Wiseco 2457m08100 Pro-lite Piston Kit on 2040-parts.com

The fall and rise of the budget car

Twenty years ago, the classic bargain brands like Lada seemed to be going the same way as the Soviet empire that spawned them. Woefully dated and badly made, only a weirdo would have bought a new Lada rather than a second-hand model from Ford, Vauxhall or VW. However, one of the big trends in the car industry today is the re-emergence of bargain cars.

2013 Bentley Mulsanne get even more sybaritic

The 2013 Bentley Mulsanne (2014 MY) comes complete with added luxury and new technology and debuts at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. With the Mulsanne being Bentley’s flagship model, and pretender to the luxury crown held by its former sibling, Bentley are working hard to make the 2013 Mulsanne (2014 in the US) an even more luxurious and relevant choice for the modern plutocrat, with a range of additional luxury appointments and options and some new technology. We can’t really call the 2013 Mulsanne a facelift, because you’d have to look really hard to see any exterior changes (unless they have one of the new Mulsanne paint jobs - Dark Cashmere, Portofino and Damson) but there are tweaks and optional extra goodies on the inside.

Robert Kidder, former Duracell chief, to head new Chrysler as chairman

Business consultant Robert Kidder is set to become the new chairman of Chrysler Group when it emerges from bankruptcy. Kidder, 64, will replace Bob Nardelli, who was hired in 2007 after Daimler sold Chrysler to private equity group Cerberus. A new board of directors, to be formed after bankruptcy, will hire a new CEO for Chrysler.