Walker 53465 Exhaust Pipe on 2040-parts.com

Government To Call Time On Tax Disc

THE HUMBLE tax disc is set to become a thing of the past, with Chancellor George Osborne planning to shake up the way we tax our vehicles as part of his Autumn Statement announcement. After more than 90 years affixed to British motorists' cars, the tax disc is to be scrapped and replaced with a modern electronic system. For the first time motorists will also be able to pay for their vehicle excise duty (VED) by monthly direct debit, although this will cost an extra 5%.

Toyota revamps Yaris line-up for 2014

Toyota has revamped its Yaris line-up and announced that the 1.4-litre diesel now has lower emissions – meaning it gets free road tax. The Yaris will now also come in a choice of four new trim levels: Active, Icon, Icon Plus and Trend. The Active and Icon replace the T2 and Tr, while Trend becomes the new top-of-the-range model.

Tomorrow's world: the touchscreen steering wheel

You might think the steering wheel has done a pretty good job of directing cars for the past century. But now a team of researchers from the University of Stuttgart is attempting to reinvent the wheel. The scientists have come up with a touchscreen steering wheel, which they reckon could replace the humble wheel with stereo and cruise controls.