Winderosa Exhaust Gasket 618164 on 2040-parts.com

New car sales see record growth period

ANOTHER rise last month has taken UK car sales to their longest-ever period of growth. A total of 194,032 new cars were registered in May – a 7.7% rise on the May 2013 figure, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said. The increase last month was the 27th consecutive monthly rise – beating the previous record of 26 months of growth between May 1987 and June 1989.

2012 Nissan NV hauls the goods

On the vehicular-evolutionary chart, full-size cargo vans haven't progressed much beyond the shag-carpeted, porthole-windowed, rolling disco lounges of the 1970s. Not a bad thing for obvious reasons, unless you're a tradesman or anyone else whose business requires a heavy-duty box on wheels to haul tools, equipment or goods. Enter the 2012 Nissan NV (Nissan Van), directed at what Nissan found was the least-satisfied segment of automotive customers.

Mini JCW convertible (2009): first official pictures

By Ben Whitworth First Official Pictures 10 February 2009 12:07 The new UK-built John Cooper Works Convertible will take centre stage on the Mini stand at the Geneva motorshow in February. Priced at a hefty £23,470 and on sale at the end of March, the convertible features the same chassis and powertrain tweaks as the JCW tintop. You’re right – that kind of money can get you into some pretty amazing metal these days, as you’ll see in the latest issue of CAR.