03 Deville Steering Column Column Shift Base W/o Active Brake Control on 2040-parts.com

European Car of the Year shortlist 2010

The shortlist of entries for the 2010 European Car of the Year award were announced today. No doubt bound to cause controversy with our readers, the cars which made it onto this year’s seven-strong shortlist are: • Citroën C3 Picasso• Mercedes-Benz E-class• Opel/Vauxhall Astra• Peugeot 3008• Skoda Yeti• Toyota iQ• Volkswagen Polo Chosen by automotive journalists from all over Europe, the competition will come to a close at the end of the year when an all-out winner is announced. Vauxhall took top honours in 2009's contest, with its Insignia stealing top spot from Ford’s new Fiesta by a single point.

Hennessey Venom GT hits new, unofficial, speed record (video)

The Hennessey Venom GT (pictured) hist 270.49mph on a NASA runway Top speed records for production cars is starting to seem pretty irrelevant as there’s almost nowhere an owner can ever hope to hit those record speeds. And the performance of cars like the new McLaren P1 – where  performance and handling are much more the focus than outright top speed – has added the the irrelevance. But that doesn’t stop some car makers aiming for the bragging rights of the world’s fastest production car, and John Hennessey and his Hennessey Venom GT are back with another claim on the title.

Ford's young driver training proves a hit

FORD'S new young driver training programme, dubbed Ford Driving Skills for Life, has proved an instant hit with the first two sessions being substantially oversubscribed. Over 500 applications were made for the 300 free places available at Excel in London and the Trafford Centre in Manchester, and the participants aged between 17 and 24 received tips and guidance in the controlled environment of a purpose-built track. Manchester University student, Ryan Harrison, who took part in the free driver training, said: “I’ve learned so much today, especially in the skid car, learning what I’ve done wrong in the past without realising it and where to put my hands on the wheel.