Scion considers moving upscale

Toyota's struggling Scion brand may move upscale to challenge entry-level luxury models coming from European automakers. The new lower-luxury niche includes Mini, the front-wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz CLA arriving this fall and Audi's compact A3 sedan shown last week on the eve of the New York auto show. Scion has gone after young entry-level buyers since its inception 10 years ago but has lost its early momentum.

60mph M1 motorway speed limit proposed

The government has announced a proposal to lower the motorway speed limit from 70mph to 60mph over a 32-mile stretch of the M1. The plan, which has just been put out to consultation, would lower the speed limit to 60mph between junction 28, near Matlock in Derbyshire, to junction 35a, north of Rotherham – in a bid to improve air quality by reducing vehicle emissions. On Bing: see pictures of motorway air quality Find out how much a used low CO2 car costs on Auto Trader The current proposal would see the Highways Agency put the 60mph restriction in place between 7am and 7pm, seven days a week.

Audi to hold Urban Future Summit

Aiming to further the thinking initiated at the inaugural Urban Future Awards last year, 2011 will see Audi hold the Urban Future Summit on September 12 in Frankfurt, just prior to the start of the 64th international motor show. The symposium will feature presentations from internationally renowned speakers on the future of individual mobility in megacities, with participants from all over the world. The goal of the summit is to ‘build knowledge networks', focusing on the subject of "Energies - what forces will change the cities of the future?" Expert speakers such as Saskia Sassen, Carlo Ratti, Ludger Hovestadt and Charles Leadbeater will be among those who will discuss how mobility and the urban space must develop to meet the demands of future cities.