Fj40 Toyota Land Cruiser 4 Speed Shift Boot 1973-1982 on 2040-parts.com

Volvo XC60 (2008): first official pictures

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 19 February 2008 12:10 Volvo has finally sanctioned official shots of the XC60 – a junior version of the XC90 SUV that has helped turn around the fortunes of the Swedish company. Yes, it’s another crossover entering an increasingly congested marketplace, but Volvo hopes this one will appeal to buyers wanting the versatility of a 4x4 without the heft. Key points worth noticing are the Swedes’ gently evolving design – this is the first model developed under Steve Mattin’s watch as design director.

MINI: Meet the MINI Family Video

MINI sends us a 2011 family video Many moan that MINI has become a parody under BMW, but the truth is that it’s just become an enormous success with BMW doing what BL tried to do a generation ago – and failed. BL failed to grow and develop the Mini beyond the 1960s, although it had success in the ’60s with badge-engineered Minis (Riley Elf, Wolsely Hornet), Mini Coopers and Countrymans, and even a grown-up Mini – the Austin/Morris 1100. So BMW are really only carrying on what BL did in the ’60s, just in spades.

Don't get caught on car hire 'slippery slope'

'DO IT YOURSELF' holidays are generally seen as a cheaper version of what can be steeply priced and inflexible package deals, particularly in the notoriously expensive ski market. But experts are warning that skiers who make their own way to the slopes this winter, instead of buying a package with transfers included, could be hit by hefty charges for car hire at the airport. According to iCarhireinsurance.com, a specialist insurer, some skiers hiring cars for New Year breaks could pay for their hire car twice over because of added 'extras'.