Vespa Granturismo Claxon/ Horn Push Botton on 2040-parts.com

Top Gear 'for inner nine-yea-old'

THE BOSS of BBC hit Top Gear says the presenters' childish antics are a success because they are a "release valve" for the increasing stresses of our working lives. Executive producer Andy Wilman said the programmes helped viewers to reconnect with their nine-year-old selves because life for adults is "bloody hard". In an interview with Radio Times, he also bemoaned the constraints of the workplace, which could be seen as a swipe at the strict levels of compliance which apply to BBC TV shows.

Audi readies flagship Sport Quattro concept for Frankfurt

Audi will unveil its new Sport Quattro concept at next month's Frankfurt motor show, previewed in a number of sketches. We first saw the Quattro concept back in 2010 at the Paris motor show and three years later the carmaker has produced another iteration, a 2+2 coupé, that measures in at 4,699mm – 419mm longer than the Quattro concept (4,280mm). From what the sketches show, the Sport Quattro retains the chunky C-pillar of the 2010 Quattro concept, the 1984 Sport Quattro and the original Ur-Quattro models, while the four headlamp units are another nod to the original.

Newsflash: Magna 'agrees to buy GM Europe': latest news

Latest news: what Magna's deal means for GM Europe By Tim Pollard Motor Industry 29 May 2009 19:31 Canadian parts giant Magna this afternoon struck an agreement in principle to buy stricken GM's European arm, Opel and Vauxhall. The agreement has not yet been confirmed publicly and is still in the early phase, but brings to an end an uncomfortable round of talks in the past 48 hours which saw a spat between American negotiators and European politicians, and Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne walking away from the table.Once sealed, the deal must first be approved by the German government, which is to provide interim funding to the new owners. However, Italian car maker Fiat isn't yet totally ruled out of the running, as Magna's chief exec earlier today intimated that he could be interested in cooperation.CAR Online will update with the latest developments as they happen.