Harley Davidson Softail Fender Extension on 2040-parts.com

Mercedes S 500 Plug-In Hybrid price & specs – costs from £87,965

The Mercedes S500 Plug-in Hybrid arrives in the UK It’s more than a year since the Mercedes S500 Plug-in Hybrid was revealed, and now it’s finally going on sale in the UK and, if your pockets are deep enough, it offers a perfect ‘cake and eat it’ car. Under the skin there’s a 3.0 litre V6 biturbo delivering 329bhp and an electric motor adding a further 116bhp which together give the S500 Plug-in the ability to blat to 62mph in just 5.2 seconds but return official economy of 100.9 mpg and emissions of a measly 65g/km. That combination means that you won’t have to pay Boris to drive through London, and your BIK rate will be a very modest 5 per cent, making the S500 plug-in Hybrid a perfect choice for every board member in the country currently paying 35 per cent on their petrol S500, BMW 7 Series or Audi A8.

Ford and GM reliability ratings dip in Consumer Reports survey

Consumers rated Ford's new Explorer, Fiesta and Focus models at less-than-average reliability during their first year, according to Consumer Reports' annual auto survey. Poor reception of the new models bumped Ford's overall reliability rank from the 10th spot in 2010 to the 20th this year among the 28 major nameplates included in the survey. Findings are based on responses from 1.3 million vehicle owners or lessees who subscribe to the magazine.

Fines for middle-lane hogs from this Friday

Motoring Research New fixed penalties for careless driving – including needlessly hogging the middle-lane of the motorway – come into force on Friday 16 August. According to the AA, almost a third of British motorists could be at risk of picking up a £100 fine and three penalty points for this under the new rules. So it has come up with some top tips for driving on the motorway, to help us all out.