Vintage Mercedes Bosch Horns (set) on 2040-parts.com

Motorists still not switched on to electric cars

Renault A new survey of 3,000 British motorists suggests there is still a long way to go before electric cars become a serious purchasing choice for the majority, with many saying the government isn’t doing enough to promote them. According to the latest Auto Trader Owner’s Guide, only 1% of UK drivers own what it calls an Alternative Fuel Vehicle (AFV). The poll also illustrates some significant age and gender divides, and shows that price continues to be a serious hindrance to more environmentally friendly motoring.

Alpina B6 xDrive boosts Gran Coupe to 540 hp

The 2015 BMW Alpina B6 xDrive Gran Coupe was revealed on Wednesday. The new super-coupe will make its North American debut next month at the New York auto show and go on sale immediately after. The Alpina B6 is based on the 6-series Gran Coupe (and thus features four doors, despite the name).

Mazda SkyActiv technology goes on offer to raise funds

Mazda is looking to license their SkyActiv Technology to raise capital (CX-5 with SkyActiv pictured) Mazda are predicting losses for the current financial year of £750 million and are looking to sell their SkyActiv technology to raise cash. Mazda isn’t having the best of times at the moment, despite an impressive range of cars that are getting more interesting with Mazda’s SkyActiv technology, and are predicting that they will post a loss of around £750 million for the current financial year. There are a variety of reasons for Mazda’s financial predicament – including the strength of the Yen and the production problems after the Japanese Tsunami – but this is the fourth year in a row Mazda has posted losses.