Standard/t-series Ss598t Solenoid Starter on 2040-parts.com

New Volkswagen Golf is European Car of the Year

The new Volkswagen Golf Mk 7 is the European Car of the year for 2013, polling twice as many votes as the second place Toyota GT86 (and Subaru BRZ). Last year we had the Vauxhall Ampera voted as European Car of the Year, a verdict we called ‘Completely Stupid’. And in 2011 it was the Nissan LEAF that took the Car of the Year Gong.

BMW i3 EV WILL get BMW motorcycle engine as range extender

BMW’s head of R&D, Herbert Diess, has confirmed the BMW i3 EV will come with the option of a range extender engine. BMW’s head of R&D, Herbert Diess, has confirmed to Automotive News that when the i3 arrives in BMW showrooms at the end of 2013 it will be offered with a range extending engine as well as a pure EV. The range extender engine will be housed in the boot and is derived from a BMW motorcycle engine, and will turn the i3 from a small EV, useful only in confined city environs with a range of around 40 miles, in to a small runaround that has a range of 250 miles.

So which is your greatest performance car?

CAR took eight of 2010's best sports cars to France to test for the best in our Performance Car Of The Year test. After six days, 2500 miles and much toil (honestly), we anointed the Ferrari 458 Italia as the finest performance car of last year. But do you agree with the result?