Rio 2002 Antenna 428389 on 2040-parts.com

UK car manufacturing jumps 12%

CAR PRODUCTION is accelerating ahead, driven by demand from Europe, according to the latest figures. A total of 142,158 cars were manufactured in the UK in March - a 12% rise on the March 2013 figure, the Society of Motor Manufacturers (SMMT) said. Last month's figure brought the 2014 production total to nearly 405,000 - a 2.9% increase on the January-March 2013 total.

Porsche Panamera S E-hybrid scores £5k government grant

By Ollie Kew First Official Pictures 27 November 2013 12:30 You’d have thought the last thing a buyer wealthy enough to afford an £89k Porsche Panamera needed was a £5000 discount on their mammoth new supersaloon. But, thanks the Panamera S E-hybrid cracking the eco numbers, that’s exactly what the UK government is offering. The Panamera S E-hybrid has joined a list of just 15 cars eligible for Britian’s ‘ULEV’ (ultra low-emission vehicle) status, approved by OLEV (the Office for low-emission vehicles.) Yes, in real life, it’s ridiculous, but on paper, the S E-hybrid is a wunderkid of low-emission motoring.

New Audi Q7 (2013) to shed weight. But no Audi Q9 planned.

The 2013 Audi Q7 will be much lighter than the current Q7 The Audi Q7 was rather late to the SUV party of the noughties, not hitting the road until 2005. That meant the Q7 had a bit of an edge when it launched, as it was newer than its competition, but it also means the Q7 is still soldiering on when its competition has already launched newer, shinier models. But Audi are working on fixing that, and fixing the biggest criticism of the Q7 in the process – its sheer weight and size.