Wiesmann at 2009 Frankfurt motor show

By Tom Sharpe First Official Pictures 18 September 2009 14:25 German sports car manufacturer Wiesmann chose the 2009 Frankfurt motor show to unveil its BMW M5-engined Roadster MF5. Yes - there's been no special tuning or trickery here. With the same 500bhp 5.0-litre V10 as an M5 Wiesmann likens the Roadster MF5 to a wild animal.

Opel Trixx concept for the Geneva Motor Show

Opel/Vauxhall has released first details of the Trixx small car concept to be shown at the Geneva Motor Show next month. Martin Smith, Opel/Vauxhall executive director of design, says: "Trixx shows our vision of an innovative, ultra-compact car in the three-metre-class, with an expressive, exciting design, and meets a variety of mobility requirements with its clever, highly versatile interior concept." Trixx has an inflatable rear seat, sliding electric doors, and a push-button roof hatch that allows it to carry extra-long objects upright. The versatile car can carry up to three adults and a child, and as a one-seater it turns into a substantial load carrier.

Campaign to tackle used car faults

A NEW INITIATIVE by the Trading Standards Institute (TSI) to help the public avoid the dangers of buying a used car has been launched. It comes after research by the TSI that shows a half of all used cars show up with a fault within a month of being bought by a new owner. In the past 12 months, the TSI has received 84,000 complaints about used cars.