2003 Ford Escape Donnelley Rearview Mirror on 2040-parts.com

June sales get a pick-me-up from pickups

If there's a bright spot in June's tepid light-vehicle sales, it came from an unlikely segment. After slumping for several years as the economy tanked and gas prices spiked, pickup demand is rising faster than the overall sales gains of most automakers--serving as a pillar once again during the industry's fledgling recovery. And most of the buyers returning to showrooms are pickup enthusiasts, automakers say.

Volkswagen BlueMotion at Frankfurt

The new VW BlueMotion versions of the Polo, Golf & Passat will be at Frankfurt this month The most efficient of the BlueMotion models is – hardly surprising – the new Polo Bluemotion. The Polo emits just 87g/km CO2 and manages to travel at least 870 miles on a tank of juice., averaging as it does 85.6 mpg. The new 1.2 litre three pot common rail diesel in the Polo produces 74bhp which is driven through a fibe speed manual ‘box and features stop-start and longer gearing.

Top Gear Tonight: Alfa 8C Disco Volante, Mercedes G63 AMG 6×6, Caterhams & SAIRPC Jack Whitehall

Richard Hammond drives the Mercedes G 63 AMG 6×6 on tonight’s Top Gear Believe it or not, tonight’s episode of Top Gear – episode 3 of series 21 – see us already more than half way through the new series. So far we’ve had a bit of a poor opening episode, a cracking second episode with the McLaren P1 and Alfa 4C and a so-so third in the series with the seemingly fragile Zenvo ST1 and a road trip to the Ukraine in small hatches. But tonight’s  episode looks very promising with a bonkers SUV from Mercedes, a custom-built Alfa from Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera and a pair of Caterhams – one from each end of the Caterham range.