Toyota T100 T 100 Pickup Truck Digital Clock, 93-98 on 2040-parts.com

New car sales surge by 7.6%

THE SURGE in new car sales has continued into the new year. There were 154,562 new vehicles registered last month, a 7.6% rise on January last year, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. The society said sales of alternatively fuelled vehicle increased by 25%.

Car Design News announces Design Contest

Unique lifestyle scenario design brief describing the lives of three "Milleniumites" (people born in the year 2000) as they might be in 2028. That really gives car designers something to get their teeth into!   Top level car designer judges - including Martin Smith, Executive Vice President of Design at Ford Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa, and Shiro Nakamura, Senior Vice President and Head of Design at Nissan.

BMW M550d xDrive (2012) - the diesel M saloon

BMW has launched its first diesel M car: the new M550d xDrive in saloon and Touring estate forms. It's part of a strategy to fill the gap between the exclusive M GmbH division cars and the top-end cosmetic M Sport trim lines with a new range of M lite: BMW M Performance Automobiles. Developed by the engineers responsible for the M3, M5 et al, the new M550d xDrive is powered by a new high-output version of the 3.0-litre straight six turbodiesel packing not one, not two, but three turbochargers.