99 Jaguar Xj8 L. Rear Inner Door Panel on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes Viano Vision Diamond – the Maybach of vans

Mercedes Viano Vision Diamond Mercedes-Benz has revealed the Viano Vision Diamond at Beijing, a utilitarian Mercedes van with the interior of a Maybach. The Maybach brand didn’t do Mercedes any favours, with German glitterballs proving no match for British (oh, alright, German-ish) understated elegance in the Rolls Royce Phantom. Maybach has now been re-consigned to the dustbin of history and likely only ever to be seen as a badge to denote the glitziest model in the next S Class range.

Audi S1 & S1 Sportback revealed with 228bhp (+video)

The Audi S1 has been revealed (S1 Sportback pictured) Audi has been threatening a quattro driven A 1 as a full production model ever since the limited edition A1 Quattro arrived two years ago with 252bhp and a very big price tag. An now we get it. The new Audi S1 has been revealed ahead of a debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month, and it gets quattro 4WD just like the A1 Quattro, even if it has to make do with less power – the S1 delivers 228bhp and 237lb/ft of torque from its 2.0 litre turbo – that’s less bhp but more torque than the A1 quattro managed.

Insurance changes to make shopping around easier

DRIVERS renewing their car insurance could find it easier to shop around or haggle for a discount under new proposals set out by insurers. The Association of British Insurers (ABI) said it has written to the City regulator, suggesting that new minimum standards of information should be set across the market. The standards would mean that renewal documents for motor and home buildings and contents insurance would include the premium that the customer started the year paying alongside their renewal quote, so that they could be compared more easily.