Car sales plunge, Bank of England cuts rates

New car sales plunge in October: Renault sales were down by more than half By Nigel Wonnacott Motor Industry 06 November 2008 12:30 Following the sixth monthly decline in new car sales this year (down 23% this month), economists have revised market forecasts downwards, while the Bank of England has cut interest rates by 1.5%. October’s 23% drop was the worst so far and trade body SMMT now fears sales could end the year at just 2.15 million cars. That’s 8% lower than the 2.34 million predicted to leave showrooms back in January and would be the worst market performance in more than a decade.

Listen again to Dassault Systèmes' 24 September Webinar

Listen again to Dassault Systèmes' latest Webinar, in which it debuted its virtual showcar, 'b l e u', developed by CATIA Design. The Webinar took place on 24 September at 14:00 (BST). Participants had access to the entire design process from the very first sketch to the high-end renderings.

Will Chrysler reload with another wagon?

Is Chrysler aiming to get some of its old swagger back by dusting off a recent gem with customizers? The Dodge Magnum wagon with its "gangsta" profile proved a sensation with tuners and urban dwellers when it arrived in showrooms in 2004. But it was quickly spiked when Chrysler hit the financial skids and restructured under bankruptcy a few years ago.