Trx 250r Fmf Shorty (cut) on 2040-parts.com

UK car production tops 1.5 million

THE NUMBER of cars built in the UK topped 1.5 million last year, the highest for six years, amid what's being called "surging" demand at home and abroad. Production increased by 3.1% in 2013, with analysts predicting that output would reach record levels of around two million by 2017. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said the UK was set to become the third largest car manufacturer in Europe after Germany and Spain.

Peugeot 408 GT Coupe planned for 2016

Peugeot 408 GT Coupe planned for 2016 based on the 308 (pictured) The market for smaller four-door coupes has grown in recent years, and it looks like the Mercedes CLA – the four-door coupe version of the Mercedes A-Class – is a runaway success. That seems to have given Peugeot the idea that it should revive the ’40-something’ badge a couple of years after they dropped the 407 and 607 in favour of the 508 and build a new coupe, this time a four-door. The Peugeot 407 was a larger two-door coupe – the not quite as convincing update for the very good 406 coupe – which had an old-world coupe feel and was very much a niche product in Peugeot’s range.

Mercedes SLS AMG Electric Drive sets Nurburgring production EV record

The Mercedes SLS AMG ED (pictured) set a new EV lap record at the Nurburgring Just as Audi decides that the R8 e-Tron isn’t a production viable option, Mercedes decides to prove there is potential for electric cars at the very high end. The Mercedes SLS AMG Electric Drive has been to the Nurburgring and set a new lap record for a production electric car of just 7 minutes 55 seconds. The SLS AMG ED, which goes on sale very soon at more than £300k, may weigh a chunk more than a regular SLS (550kg more), but it gets plenty of help from its four electric motors – one at each corner – to overcome the weight of its batteries with 751bhp and 737lb/ft of torque on hand.