Vintage Theo Bargman 48 Red Teardrop Clearance Marker Light on 2040-parts.com

Vauxhall Insignia Ecoflex (2009) first pictures

By Ben Barry First Official Pictures 21 April 2009 13:20 Vauxhall has announced its answer to the planet-conscious Volkswagen Passat Bluemotion – the Insignia Ecoflex. Essentially the Ecoflex is a 158bhp 2.0-litre CDTi Insignia, but an army of now-familiar C02-slashing improvements have been swung into action. These improvements include under-car panelling and a lower ride height to help the Insignia cut through air more cleanly (the drag factor falls from 0.27Cd to 0.26), plus lower rolling resistance Michelin tyres.

Toyota Auris Hybrid, Prius Plug-in Hybrid, Land Cruiser and iQ (2009): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 02 September 2009 13:25 Toyota has announced its line-up for the 2009 Frankfurt motor show – and it’ll be led by a new hybrid version of the Auris hatchback. The Hybrid Synergy Drive tech from the Prius has squeezed under the bonnet of the Auris to make a new, cleaner hatch and extend the Japanese firm’s lead in petrol-electric tech. It won’t be just a battery-powered Auris on show, however.

BMW experiments with laser headlamps

Headlamp technology is rapidly advancing, and as LED lights become commonplace, many wonder what's next. BMW suggests lasers, which could offer new safety and function. Compared with today's LED headlamps, BMW's laser-cut lights have intensity a thousand times greater than that of LEDs while consuming about half the energy.