J4 Johnson Evinrude Outboard 50hp 4-stroke Powerhead (1357) 5031288 on 2040-parts.com

Nissan Extrem SUV concept (2012) first official pictures

Nissan is looking to bring a splash of colour and outlandish design to Brazil's streets with their latest creation: the Extrem SUV concept. It's an eye-grabbing response to the 'more affordable locally produced vehicles, which tend to be conservative in design, colour and specification', according to company Senior Vice President Shiro Nakamura. What niche does the Nissan Extrem fall into? If the love-it-or-hate-it Nissan Juke is the marque's jacked-up supermini crossover, the Extrem is the rakish, sportier version of that: a sort of X6 to the Juke's X5, if you will.

Scottsdale auction results: Video wrap-ups recount total sales

Now that the 2012 Scottsdale collector-car auctions in Arizona have come to a close, our friends at Hagerty Insurance have wrapped up all the numbers from the auctions in their latest edition of “Hagerty Classic Car TV.” In this episode, host Rob Sass, author Colin Comer and publisher Dave Kinney explore the 2012 sales figures and take a closer look at some of the more memorable vehicles, including a 1948 Tucker Torpedo and a 1955 Mercedes-Benz 300SL alloy Gullwing. Check out the video for all the details.

Call for reform over road repair funding

FUNDING patterns mean most road maintenance is being carried out in "less-efficient, cold and wet" times, a report from a Government spending watchdog has said. The current pattern of funding, combined with the need to spend money within the financial year, means that most maintenance work goes on between September and March, said the report from the National Audit Office (NAO). It went on: "Although this is less disruptive for road users, it is less efficient than carrying out the work at other times of year because materials can be more difficult to handle in cold and wet conditions, and daylight hours are shorter." The report went on: "As a result of the additional funding for emergency repairs, which is made available at the end of the financial year, almost all highways authorities need extra capacity from the market at the same time, which makes it less likely that they will get value for money." The NAO report said there was a "lack of predictability" over road spending adding that historically, local highway authorities spent more revenue on maintenance, but were now carrying out fewer routine activities such as clearing gullies which are essential to preventing water seeping into roads' sub-structure.