Quicksteer K8771t Suspension Ball Joint, Front Lower on 2040-parts.com

New Smart ForTwo and ForFour set for 2014 unveil

Mercedes-Benz's struggling Smart city car division is seeking to add a new dimension to the urban driving experience with its third-generation ForTwo, currently undergoing the final phase of a three-year test and development program ahead of a planned unveiling mid next year. Set for North American launch in 2015, the ultra-compact two-seat hatchback represents a fresh chapter in operations for Smart, which has recently gained greater independence from parent company Mercedes-Benz as its boss, Annette Winkler, attempts to stem years of financial losses after almost a decade of rebuilding following its short-lived joint venture with Mitsubishi. The new ForTwo, known internally as project C453, has been developed in a joint engineering program with the upcoming second-generation ForFour and its sister car, the third-generation Renault Twingo.

Tax disc to be scrapped after 93 years

David Cole | REX Features Tax discs are to be axed, chancellor George Osborne has announced in his 2013 Autumn Statement. But motorists will still pay an annual Vehicle Excise Duty (VED / road tax) fee. The round paper certificates we all currently display in our car windows have served as proof of this road tax payment since 1921.

Audi planning their own version of the electric VW e-Up

Perhaps the most promising EVs from Audi so far have been the A2 EV (pictured above) and the A1 range extender with a small Wankel engine in the boot to charge the battery. But even they were dropped from Audi’s production plans last year. But now it seems Audi are back in the production EV game with plans to produce an Audi e-tron using the underpinnings of the electric VW e-Up, but with Audi styling and an upmarket Audi interior and high-end Infotainment.