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Ray Massey, Motoring Editor

Coverage: Cars Electric Cars

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How your hi-tech car dashboard can kill you: Distracted drivers blamed for thousands of deaths

30/04/15 10:23

Safety campaigners are urging car makers to limit the number of hi-tech dashboard gadgets that distract drivers from the road. They want Britain to adopt guidelines similar to those just introduced in the US – where distracted drivers are being blamed for thousands of road accident deaths. The guidelines include limiting the time a driver must take his eyes off the road to perform any task to two seconds at a time....read

Willie Walsh airs his views on UK's aviation woes as IAG boss calls on MPs to jettison unfair taxes
30/04/15 09:23
For a former professional pilot who now runs one of the world’s biggest airline conglomerates, the feisty Willie Walsh is not afraid of flying into turbulence.
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Top Gear job favourite Jodie Kidd in the driving seat as Jaguar sends team of stars and classic cars to race in Mille Miglia
30/04/15 02:01
Jodie Kidd is one of the stars who will take a classic Jaguar to the Italian endurance race, as the British carmaker emphasises its sporting credentials to attract more buyers.
- 41 comments
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Rail hell: Power failure traps thousands for five hours, fights break out as temperatures soar and passengers are helped onto the track on ladders
30/04/15 12:42
Thousands of passengers were stranded on two commuter trains near Clapham Junction (pictured), police boarded carriages to hand out water and paramedics had to be on hand given the heat.
New cars and vans will be fitted with SOS black box from 2018 as EU approves rules despite Big Brother fears
30/04/15 11:22
The emergency calling devices will be mandatory from April 2018 under new rules approved by EU lawmakers on Tuesday – despite opposition from the UK Government.
- 86 comments
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How axing one-way streets cut car crashes: Accidents fall by 60 per cent on roads converted to two-way traffic
29/04/15 12:51
Scrapping one-way streets could reduce accident and crime rates, a study suggests. The number of accidents fell by up to 60 per cent on roads converted to two-way traffic, it found.
- 50 comments
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Jaguar's military drive: How luxury UK carmaker is recruiting ex-services personnel to perfect make-or-break ‘baby’ XE saloon
28/04/15 11:03
After dodging bullets, mortar and rocket fire in Afghanistan and Iraq, building a car may seem like a stroll in the park.
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Motorists warned to prepare for hefty tax hikes as green cars - including Range Rovers, BMWs and Jaguars - leave £1.3bn black hole
28/04/15 12:01
The rise of the green car means that a record seven out of ten buyers now pay no road-tax on the first year of a brand new motor, even on some family and luxury vehicles.
- 122 comments
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Road tax black hole: Seven out of ten new cars pay nothing for the first year as 'green' exemptions cost the Treasury millions
27/04/15 11:49
The boom in sales of low-emission cars means even mainstream family vehicles are now classed as ‘green’, exempting them from vehicle excise duty (VED).
Thousands of parents risk missing out on air tax rebate for their children as one in three 'can't be bothered' to claim
25/04/15 09:41
Controversial Air Passenger Duty for the under 12's is set to be abolished on economy flights taken from the 1st May.
Plucky motorist loses parking fine battle in court but RAC says days of 'sky-high charges' from private firms are numbered
23/04/15 10:34
A chip shop owner says he is 'absolutely furious' after losing his landmark legal bid to sweep away 'rip-off' parking charges. He was fined £85 for overstaying by 56 minutes in a retail car park.
- 35 comments
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Judges open the door for even higher parking fines: Court rules private firm's £85 charge is 'not excessively high'
23/04/15 10:24
In a landmark ruling Barry Beavis from Chelmsford, Essex, has lost his High Court challenge over 'unfair, unlawful and disproportionate' parking charges on private land.
Only one in 50 cars live up to mpg boasts: Overstating performance means drivers are spending £133 a year more on fuel than they expect
22/04/15 11:09
Consumer group Which? tested 200 new cars including the Mitsubishi Outlander (pictured) and found that 197 didn't have the fuel efficiency that their manufacturers advertised.
Convictions for speeding up by nearly half in five years: 55,000 drivers were caught by each of the nation's police forces in 2014
22/04/15 10:00
There has been a 43 per cent rise in convictions in just five years, according to a new report. It reflects a surge in the number of speed cameras. Motorways are the most likely place to be clocked.
- 187 comments
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Motorists could be set for refunds of 'millions' depending on outcome of landmark case over tickets issued on private land
22/04/15 03:30
Motorists will find out tomorrow whether millions of parking tickets issued on private land are legal when the High Court makes a landmark ruling on the issue.
