New Bosch Throttle Housing Accelerator, 30711554 on 2040-parts.com

SEAT hints at new Nurburgring lap record

Repeated references to the Nurburgring during the press conference at the launch of the new SEAT Leon Cupra strongly suggest that the 280hp hot hatch has broken the front-wheel drive lap record. SEAT is waiting until the 2014 Geneva Motor Show before saying any more, but has already hinted that its new Leon Cupra is significantly faster than the current Renaultsport Megane record holder. On Bing: see pictures of the new SEAT Leon Cupra at the Nurburgring SEAT Leon Cupra and Cupra 280 review (2014 onwards) To set a new front-wheel drive production car record on the Nordschleife, the SEAT Leon Cupra would have to lap the 13-mile circuit – actually a public toll road that now plays a vital part in new car development – in less than 8 minutes and 7.97 seconds.

Driven: BMW 5 Series GT

It's an illustration of the place London has become that it's typically possible to park brand new or exotic cars on an average street and be met with studied indifference by the average passer by. So why, during a week of driving a BMW 5 Series GT, were we made to feel so conspicuous? Every time we parked in a busy area, at least one stranger felt the need to remark, usually to tell us how ugly they thought it was.

Maserati’s 50,000 sales target starting to look possible

22,500 sales so far in 2013 from Maserati, thanks to cars like the Ghibli (pictured) When Sergio Marchionne revealed in 2011 that he wanted Maserati sales to hit 50,000 a year by 2015, we were all very sceptical. After all, Maserati were only managing fewer than 6,000 sales a year at that time, so a target of 50,000 a year seemed mad. But it’s starting to look a distinct possibility.