Kma 20 Tso on 2040-parts.com

Mandelson to announce help for car makers

Lord Mandelson is the man charged with finding ways to fund UK Car purchases (yes, he of the dodgy mortgage debacle – at least he should know a few tricks!) as the credit crunch has dried up funding, leading to an unprecedented drop in new car sales in the UK. Mandelson is due to make a statement in the Lords just after 3pm today, outlining the help the government is going to offer to ailing car makers. Central to this package is expected to be a funding channel directly from the Bank of England to inject liquidity in to the car financing sector.

New Renault Twingo revealed – debuts at Geneva

The new Renault Twingo revealed The new Renault Twingo has been revealed a little earlier than Renault planned with a single group photo of the new Twingo (above) after first images leaked on to the Interwebs, and Renault are promising a proper set of photos later (we’ll update then). The new Twingo takes its cues from the recent Renault Twinz Concept and is underpinned by the same rear-engined, rear-wheel-drive platform as the next generation SMART ForFour. Both the new Twingo and the new ForFour will use the same range of 3-cylinder engines complete with either a manual or dual-clutch auto ‘box, and the Twingo comes with a front end that looks like the rest of the latest Renault range and will be available in both three and five-door options.

Honda Accord hybrid unintended-acceleration claim under review

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened a preliminary investigation into whether some Honda hybrid vehicles are prone to unintended acceleration. The federal auto safety regulator said Monday it had agreed to look into a complaint stemming from a fatal July 2005 crash. The driver of a 2005 Honda Accord Hybrid said she was driving over rumble strips on the side of a freeway when she tried to apply the brakes.