Stories from the world of motors
Toyota is launching its new seven-seater Corolla Verso from May 15th. Prices start at €26,895 for the 1.6-litre Terra; €28,640 for the 1.8-litre MMT version; and €30,995 for the 2-litre D-4D Terra. For more on what's due out in the coming months, see page 4:
Lexus has unveiled what it claims to be its new design direction through the LF-C coupé concept. In particular, the Japanese marque is making much of the LF-C's four-position retractable hardtop, an advance from the current folding hard-top in the SC range. Based on a rear-wheel-drive platform, it features much of the mid-Pacific styling of the current SC430 range, and Lexus seems determined to combine American-retro with Japanese futrosome looks.
Nearly three out of five used cars have bodywork repair faults when bought, according to a survey.
Buyers have to fork out between €300 and €500 to put right the faults in their second-hand models, the survey by used car check organisation Action Automotive said.
After body repair faults, the next biggest problem is interior faults, followed by engine problems and tyre and wheel faults.
Other problems faced by used car buyers include brake and suspension faults, exhaust faults and transmission problems.
The majority of engine problems are oil leaks, very low oil levels or inadequate servicing. A large proportion of tyre and wheel damage is due to worn tyres.
Brakes and suspension account for just under a third of faults, mostly due to worn brake pads and suspension bushes as well as corroded brake discs.
James Ruppert, from Used Car Checks, said: "In 99% of cases, buyers should be able to save themselves the cost of a used car inspection.
"On average, we identify around €300-€500-worth of faults, making a used car check a reliable assessment method for motorists.
"Conversely, the used car check is an added-value marketing tool for sellers to reassure them that they can command the price they are seeking." end 180812 APR 04
A British cyclist who slashed almost 2,000 tyres after a driver drenched him when driving through a puddle was sentenced to 16 months in prison on Friday.
Ashley Carpenter, 37, used a sharpened screwdriver to puncture the tyres of 548 parked cars, lorries and vans over a 10-day period in revenge for the "inconsiderate manner" of motorists.
Carpenter told police he began his campaign after one car nearly knocked him down and another drove through a puddle and drenched him.
The court heard he had caused an estimated 250,000 pounds worth of damage on vehicles in Bournemouth and Christchurch, southwest England.
Car sales in western Europe rose for a second straight month in March as new models coaxed motorists back into showrooms and nurtured a nascent industry recovery, data published on Thursday showed.
But with much of the 6.9 percent rise driven by extra business days over the Easter holiday period, analysts argued it was still too early to herald a fully-fledged revival.
Former Ford boss set to go to Italian sports car maker Martin Leach could head Maserati as soon as early May, sources told Automotive News Europe. Leach, who in August 2003 was ousted as Ford of Europe president and COO, was Fiat Group CEO Giuseppe Morchio's first choice as new CEO for Fiat Auto. But Ford refused to release him from a two-year non-compete clause.