Yamaha 6g8-41661-00-98 Bracket on 2040-parts.com

Philip Hammond: Winter Tyres are no good in the UK. Wrong.

Philip Hammond drops a clanger on Winter Tyres Throughout all of last year’s snow we lost count of the number of times we were asked if winter tyres were a good idea. You see, winter tyres are not something the Brits know much about. Ask most UK drivers what a winter tyre is and they have visions of something bordering on a James Bond special with spikes to get a grip.

More on Alfa Romeo's rear-drive strategy

The revised Alfa Romeo plan that Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne is expected to announce next April focuses on a new, still unnamed rear-wheel- and all-wheel-drive architecture. A key aim of the new plan is to boost Alfa's global presence. "With our current segment coverage and our geographical footprint, we compete in about 5 percent of the global market," Alfa's European boss, Louis-Carl Vignon, said in an interview.

Vauxhall Ampera: Try for 30 days – and then give it back

Vauxhall are offering buyers of the range extender Ampera the chance to buy risk free for 30 days and return the Ampera. So in an effort to get more car buyers looking seriously at the Vauxhall Ampera range-extender, Vauxhall have come up with a scheme to allow Ampera buyers to grab a new Ampera, try it for 30 days and then give it back if they don’t get on with it. It’s a clever scheme, because the Ampera is a good car.