Simrad/robertson Auto Pilot on 2040-parts.com

New Peugeot 208 production cut as sales disappoint

Peugeot is cutting back on production of the new 208 as its sales fail to reach expectations, just six months on from launch. It’s not enough when Europe is ion the midst of an economic crisis and car buyers are polarised between ‘budget’ cars that offer more for less than mainstream offerings and ‘Premium’ models that are bought on the back of a preconceived notion of more kudos. That leaves car makers like Peugeot (and Renault, Citroen, Vauxhall, Ford, Opel, Fiat…) between a rock and a hard place, unable – or unwilling – to compete with the offerings from Korea and saddled with a brand that doesn’t have the ‘class’ of an Audi or a BMW or a Mercedes or even a VW.

Concept Car of the Week: Cadillac Voyage (1988)

Once a symbol of America's most luxurious automobiles, Cadillac's image had begun to wane by the mid-1980s, and not even the Pininfarina-designed and built two-seater Allante was enough to excavate the brand's long gone leadership. In an effort to take Cadillac onto the global stage, engineers and the team of designers led by Chuck Jordan began working on the Voyage concept, a rolling laboratory with visionary styling and innovative technology. It was unveiled in 1988 at a technological exhibition in New York thus highlighting that rather than a stylist's dream come true, it was a very serious study towards aerodynamic, performance, handling, comfort and efficiency in an age when automated superhighways would allow fast, safe inter-State travel.

Uber smartphone app to take over taxi market?

A new smartphone app called Uber is threatening to put the traditional taxi out of business. The smartphone software allows users to ‘order’ a private car, connecting passengers with regular drivers willing to hire out their vehicles. However, these aren’t taxis… On Bing: see pictures of Uber Wifi hotspots for London’s black cabs Uber originally began in San Francisco in 2009, with users able to book and reserve a car driven by a regular member of the public for journeys via text message or the dedicated smartphone app.