Motorcycle Helmets on 2040-parts.com

Aston Martins voted 'best status symbol'

AN ASTON Martin is the car to be seen driving if you want people to believe you've 'made it', according to an offbeat new study. Research carried out by Auto Trader among 1,024 drivers showed that the British brand's cars are, perhaps unsurprisingly, the ones that most Brits think highest of, beating the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini and Bentley down the order. In fact, the top three positions in the survey were filled by British car makers, with Bentley and Rolls Royce second and third respectively.

Car manufacturing halted in Japan

Nissan cars awaiting export wrecked by Tsunami In the wake of the devastating earthquake and Tsunami that struck Japan last week, the domestic car industry has ground to a halt. Honda, Toyota, Nissan and Mitsubishi have all now said they are halting all production until at least Wednesday in order to allow time to address damage, and to allow staff to make contact with family in affected areas. But it’s not just the damage to plants that’s the problem.

Audi A7 Sportback (2010) first official pictures

This is the new Audi A7 Sportback, a sleek hatchback designed to take on the next-generation Mercedes CLS and the forthcoming BMW Gran Coupe. It’s a bigger brother to the already established A5 Sportback, and underneath the five-door skin is the same platform that will underpin next year’s more sedate A6 saloon. Audi claims the A7 Sportback offers the sporty elegance of a coupe, the comfort of a sedan and the practicality of an estate, though if you just want either of the last two an A6 saloon and Avant based on the same platform will appear in 2011.