Maserati refreshes Quattroporte

By Ben Whitworth First Official Pictures 24 June 2008 08:51 Maserati has given its Quattroporte a mid-life refresh and a power boost. The new flagship Quattroporte S borrows the 424bhp 4.7-litre V8 from the GranTurismo S, while the standard Quattroporte retains the existing 393bhp 4.2-litre engine from before, with both hooked up to the ZF six-speed automatic transmission introduced two years ago. No, fortunately Maserati has decided not to tamper with the Quattroporte’s styling – five years and 15,000 sales from launch and the Pininfarina-penned saloon still looks superb.

Nissan at the Paris motor show 2008

By Ben Pulman Motor Shows 02 October 2008 09:51 A genuine (and exciting) surprise from Nissan in the shape of its Nuvu concept car. This cool little city car’s name literally translates as ‘new view’ and it’s Nissan’s view of urban transportation in 2015. Think of it as the company’s electric rival to the Toyota iQ.

Fans get chance to drive with Top Gear's The Stig

FANS OF BBC hit Top Gear will be able to experience the white-knuckle thrill of spinning round the programme's test track driven by The Stig, as well as driving laps themselves. The corporation's commercial arm BBC Worldwide is allowing viewers to be in the driving - or passenger - seat by launching a series of high-speed attractions at Dunsfold Park in Surrey, at which the programme is filmed. They can follow in the tyre tracks of celebrities such as Tom Cruise or Benedict Cumberbatch by trying out the "star in a reasonably priced car" course in a Kia Cee'd, just like those used on the BBC2 programme under the eye of a professional driver.