- 121 comments
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Revealed: 167 cases of toxic air in planes in just four months - and 12 cases resulted in pilots requesting priority landing
21/04/15 11:22
The figures have re-opened the debate about prolonged exposure to the air in planes. It follows a coroner's warning after initial investigations into the death of British Airways pilot Richard Westgate.
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Drivers fearing Big Brother shun 'black box' insurance - so would a £98 discount be enough to persuade you?
21/04/15 08:40
Research by price comparison and switching service. uSwitch shows just 1 in 33 British drivers have a so-called black box telematics insurance policy.
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New cars, please: Jaguar serves up a doubles act to supply 170 cars for Wimbledon - including the new XE
21/04/15 12:01
Jaguar's new XE and XF saloons, XF Sportbrake estate and range-topping XJ models will be working as chauffeur and support vehicles at this year's Championships.
Car insurance costs fall but lower prices 'can't last' as 'epidemic' of bogus whiplash claims continues, warns AA
21/04/15 12:01
The average quoted premium for a comprehensive car insurance policy fell by just over £5.50 - or 1 per cent - to £530 in the first three months of the year.
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Feel that breeze: Ray Massey gets the roof off the new third-generation Audi TT Roadster 2.0 and puts it to the test
19/04/15 04:22
Ray Massey drove the fully stocked four-wheel-drive 2-litre TFSI, which was adept at whipping around the Cotswolds in style. The range starts at £31,995 and the Audi can cost as much as £50,000
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SsangYong is launching a value for money five-door sports car from under £13,000
12/04/15 05:16
Korea's SsangYong is launching a new sports utility vehicle from under £13,000 that promises value for money motoring for drivers who believe in watching their pennies.
- 3 comments
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EasyJet launches 'rescue flights' to repatriate school groups and holidaymakers stranded abroad by 48-hour French air traffic controllers' strike
09/04/15 03:28
Five rescue flights will take off on tomorrow to prioritise the return of three groups of schoolchildren in Paris Charles de Gaulle, London Gatwick and Marrakech airports.
Sales of new cars hit highest level so far this century as economic recovery gathers pace
08/04/15 09:02
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said a total of 492,774 new cars were registered in March – up 6 per cent on a year ago and the highest monthly figure since August 1998.
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Hundreds of British tourists stranded on impounded cruise ship in Lisbon harbour over 'unpaid debt' by its owners
08/04/15 07:34
489 passengers on board the MV Azores (file photo) became the unwitting victims of a legal battle between its owners and a former employee - and were stuck on the cruise ship overnight in Portugal.
Was Germanwings plane crashed by a HACKER instead of co-pilot? Aviation expert says the jet could easily be accessed remotely
08/04/15 06:11
The Germanwings air disaster (pictured) which claimed 150 lives has been blamed on the co-pilot who 'locked himself in the cockpit', but an aviation boss says there are other telling factors to consider.
Thousands of passengers have travel plans wrecked by French air traffic controller strike - and they're planning TWO more walkouts
08/04/15 07:55
The mayhem looks set to continue, with controllers due to stage another stoppage next week, before striking again at the end of this month, which experts say will prompt widespread disruption.
Thousands of air passengers face three days of chaos and cancellations as French air traffic controllers go out on strike
07/04/15 03:10
EasyJet and BA are among a host of major airlines expected to scrap hundreds of flights thanks to the walk-out, which will start at 5am tomorrow and run for 48 hours.
- 123 comments
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Travellers facing huge queues and chaos as new passport checks on people leaving the country are introduced at ports today
07/04/15 02:24
Operators have warned that huge queues would build up at ports like Dover - forcing the Government to delay the full roll-out of the scheme until June.
Drivers face falling foul of new 10 minute 'grace' period allowing them to overstay in parking bays and on the street, warns parking watchdog
06/04/15 01:31
The new rules do not apply to parking on single or double yellow lines, in front of dropped kerbs or in permit bays.
- 19 comments
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Honda makes a splash as it unveils new-look Civic prototype in garish green at the New York Motor Show
05/04/15 04:03
The good news is that the five-door hatchback version will be built exclusively at the Swindon factory. Honda announced the Wiltshire works would benefit from a £200million investment.
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Preparing for unemployment? Top Gear stars James May and Richard Hammond sell off £66k worth of their classic motorbikes
03/04/15 12:01
Two star presenters of popular BBC show Top Gear are selling off a dozen bikes in their classic motor cycle collections – as they tease about becoming ‘unemployed’.
Car sales in March expected to hit record high for key '15-plate' registration month
02/04/15 09:04
Total sales are understood to have topped 490,000 – an increase of about 5 per cent – for what is now the biggest-selling month of the year.
