97 Yamaha Venture Vt 500 Steering Column H12 on 2040-parts.com

Driver receives 45 points in nine months

Mitsubishi The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) has uncovered the ‘top 20’ driving licence penalty points holders in the UK – revealing that one man from Liverpool has racked up an incredible 45 points, beating the previous record of 42. But what’s truly astonishing about this is that he ‘achieved’ the 45-point tally in just nine months, between 1 October 2012 and 20 June 2013 – and what’s more, he’s apparently still driving. Top Gear presenters banned from driving in France50,000 new drivers lose licence within two years The penalty points were received for eight separate offences, and either failing to disclose the identity of the driver or exceeding the statutory speed limit on a public road.

Smart Forspeed concept signals new design direction

Smart will unveil a new concept at the forthcoming Geneva motor show that signals a new design direction, hints at future product and confirms parent company Daimler's renewed commitment to the brand. Car Design News was granted early access to the concept, baptized Forspeed, at a secret photography studio in Stuttgart last week and heard the head of advanced design, Steffen Kohl, explain how the two-seat, electric-powered vehicle prefaces design themes in both the next Fortwo and the revived Forfour, which will be launched in 2014. "The fullness of this concept's exterior surfaces is important and will be reflected in future production models," said Kohl, "Smart will still be short, spacey, agile, and with wheels at the corners of the car, but with an added sporty and emotional design and without losing all the brand's iconic elements like its ‘plastic fantastic' aspect and the safe and hi-tech modular tridion shell assembled with all these changeable body parts.

Kia and BMW claim 2012 Red Dot Design Awards

Kia and BMW have been recognized by the 2012 Red Dot Design Awards judging panel, picking up the ‘best-of-best' awards in the transportation product design category. The awards, handed out March 15, single out the best-designed products from over 4,000 entries across a variety of categories. Kia's A-segment Picanto and B-segment Rio were both winners in Red Dot's ‘Product Design' category, fighting off competition from over 4,500 products entered by 1,800 manufacturers from 58 countries.