Pem 29.5 Solid Axle Wide 5 31 Spline W529531 on 2040-parts.com

Fiat 500 Coupe Zagato gets green light

Fiat 500 Coupe Zagato to go in to production When we counted up the number of cars that appeared at the Geneva Motor Show this year it came to over 200. Not all the cars were new arrivals and many were a bit dull. But one we did miss was this rather appealing Concept Fiat 500 – the Fiat 500 Coupe Zagato – which is not just a Zagato take on the 500 but an entirely new Fiat 500 shape – the 500 Coupe.

London Taxi maker Manganese Bronze bought by China’s Geely

China automotive giant Geely has bought Manganese Bronze – makers of the iconic London Black Cab – in an £11.04 million deal. The iconic London Black Cab has been an accident waiting to happen for years, as under investment in making the Black Cab fit for the 21st century saw competition – like the Mercedes Vito Taxi and the Nissan NV200 Cab – start to offer serious competition to the taxi that identifies London. Despite an investment by China’s Geely – when Geely bought 20 per cent of Manganese Bronze, makers of the Black Cab – and the bulk of the Black Cab being produced in China and bolted together in the Midlands, the final nail in the coffin for Manganese Bronze was the recall of 400 TX4 cabs over a steering fault.

Hyundai i30 3-Door looks good: Paris 2012

The public debut of the slightly racy looking Hyundai i30 3-Door at the Paris 2012 shows it to be a convincing looking car. Sleeker and more sporty looking than its five door sibling, the 3-door i30 (we’ve said it before, it should be i30 Coupe) offers all the well-built, well thought out and decent looks of the 5-door version, but with a bit more panache. What it’s crying out for, though, is something a bit more interesting under the bonnet and the option of some nice alloys and a few subtle body modifications; perhaps a small spoiler at the back, some subtly bigger sills, more butch bumpers and a small ride height drop?