Simpson Seat Belt Shoulder Pad Black on 2040-parts.com

Toyota Prius plug-in hits UK

The Toyota Prius plug-in arrives in the UK The next step in the Toyota Prius story is the plug-in Prius, which adds some Lithium-Ion batteries to the mix and the ability to plug the Prius in to the mains to get a usable kick-start to your day’s motoring, with an electric only range of up to 12.5 miles – around double the range a regular Prius can manage when fully charged. Toyota announced plans to get 500 Prius Plug-in Hybrids on the roads in 2010 back in September last year to evaluate their real-world performance before the plug-in gets a proper release – probably in 2012. Toyota are leasing 20 of the Prius plug-ins to a handful of public and private businesses in London as part of their plan to develop the Prius plug-in, and reduce the company’s overall CO2 levels – something which is sadly required by legislation.

Who's Where: Frank Stephenson appointed Director of Design for Alfa Romeo

Frank Stephenson began his new position as Director of Design at Alfa Romeo today, CDN can reveal. Stephenson left his role as Head of the Fiat, Lancia and Commercial Vehicle Styling Center last month and is now effectively filling a role that has been unoccupied since Wolfgang Egger left to become head of Audi's Style Center. Since Lorenzo Ramaciotti has been recently appointed to a newly created position as Cheif of Design at Fiat, Stephenson's previous position is now vacant.

Peugeot 2008 DKR heading for the Dakar Rally. Not that it looks much like a 2008

The Peugeot 2008 DKR (pictured) is heading for the Dakar Rally After steering clear of the Dakar Rally for a quarter of a century, Peugeot is back in the endurance rally game with the Peugeot 2008 DKR, a rally car that shares its name with Peugeot’s 2008 Crossover – but little else. Instead of the almost cutesy looks of the 2008, the 2008 DKR gets looks that could have come from Mad Max with a sinister-looking black paint job, just two doors, short overhangs for better obstacle negotiation, 37″ off-road tyres and a thumping great wing at the back. Unlike most cars that tackle the Dakar, Peugeot has decided that rear-wheel-drive is the way to go as it allows for bigger wheels and more suspension travel, rather than the four-wheel-drive preferred by the majority of entrants.