Shifter Kart Spindle on 2040-parts.com

Mini Paceman John Cooper Works (2013): first pictures

Here we have the answer to the question: 'what would a high-riding Mini coupe-cum-SUV four-seater hot hatch look like?' Granted, it's not a question many have asked, but that hasn't stopped Mini bringing us the Paceman John Cooper Works: all 215bhp of it. Is this the fastest Mini Paceman yet? As you'd expect, the JCW Paceman sits atop the range, thanks to its 215bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged engine.

'Crash for cash' scams soar by 51%

THE NUMBER of "crash for cash" car insurance scams uncovered by a major insurer surged by 51% annually last year. Aviva said it had detected around 820 staged accidents in 2013, leading to some 2,200 fraudulent personal injury claims. It is pressing for tougher penalties and said that often, rather than being locked up, fraudsters end up being sentenced to community orders, which "do little" to deter them from re-offending.

Vauxhall heads off-road with Insignia Country Tourer

VAUXHALL'S new Insignia Country Tourer will cost from £25,349 when it arrives in the UK in January hot on the heels of the revised Insignia hatch and estate models. The Country Tourer is a soft-roader version of the Insignia Sports Tourer estate model and has an added 30mm of ground clearance, as well as front and rear underbody protection to help on rough tracks. Vauxhall has also fitted the car with extra protective covers for the wheelarches and body sides.