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One dead in Bank Holiday getaway crash as millions face Easter travel misery with roads and rail facing severe disruption
02/04/15 01:04
One man has died and a woman is critically injured after their car overturned and crashed into a ditch on the A303 in Hampshire as millions of drivers took to the roads to try and beat the 'Easter rush'.
CCTV 'spy cars' banned in bid to curb draconian parking fines that have driven shoppers from the High Street
02/04/15 08:28
New laws to crack-down parking 'cowboys' and councils which rip-off motorists with unfair fines come into force yesterday - including ban of CCTV 'spy cars'.
- 144 comments
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New Honda Civic breaks cover: Five door version to be built in Britain and exported to the world - including Japan and the U.S.
01/04/15 07:10
The new Honda Civic which the Japanese car firm’s UK factory in Swindon will be exporting to the world – including Japan and the USA – was unveiled in America tonight.
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Honda invests £200m in Swindon plant to build next generation Civic and will export to Japan as Britain's car boom continues
31/03/15 01:36
Britain has been given a huge vote of confidence as Japanese car giant Honda invested £200m to build a new family car for the world at its Swindon factory - to export back to Japan.
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Traffic jams in major UK cities 'worsened considerably' last year with Belfast and London topping the list for gridlock
31/03/15 09:11
In the worst-congested cities, evening rush-hour journeys are taking more than 70 per cent longer than they would in free-flowing traffic, according to data by TomTom.
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How drivers spend 16 days a year stuck in traffic jams: Gridlock in major cities said to have 'worsened considerably' over past 12 months
31/03/15 12:10
In some areas, evening rush hour journeys last 80 per cent longer than they would in free-flowing traffic. The poll is published ahead of the Easter getaway, when 16m are expected to hit the road.
- 154 comments
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Range Rover’s most luxurious 4x4 EVER set to go on sale - complete with tailgate chairs, deep-pile carpet, 150mph top speed ... and a £150,000 price tag
30/03/15 06:37
The most luxurious, exclusive and powerful production Range Rover ever launched has broken cover in New York – with a £150,000 price tag to match.
Inaugural Virgin Atlantic flight to Atlanta cancelled after 'water cannon salute' is swapped for foam and clogs engines
30/03/15 04:39
Virgin Atlantic flight VA109 was preparing to depart on its official inaugural flight from Manchester Airport to Atlanta, Georgia, when the send-off went wrong.
Jaguar launches its new second-generation XF compact sports saloon with high-wire drive over London's Docklands
29/03/15 05:04
In a stunt worthy of the latest Bond film Spectre — for which the firm is supplying many of the cars — the XF (pictured) was revealed in a dramatic stunt high over the Royal Dock in Canary Wharf.
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European aviation chiefs FORCE British Airways to carry an extra person in the cockpit at all times - but experts fear it may make planes more vulnerable to terrorism
27/03/15 11:42
The Europe-wide order follows ‘foot-dragging’ by British Airways, which is engaged in a bitter behind-the-scenes row with UK aviation authorities over the measures.
Why can't airlines seize control of doomed jets from the ground? The technology exists but pilots and companies refuse to use it
27/03/15 12:38
Technology that might have averted the Germanwings tragedy by remotely seizing control of the plane has existed for years – but has been resisted by the aviation industry, it has emerged.
Revealed: TWO doctors ruled Germanwings co-pilot was unfit for work on day of the disaster - but he kept it secret from airline
26/03/15 11:21
Reports from Germany suggested the 28-year-old had was heartbroken after a failed relationship when he ploughed the Airbus A320 into the mountainside, killing his 149 passengers.
Black box recording to unlock mystery of Flight 4U 9525: Experts extract 'usable data' that leads up to final moments in cockpit of doomed jet
25/03/15 07:33
Reports circulating on professional pilot forums suggested the black box on the Airbus A320 that crashed in the French Alps revealed that a 'structural failure' was responsible for the disaster.
HS2 'will cost nine times more than French line': £50billion rail project should be put on hold, say Lords
25/03/15 01:42
A House of Lords committee says the £50billion HS2 project which is due to open in 2026 should be stopped in its tracks until ministers can make a stronger case for it.
Watch the most amazing high-wire act as Jaguar launch new model by driving it OVER the Thames on cables just an inch thick
24/03/15 07:42
British car-maker Jaguar has launched its new XF compact sports saloon in spectacular fashion with the world's first dramatic 'high-wire drive' over water on cables just an inch thick.
