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True, the organiser...

True, the organiser of the event, the Society of Motor Manufactures and Traders (SMMT), has tried to make it more appealing by moving it to the spring. But the truth is the change hasn"t worked. Nor, I suspect, will a new domestic venue be the answer to the UK show"s long-running and inexplicable catalogue of headaches and embarrassments.



It works like this...

It works like this: you register with the website, and describe what you want, down to the smallest detail (that means specc"ing your car very carefully!) and then set a time limit for the bargain-hunters to do their best. The haggler who posts the lowest price before the deadline gets 20% of the saving (compared to the best price you"ve found already).


News of the day
Far from knocking the...

Far from knocking the wind out of his sails, the rookie bounced back to come within a whisker of snatching pole position less than 48 hours later. He then took his fourth consecutive second place in the race. “I made a tiny mistake,” he said. “The back of the car slipped a little, and that was it. There is no room for error in Monaco.”

A chance meeting with...

A chance meeting with ex-McLaren F1 designer Gordon Murray in Geneva has thrown-up some intriguing revelations. The much-anticipated two-seater T25 city car ò€“ his self-titled design companyò€™s first offering ò€“ is finished and ready for production!

However, besides a handful of demonstration prototypes, the sub-Smart ForTwo sized car wonò€™t actually be built by Murrayò€™s firm. Instead heò€™s looking to lease the carò€™s blueprint out to companies who can build the thing themselves. And apparently a number of big money organisations have already shown an interest, the majority of which arenò€™t actually car manufacturers. Outlook Express Inbox repair

Acura, Audi, Honda and...

Acura, Audi, Honda and Volkswagen will integrate iPods with their car stereos for 2006 model lines. There are now 15 car companies around the world offering iPod integration, and more than five million cars will ship with iPod support in the US in 2006.

The Honda and Acura Music Link iPod integrations will be the first to include text-to-speech capabilities or VoiceID, which is used to search for playlists, artist and album names or genre information. Both companies will feature iPod integration in the majority of their lineup beginning later this year.

A development of the...

A development of the Stinger currently used by police and the barbed X-Net laid across military checkpoints, the super-strong lasso goes a step further. It has a belt-style loop made of bullet-proof Kevlar and studded with barbed spikes. They bite into the stolen car’s tyres, deflating them and pulling the loop around the axle. The lasso’s extra-tough synthetic rope unwinds from a pulley that can either be anchored to a concrete block or bolted on to a special HGV-rated tow truck. As the rope unwinds, a hydraulic valve slows it down and brings the car to a stop.

Developed by Canadian-based inventor Robert Boll, it will have to go through extensive trials before the Association of Chief Police Officers approves it for UK roads. And if it passes the tests, traffic police would need special training to use the lasso effectively.

A famous Brit is back...

A famous Brit is back from the dead! Auto Express can exclusively reveal that the MG TF LE500 ò€“ a special-edition run of 500 for the UK ò€“ will cost Ò£16,399 each. And that undercuts the equivalent previous-generation TF by nearly Ò£700 ò€“ but itò€™s still more expensive than a basic Mazda MX-5 by the same margin.

The limited edition will have plenty of standard kit. Leather sports seats, a piano-black finish and air-con are all included, as well as 16-inch alloys, painted calipers and LE500 badging. The sporty, rear-wheel-drive two-seater is an updated version of the original MG TF which went on sale in 2002. Changes include a fresh face with revised lights and a remodelled bumper.