Rotax 582 Dual Radiator Kit on 2040-parts.com

Councils to cut roadworks red tape

COUNCILS in England could soon have the power to cut red tape and make road works much quicker and more accountable. The plan is to introduce permits for any company that wants to dig up a road, which means they will have to co-ordinate their work with other companies and local authorities to reduce the impact of delays on the public. The permit scheme could come into force as early as April 2015 and means anyone applying for a permit to carry out road works will need to present a convincing case for the work.

New VW Beetle gets new engines

Volkswagen has finally made the new VW Beetle available with the 2.0 litre TSI petrol and 2.0 litre turbodiesel engines. When we reported the other day that the new VW Beetle Convertible was arriving at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November we did say that VW were about to announce the arrival, finally, of the 2.0 litre TSI petrol and 2.0 litre TDI diesel for the Beetle to make it a bit more appealing. It seems VW must have been listening as they’ve now announced that you can grab a new Beetle with either the more powerful petrol or the diesel engine, which should help sales of the new Beetle.

Nissan Extrem: It’s a Micra Urban Crossover

The Nissan Extrem Concept has been revealed in Brazil as an urban crossover based on the Micra platform. The Extrem is, say Nissan, an ‘Urban Rally Car’ designed to be a tough street fighter and penned by Nissan Design in San Diego specifically for the Brazilian market. Based on the underpinnings of the Micra, the Extrem is 3850mm long and 1760mm wide and is, although it’s hard to judge in the photos, a chunk smaller than the Nissan’s current smallest crossover, the Juke.