Revealed: Germanwings flight 4U9525 received safety warning just four months ago after sister plane went into tailspin
24/03/15 01:10
The European Air Safety Agency (EASA) issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive last November after an Airbus A321 went into an uncontrollable dive north of Pamplona, Spain before recovering
Britons on board doomed Germanwings Flight 4U 9525: Foreign Secretary says it's 'likely' Brits died in disaster that killed 150 - as it emerges jet was grounded over faults just 24 HOURS before devastating crash
24/03/15 10:45
All 144 passengers and six crew were today presumed dead after the Airbus A320 crashed in a remote region of the French Alps en route from Spain to Germany.
New 'green' BMW X5 xDrive40e can be recharged at home and switches between petrol and electric power while on the move
22/03/15 06:07
Just as George Osborne ratcheted up company car tax for thousands of motorists, German giant BMW unveiled its new 'budget buster' — its first mainstream plug-in petrol-electric hybrid SUV.
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Two-part driving licence to be ditched: Paper section to be scrapped and replaced by online system
21/03/15 01:41
From June, the so-called ‘paper counterpart’ of the UK driving licence will be replaced with a new online system that holds the details of all licenced drivers.
Motorists pay 5.5p per litre more at pumps as oil price drop slams into reverse - with more hikes in the pipeline
20/03/15 10:10
The most recent rebounding of the oil price alone has added another 3.5p to petrol prices over the last four weeks.
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Full speed ahead for Northern rail revolution: New routes and 140mph trains to slash journey times by up to 40 minutes
20/03/15 10:04
Journey times between Leeds and Newcastle could be cut to 50 minutes - compared to nearly an hour and half now for between £8.5bn and £14.0bn, according to a new report.
£15bn plan to turn Britain's busiest A-roads into mini motorways: Roundabouts and traffic lights to be stripped out and slow-moving vehicles banned on up to 18 routes
20/03/15 01:37
Details, included in a strategy by the Highways Agency presented to Parliament, also include new slip roads to make the roads flow and banning slow moving vehicles such as tractors and bicycles.
Road rage incidents up by two-thirds since 2012: Fifth of drivers involved say encounters have led to violence
20/03/15 12:58
There has been a rise of 59 per cent in road rage incidents in the past year and 37 per cent of Britons admit to having been involved in an incident of road rage.
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Legless driver couldn't stand up: Motorist was so drunk he fell off a chair and had to be held upright against a wall when police arrested him after he crashed
19/03/15 12:48
Police footage shows Robert Hutchinson, 59, who five times over the legal limit, falling off a chair at a Sussex police station after being arrested for driving erratically in Horsham, West Sussex.
You're getting £10 off a tank with the Tories: Fuel duty frozen for fifth year in a row
19/03/15 01:14
The move means a 0.54p-per-litre duty rise planned for September 1 will not go ahead. For the Fox family (pictured) who spend £350 a month on fuel, it will mean a saving of £50 a month.
Drug-driving law snares two people a day in first nine days after new roadside testing kits come into force
18/03/15 02:04
Two drug-drivers a day were caught in the first nine days of a crackdown by UK police using ‘drugalysers’. Sussex police force most prolific with eight arrests for cannabis use.
Jaguar set for daring high-wire act to leap ahead of German rivals with launch of XF compact saloon
18/03/15 01:16
As it released the first 'teaser' pictures of the second generation XF, it announced that the full reveal will take place at great height over water in on 24 March.
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Families face Easter chaos over exit check at borders: Fears of five mile queues during getaway after new laws mean every passport will have to be scanned
17/03/15 11:53
P&O Ferries has slammed new measures to tighten national security, set to be introduced in April, which will require Eurotunnel and ferry companies to check the passports of those leaving the UK.
- 299 comments
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Budget airline Ryanair on course to run flights to US for a tenner
16/03/15 09:43
The budget airline’s directors have approved plans to start a transatlantic airline as part of an ambitious growth strategy at Europe’s largest low-cost carrier over the next five years.
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Two million over the limit drivers got behind the wheel in past two years as they thought they were 'less drunk' than their passengers
16/03/15 10:37
The worrying trend is most common after nights out, dinner parties and weddings, according to new research by Direct Line Car Insurance.
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The driving test celebrates its 80th birthday but motoring groups want major reforms to help save lives of new and younger drivers
16/03/15 07:06
The RAC Foundation and the Institute of Advanced Motorists are calling for a reformed driving test ‘fit for the 21st century’ including ’graduated’ driving licences which restrict newly qualified drivers.
- 79 comments
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Mitsubishi's new baby XR-PHEV II prototype - set to outsell its big brother as a company car thanks to its massive tax advantages
15/03/15 05:38
The Outlander PHEV can be charged overnight at home, run on electric-only power or operate in hybrid mode, switching between petrol and electric power, depending on which is most efficient.
