Raymarine St8002 Smartpilot Autopilot Control Head on 2040-parts.com

Volkswagen iBeetle takes iPhone integration to another level

When we’re all walking round with Smartphones that possess the sort of computing power only a major desktop could offer just a few years ago, it makes sense for car makers to tap in to that power to control functionality and Infotainment in their cars. Which is why Volkswagen has rolled out the iBeetle at this week’s Shanghai Motor Show with a level of integration with Smartphones from Apple, and that previews a roll-out of Apple integration from VW, offering far more functionality and control than we’ve seen before. Or at least that’s the VW claim.

Pagani Huayra sets Top Gear lap record and places marker for McLaren P1

The Pagani Huyra set a stunning record time on the Top Gear track last week and in the process laid down a marker for the new McLaren P1. The return of Top Gear at the weekend for Series 19 saw Richard Hammond get to grips with the Pagani Huayra – successor to his beloved Zonda – and after a thoroughly positive test drive Hammond handed over to the Stig to take the Huayra round the Top Gear track. In the hands of the Stig, the 6.0 litre V12 AMG engine with 730 horses powered the Huayra to a time of just 1:13.8, beating the previous record for a production car, held by the Ariel Atom V8, by a sizeable 1.3 seconds.

Alfa MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde: World record for soggy rubber

Alfa MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde World Record Balloon Bursting The Alfa MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde has broken the world record for bursting balloons filled with water in a car – 2,738 balloons. There was a time, when Guinness World Records were new and fascinating, that there was a world record for every daft idea you could think of. And there still is (even though most are bored by pointless world records now), and one of them is now held by the Alfa MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde.