HITTING THE BRAKES: Car firms are expected to meet their commitment to make antilock brake systems standard on all vehicles sold in Europe by July 1st, according to the industry's association, the ACEA.
CHINA BACK-TRACK: China's government has stepped in to help resolve a product piracy dispute between General Motors and a local company, just before Premier Wen Jiabao heads to the US. Beijing has launched discussions with GM, makers of Opel and Saab, which began investigating media reports earlier this year that local car maker Chery's new "QQ" minicar bears a striking resemblance to the Chevrolet Spark – which goes on sale in China this week. The Chery firm, which denies copying any GM product, has had its share of controversy. Last year, Volkswagen said parts produced by the German company had been used illegally in one of Chery's cars.
RAISING A STORMER: Land Rover will unveil its new high-performance concept 4x4 at next month's North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 5th. Named the Range Stormer, it's a two door, lowered and more aerodynamic version of the current Range Rover model, and is planned for production in 2005, unless public reaction at Detroit is less enthusiastic than anticipated.
DIESELS BY HONDA: Honda will launch its first homegrown diesel engine here in the Accord in February. The new 2.2-litre diesel saloon will go on sale for €39,835 ex-works in manual saloon format, €2,500 more than the 2-litre petrol Executive saloon. A Tourer version is due in April. The diesel engine is a landmark for Honda, the world's largest producer of petrol engines, which has previously resisted temptations to build a diesel unit unless it could match the silence and refinement of petrol. Having had the chance to drive the diesel at a pre-launch event, we predict very good things for Honda in the diesel market.
BRUMMY TOLLWAY: Britain's first toll motorway opened yesterday, promising to cut motorists' journeytimes around Birmingham by 45 minutes for an initial £2 charge. The 27-mile M6 toll motorway has three lanes and is designed to bypass the congested M6 around Britain's second largest city. Charges for the first 10 million customers will be £2 for cars, £1 for motorbikes, £5 for vans and £10 for lorries. After that the charge will rise by£1 in all categories. Meanwhile, the operators of a delayed GPS-based German highwaytruck toll system is to pay the government a fine for lost revenues in December. The scheme is not now expected to start before at least mid-2004.
MOTORSPORT UPDATE: Irish motorsport fans can seek out several annuals this Christmas to feed their habits through the long nights. Among them is the Irish Motorsport Annual 2004. Over 200 pages covering everything from cars to motorcycle and karts, rallying to Formula One, it's a comprehensive look at the state of motorsport in Ireland.