Doomed Saturns, Hummers make assembly-line curtain calls

Two doomed General Motors brands--Saturn and Hummer--are getting their last hurrahs on the assembly line. GM assembled 1,037 Saturn Outlooks last month after not making any Saturns since October. “We are building out a few Saturns to utilize existing material,” GM spokeswoman Kim Carpenter said.

Petrol cars twice as likely to fail MOT on emissions

The latest MOT test data shows that 26.2% of all cars tested fail on excess exhaust emissions – and surprisingly petrol cars fail more than twice as often as diesels in this part of the annual roadworthiness test. According to the official Vehicle Operator and Standard Agency (VOSA) figures, which cover all of 2010 and the first nine months of 2011, 9.7% of petrol cars failed to meet MOT emissions standards compared to just 3.9% of diesels. On Bing: see pictures of the MOT test Find out how much a used car with 12 months MOT costs on Auto Trader The analysis has been carried out by fuel additive “provider” Redex, which naturally has an interest in the findings, since its products are designed to breakdown engine deposits and improve efficiency.

Mercedes at 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed – includes SLS AMG Black Series debut

The Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series (pictured) debuts at 2013 Goodwood FoS In case you hadn’t noticed, it’s the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend and car makers are out in force with their fastest supercars and classics. Mercedes always offer a decent show at Goodwood and this year is no different, with the UK dynamic debut for the Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series, which will be strutting its stuff all weekend up the hillclimb. At the other end of the performance range, the Mercedes A45 AMG is also in action showing the crowds just what 360bhp in a compact hatch can do with its runs up the hillclimb.