Velvet Drive 1000132015 Bearing on 2040-parts.com

BMW vs Winter: how to beat the freeze

By Phil McNamara First Official Pictures 17 December 2013 09:00 Winter: the long nights, slippery roads and punishing weather can turn driving from a pleasure into a chore. But to ensure you get home safely this winter – or merely to entertain you with our antics – we’ve created some stories and videos of us tackling wintry conditions in cars. • WINTER TYRES: we took an M3 on summer tyres and a 435i coupe on ADD LINK winter tyres to Pirelli’s Milanese test track, to pit the two cars in a wintry drag race, brake test and timed laps of the circuit • xDRIVE: Ben Barry drove an all-wheel drive 330d Touring to Sölden in the Austrian Alps, home of the inaugural round of this winter’s Alpine Skiing giant slalom.

Partners make the perfect co-driver

CELEBRITY heart-throbs such as George Clooney and Cheryl Cole have come second-best in a recent survey of drivers who were asked for their perfect partner on a long road trip. Six out of 10 drivers in the UK said they would choose their regular partner, whether that person is their husband, wife, friend or workmate, 61% of drivers asked said they would prefer their usual driving buddy to George Clooney or Cheryl Cole. Surprisingly, 11% of drivers surveyed by Halfords said they would be happiest with just a satellite navigation system for company on a long road trip.

Peugeot 308 R Concept: Peugeot’s hot 308 leaks ahead of Frankfurt

The Peugeot 308 R Concept (pictured) will debut at Frankfurt The new Peugeot 308 only got an airing back in May, and it won’t get it’s official public debut until the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. But Peugeot are already planning a hot version. The first photos of the Peugeot 308 R have surfaced this morning on Autowp and show an aggressive 308 with a very distinctive two-tone paint job.