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New crackdown on 'cowboy parking' firms issuing tickets like confetti as Communities Secretary Eric Pickles takes control
15/03/15 03:24
The new crackdown follows a campaign by the Daily Mail highlighting the widespread exploitation by rogue parking firms of millions of innocent motorists.
- 36 comments
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Easter is cancelled! Rail firm warns of up to three-hour delays as it tells people not to travel
15/03/15 10:12
On Easter Sunday a 55-minute direct trip from Rugby to London Euston will turn into a marathon lasting four hours and 20 minutes, with two trains and two buses.
Revealed: How train travellers are paying £215 a DAY to park at city centre stations
13/03/15 07:03
Union bosses branded the charges 'daylight robbery' and called for them to be capped as a report revealed train companies made £800m last year from non-travel costs, on top of £9bn in rail fares.
- 98 comments
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March of the 20mph speed limits: Motorists face camera blitz on busiest roads across Britain and £100 fines in bid to cut number of deaths by 40% by 2020
12/03/15 06:14
Eight pilot schemes will be run on ‘Red Routes’ – the main arterial roads that carry a third of the capital’s traffic in a major policy shift which will see anyone breaking 20mph limits hit with a £100 fine.
Motoring chiefs call for end to 'unfair' charges for diesel drivers: Move comes after council demanded owners pay £96 to park outside their own homes
11/03/15 08:59
Officials at Islington Council, London, told diesel drivers to pay a £96 'surcharge' for parking to promote green cars, but bosses from BMW, Jaguar and Ford today said such measures should stop.
- 260 comments
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Passengers to get cash back if train is two minutes late: Government forces operators to sign up to 'pay as you delay' scheme
10/03/15 11:27
Rail passengers will get an automatic compensation pay-out if their train is more than two minutes late under a new crackdown according to Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, left.
Virgin Atlantic flies to its first profit in four years and celebrates increased passenger satisfaction
09/03/15 10:01
For the year to December 31 the Virgin Atlantic group reported a profit, before tax and exceptional items, of £14.4million on £2.9billion revenues.
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James Bond's favourite car-maker has unveiled the radical new family-friendly Aston Martin DBX at Geneva Motor Show
08/03/15 05:54
The new prototype is a two-door 'crossover' aimed at young families but the final version will be a four-door petrol-electric hatchback crossover. It includes a permanent integrated child seat.
- 4 comments
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Death of the spare wheel puts RAC on course for a six-fold increase in emergency call-outs
07/03/15 02:03
Latest RAC predictions show that the accelerating demise of the standard spare-wheel means rescue services are gearing up for six fold increase in just six years.
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Nearly two thirds of motorists experience 'rip-off' garages and most value service and trustworthiness ahead of cost
06/03/15 01:21
Some six out of ten motorists say they have had a problems when taking their car in for a repair, service or MOT, according to RAC Garage Compare.
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Potholes blighting up to one in five roads: Thousands of country lanes need work after it wasn't done last year
05/03/15 11:14
Drivers are noticing more potholes on motorways because, instead of a rapid reaction team filling them in instantly, the authorities are now ‘saving up’ potholes to fill them in all in one go, says the AA.
UK car boom as sales rise 12% while consumer confidence shows signs of an upturn
05/03/15 09:31
Motor industry bosses said the UK car market’s ‘sustained expansion’ is ‘the longest ever seen’ comfortably beating the previous record from 1987 and 1989.
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Going at top speed: Britain's luxury car makers leave rivals in their wake as sales drive export boom
04/03/15 12:45
As our carmakers take to the Geneva Motor Show, ambitious expansion plans to capture the wealthy from China to Calcutta and California – are driving a massive export boom.
The electric Aston Martin for James Bond and family: British firm reveals new beefed-up 4x4 coupe at £160k
03/03/15 09:54
Codenamed DBX, Aston Martin's two-door 4x4 grand tourer aimed at wealthy families was a surprise unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show.
- 23 comments
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High Roller: Bespoke model complete with silk interior and mother of pearl paint job to be unveiled at cost of £1million
03/03/15 01:20
For its specially commissioned one-off Phantom II Serenity, Rolls-Royce has looked back for inspiration to the era of royal, silk-lined horse-drawn carriages.
A Bentley for a modern Bond: Car maker launch 200mph 'baby' in attempt to end 007's long relationship with Aston Martins
02/03/15 09:49
The wraps came off the Exp 10 Speed 6, Bentley’s stunning new two-seater Aston Martin rival, on the eve of the Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland.

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