Simrad Autopilot Ap28 Display Unit. on 2040-parts.com

Vauxhall planning City Car

The 2004 Opel TRIXX Concept With the world and his dog seemingly trying to squeeze in to smaller and smaller cars, it should come as no surprise that Vauxhall/Opel’s new boss in Europe – Nick Reilly – says that the number one priority for GM in Europe is a new City Car. After all, what was once considered as small as you need to go – the Corsa or the Agila – seems something of a heffalump compared to many of the city cars flooding in to our cities. So how far down the line are Vauxhall with their City Car plans?

Watch the sad, final moments of a crusher-bound heap

Automotive wrecking yards are good places to reflect on the real-world values of heavily depreciated vehicles versus global current scrap-metal prices, and to see which cars have suddenly had the fix-it-versus-total-it line moved by insurance companies (the early-21st-century Subaru Legacy Outback, for example, appeared in large numbers in high-turnover wrecking yards just during the last year, as fairly minor collision damage on these cars is no longer worth fixing). You'll see the things that a car's last owner does in a desperate attempt to sell (or at least live with) an increasingly decrepit heap (as we learned in "Repo Man," you really will find a Little Tree in every car). During a recent trip to a San Jose, Calif., yard, I encountered this sad yet strangely compelling scene.

Some hybrids are not a green as they seem, interest group says

Car buyers who think they are helping the planet by choosing a hybrid vehicle to aid in cutting emissions don't always get the biggest bang for their buck, according to an environmental interest group. A report from the Union of Concerned Scientists shows that some hybrids come at a much higher price tag than their similarly equipped, conventional-powertrain counterparts, yet offer little in the way of environmental gain. These not-so-green hybrids compromise their value or eco-friendliness in a variety of ways.