2001 Nissan Pathfinder Navigation on 2040-parts.com

UK car production slumps, state help sought

By Digby Fullam Motor Industry 21 November 2008 14:30 The full effect of the downturn in the global economy is being felt by the UK motor industry, new figures out today reveal. Car production at British factories fell by 29.5% from October 2007's figure.  That makes it the worst October production figures since 1991 which, if you’ll cast your mind back, was the last recession. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders blamed the slump on 'a rapid reduction in demand for motor vehicles.' It’s not just us Brits that aren’t buying cars, either.

CAR Magazine South Africa launches ‘Design a Car’ competition

CAR Magazine in South Africa has announced its ‘Design a Car' competition, in an attempt to encourage aspiring South African designers. Entrants are asked to submit designs for a compact, environmentally friendly four-seater Jaguar that stays true to the brand's premium/sporty image for market introduction in 2015. Luma, the digital content creation company, will turn the winning design into a three-dimensional animation and it will also feature in a short promo film with a vehicle designed by CAR's own staff.

Volvo S60 DRIVe & V60 DRIVe launch

The Volvo V60 DRIVe This week we’re out playing with a Volvo DRIVe model, although our car is the S40 DRIVe. DRIVe models are Volvo’s push at all things green (or all things blue if you’re German) and take a regular Volvo and eco the bejesus out of it with stuff like stop-start, low rolling resistance tyres and the plethora of eco-toys car makers use to make the headline economy and emissions unbelievable. The result is a Volvo that drives pretty much the same as any Volvo but which can – as long as you play the eco-driving game – run almost on fresh air, and because cars like this are designed to hit emissions targets on official cycles, they’re also good on stuff like VED and BIK. And if the S40 DRIVe we’ve got this week is anything to go by, you can still drive with enthusiasm and enjoy it as long as you don’t mind the economy suffering.