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OFFICIAL: Alfa Romeo 4C laps the Nurburgring in 8:04s

The Alfa Romeo 4C (pictured) laps the Nurburgring in 8:04s We wouldn’t normally report on a car lapping the Nurburgring in around 8 minutes; after all, the Nurburgring lap record for a full production car is sub-7 minutes, so 8 minutes seems almost a stroll. But the lap time round the Nurburgring for the Alfa Romeo 4C is worthy of note because it’s a new lap record for a production car with less than 250bhp, and puts the Alfa 4C very much on the map as a performance car. We’d heard rumours a few weeks ago that Horst von Saurma has managed the impressive time in the 4C round the Nurburgring, but Alfa has now confirmed the time – with the 4C shod with road-legal Pirelli Zero Trofeo tyres – was completed on 23rd September 2013.

Lotus gets a new boss – former Citroen Peugeot President Jean-Marc Gales

Jean-Marc Gales left) new Lotus CEO with Aslam Farikullah Following the debacle of Dany Bahar’s grandiose plans to turn Lotus in to a cross between Aston Martin and Ferrari, owners DRB-HICOM/Proton have been busy trying to get ship Lotus back on an even keel. That started with the appointment of engineer Aslam Farikullah as chief operating officer at Lotus when Bahar got his marching orders, and he’s been busy for the last two years bolting Lotus back together, cutting costs, improving quality and increasing sales. Now, it looks like Lotus are readying themselves for the next stage of their recovery – which will include new models – as former PSA president Jean-Marc Gales is appointed as Lotus CEO to work with Aslam Farikullah.

Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer estate (2010) unveiled

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 16 June 2010 00:01 Vauxhall has slid the covers off the new Astra Sports Tourer – a mini-me, shrunken Insignia estate for less money. The two share plenty of character and were both penned under GM Europe's design boss, Mark Adams.Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer: the lowdownThe new 2010 Astra estate puts the ultimate accent on cool looks over practicality, and its vital stats suggest it's a bit of a slouch in the sofa-shifting game. The 2685mm wheelbase is identical to the hatchback's, so the boot space stands at 500 litres, only 30 litres more than the hatch with the seats up.FlexFold (optional on lower models) lets you flop each 60:40 split rear seat down at the press of a button; stow all the rear seats flat and boot space soars to a more acceptable 1550 litres.