Raybestos 580387r Front Disc Brake Rotor on 2040-parts.com

Subaru XV gets a price cut – down by £1300 on 1.6 litre versions

It wasn’t a bad starting point for an able mid-sized crossover – a high-riding Impreza, in all but name –  but it wasn’t the cheapest offering in the class. But now, with the Yen being a bit kinder to Japanese car makers, Subaru has decided to nudge the price a bit lower to start the XV range off below £20k for the first time. The price drop for the XV only applies to the 1.6 litre petrol versions, but you can now get the entry-level XV 1.6i S for a more affordable £19,995 rising to £23,415 for the XV 1.6i SE with the Lineartronic gearbox, reductions across the range of £1300.

Who's Where: Stephane Schwarz appointed Zagato design director

Stephane Schwarz has joined Milanese design house Zagato as its design director. Born in Switzerland, raised in France and educated in Italy, Schwarz is perhaps best known for his time as Nissan Design Europe design director. He first worked with the illustrious, family-run company in September last year before recently taking up his new, full-time role.

Top Gear in Italy with Aventador, McLaren MP4-12C & Noble M600 + video

Top Gear in Lecce filming a supercar piece We already know that Top Gear’s Christmas Special is in India this year, so the video showing the Top Gear team filming in Lecce, Italy, with the Lamborghini Aventador, McLaren MP4-12C and Noble M600 must be for the new series of Top Gear, which kicks off on January 12th 2012. Lecce is an historic Italian city in the south east of Italy, full of Baroque architecture, tracing its history back to the Greeks and is probably most famous for its ‘Lecce Stone’, a soft and malleable limestone ideal for sculpting. None of which really matters to Messrs Clarkson, Hammond and May, although it does provide a stunning backdrop for an equally stunning set of supercars.