K&n Panel 24" X 19-5/8" 1-1/2"h 38-0737 on 2040-parts.com

Euro NCAP finds quadricycles had “severe safety problems”

Euro NCAP has branched out from cars and crash tested a small selection of “heavy quadricycles”  – small, four-wheeled vehicles that were originally developed from motorcycles that are sometimes also known as microcars, and don’t come under the usual car regulations. Although legal for use on the road, these machines do not need to achieve the same rigorous crash test safety standards as ordinary cars. But they are increasingly seen as a fuel-efficient urban transportation alternative, and some of them can be driven teenagers as young as 16.

Alfa Romeo 4C

The production version of the Alfa Romeo 4C will make its debut at next month's Geneva motor show, two years after the concept appeared. Largely unchanged from the prototype, the 4C retains its mid-engined layout, short and wide proportions (less than 4,000mm long, 2,000mm wide, 1,180mm high and a 2,400mm wheelbase) and broadly similar surfacing. The changes appear to be more focused around productionized details.

2013 Audi S3 – Paris debut

Audi has revealed the new S3 with a 296bhp 2.0 litre direct injection engine which will debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. The new Audi S3 – which will bow in at next week’s 2012 Paris Motor Sow – will join the new 5-door A3 Sportback on Audi’s stand at Paris and lay down a firm marker for Audi’s share of the market. The new S3 gets a new 2.0 litre direct injection engine - part of Audi’s EA888 engine range – to go with its new underpinning using the same MQB platform as the latest A3 range, making the new S3 both lighter and more powerful.