A round-up of other motoring stories in brief.
COOKING THE FUEL: Cooking oil converted to biodiesel may soon be in production in Ireland, with recycling firm Greyhound being approved for tax relief for the producton of the "green" fuel.
Greyhound Recycling and Recovery has invested €2.5 million in the recycling of cooking oil, from chippers, supermarkets, hotels, even from consumers' deep fat fryers.
Initially, the Bio-Diesel is to be tested in Greyhound's trucks. When an uninterrupted supply is guaranteed, likely to be in the next six months, it will be made available to the general public.
NINTH GENERATION: The ninth generation of Mitsubishi's Lancer Evolution goes on sale here in January 2006. With an extra 20bhp - taking it to 280bhp - the Evo IX will be priced at €51,495.
It comes as Mitsubishi prepares to unveil its Concept X - expected to become the next generation of the Evo due in 2007 - at this month's Tokyo Motor show.
PORSCHE'S HYBRID: Porsche is to introduce a hybrid version of its Cayenne SUV by the end of the decade. The German marque will source the technology from VW, using the same system that's due to be introduced on Audi's new Q7 by 2008. Porsche management claims it's the first fruit of the link between the two brands, with Porsche effectively taking control of VW.
VAUXHALL LOSSES: Losses at Vauxhall, General Motors' British brand, ballooned last year as a cost-cutting project failed for a third year to turn round Britain's second-biggest car brand.
Operating losses soared 55 per cent to £185 million (€272 million).
RUNNING ON EMPTY: Irish motorists are putting themselves and their cars at risk by running out of fuel, according to research by the RAC School of Motoring in Rathmines.
A survey by the RAC shows that 25 per cent of motorists surveyed said they had run out of fuel at least once and nearly 30 per cent admitted to regularly driving "a considerable distance" with the warning reserve light on.
HONDA APPOINTMENT: Adrian Cole has been appointed managing director designate at Universal Honda Ireland, replacing Peter Cullen who retires from the position on January 1st.
Cole was previously general manager at the Irish distributors of Honda cars. Meanwhile, Cullen has been appointed deputy chairman of the company.