Standard Motor Products Mx33 Mixture Control Solenoid on 2040-parts.com

Lotus's glimmer of hope: Proton stands by Hethel

After another painful year of sales for Lotus in the UK – down 58% on 2011 - Norfolk's beleagured sports car brand has kicked off the New Year with the grand unveiling of its new flagship Malaysian showroom, and the thumbs-up from senior Proton company suits that Lotus isn't on its last legs. The announcement comes in the same week Lotus’s sales figures were released for 2012. Showing a substantial 58% decrease in sales and selling just 137 vehicles, Lotus Cars was the worst performer in the UK with a woeful 0.01% share of the market.  Are Lotus's Malaysian owners sticking by the company?

Land Rover Discovery – 20 years old +video

Land Rover Discovery 4 - The latest iteration of the Discovery It’s a sure sign that I’m getting old. Policeman look like they’ve just come out of short pants (which in the case of the ‘Plastic’ (community) police, some have); white cars look old-fashioned (although I’m coming to terms with that one); my arms are only just long enough to read the newspaper and my back goes out more than I do. But I can now add another to that list: Land Rover’s ‘New’ car – the Land Rover Discovery – is 20 years old, and it only seems five minutes since it hit the market.

Central Academy of Fine Arts degree show 2009, China

China's home grown car makers are increasingly ambitious, as illustrated by plans to grow rapidly at home and, in some cases, expand abroad and compete with foreign rivals in cutting-edge technologies. One big impediment they face in taking on their foreign rivals is design. Top dogs in the global auto industry invest heavily in engineers and designers.