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Mini Crossover at the Paris motor show 2008

By Ben Barry Motor Shows 02 October 2008 15:46 We’ve already seen it in the November 2008 issue of CAR, but Paris marked the motor show debut of the Mini Crossover Concept – a pumped-up four-wheel drive Mini that goes on sale in 2009. As journalists crammed together in what looked like a trendy nightclub, a video of two Chemical Brother-style hipsters driving the Crossover through a warehouse played behind the covered over concept before – ta-da! – some heavily tattooed type swung down from the rafters to remove the covers and reveal the actual pair inside the actual car.

Call for stronger penalties for texting drivers

DRIVERS convicted of causing death by dangerous driving should be given stronger and more consistent penalties, according to road safety charity the Institute of Advanced Motorists has said. An IAM analysis of eleven recent prosecutions involving mobile and smartphone use revealed that the average sentence for causing death by dangerous driving is four-and-a-half years in prison and a disqualification from driving for seven years. In all of the cases analysed, the convicted drivers were found to have lost their concentration due to using their mobile phone.

Renault Fluence Z.E.

Honoring its 2009 Frankfurt motor show pledge to offer EV's by 2012, Renault has announced the Fluence Z.E., which will soon be offered alongside its conventionally-powered sibling. In making its transition to EV, the Fluence has undergone several changes; the most obvious being the battery pack which dictated an increase in the car's overall length. The extended rear quarter panels, which equate to the 130mm growth, add a sizeable visual weight to the rear of the car.