Steel Button Navigation Bmw Mini R50/52/53 2001-2006 on 2040-parts.com

Happy 80th Birthday, Syd Mead!

Take a poll among car designers to name their greatest influence, and one name is sure to appear at the top of the list: Syd Mead. The car designer, illustrator and futurist has inspired generations of the men and women who shape the cars we drive or admire. Syd has created the designs for the movies Blade Runner and Tron, while the illustrations published in his books such as Oblagon and Sentury (sought-after collector items today) depict the vision of a future dominated by superior technology and aesthetics.

Overseas embassies in London refuse to pay £77m on Congestion Charge

ALESSIA PIERDOMENICO, Newscom, RTR More than £75 million in Congestion Charge fees is owed by London’s foreign embassy staff who refuse to pay it. The staggering figure is revealed in a report which names and shames 71 countries which have each racked up debts of more than £100,000 since the scheme launched in February 2003. According to figures compiled by Transport for London (TfL) and seen by MSN Cars, the total amount outstanding from them – up to 14 January 2014 – is a whopping £76.9 million.

Are GM planning to shut Vauxhall for good?

Could General Motors (GM) be planning to close Vauxhall down for good as they seek an answer to huge losses in Europe. General Motors has had its share of problems in the last few years, not least the bailout needed to save it from bankruptcy in the US. That US bailout has seen GM return to profit in the US, but GM Europe continues to be a big hole in its accounts as the European car market continues to struggle with over capacity and a lack of buyers for traditional mainstream cars.