undergo a medical examination".

Britain becomes the engine room of Europe

By Nigel Wonnacott Motor Industry 26 June 2008 13:59 Britain makes twice as many engines each year as cars. Latest industry figures reveal more than 3.1 million petrol and diesel engines were produced at domestic plants in 2007, compared to just over 1.5 million cars. Output has soared recently, with more than half a million more engines leaving production lines in the last two years.