Longacre Racing Tire Pyrometer on 2040-parts.com

Lexus CT200h (2011): UK prices, spec announced

Lexus has revealed prices for its new CT200h - and they're pretty punchy. The base CT200h clocks in at £23,485, rising to a startling £30,635 for the SE-L Premier. Lexus says it's the first sporty hybrid, but can the new CT really woo drivers out of their cheaper Audis and BMWs?  The CT200h is aimed squarely at the A3 and 1-series, but comes with just one drivetrain for now. The Lexus uses Prius hardware, so there's a 1.8-litre petrol mated to an electric motor to produce 134bhp - enough for the 1420kg CT200h to hit 62mph in 10.3sec.

Aston Martin V12 Vantage – US bound

The spectacular Aston Martin V12 Vantage is US bound But Aston Martin had a response to the harm the V12 Vantage may inflict on other Astons – it limited the run. We were told that just 1,000 V12 Vantages were going to be made. But it looks like that may be about to change after Aston boss – Dr Ulrich Bez – revealed in an interview with Car & Driver that the V12 Vantage is in the process of being homologated for the US.

Call to cut school run car journeys

A 10% CUT in school run car journeys would boost Britain's economy by around £46 million a year, a sustainable transport charity has claimed. Sustrans, which is calling on the Government to formally recognise the right of every child to be able to walk or cycle to school safely, estimates that ferrying children to school by car accounts for 24% of peak time traffic. Using Department for Transport modelling to calculate the financial drain on business caused by rush-hour congestion, Sustrans estimated that a 14% reduction in car use for school runs would take 167,000 vehicles off the road with an annual "saving" of £66.2 million.