Viper 140 Xvcar Starter on 2040-parts.com

Alfa Romeo MiTo (Cloverleaf) Quadrifoglio – Frankfurt catchup

The Alfa MiTo Cloverleaf unveiled at Frankfurt The MiTo Cloverleaf gets a hot version of the Fiat 1.4 Multair engine, producing 170bhp and mated to a new six-speed ‘box specially designed to deliver swift gear changes. For some reason Alfa hasn’t released performance figures for the Quadrifoglio, but it should be pretty competitive. Fuel economy is distinctly reasonable at an average 49mpg.

CAR tech: who's to blame for your car's terrible fuel economy?

In early 2013 Audi lost a case brought by the Advertising Standard Agency (ASA) because of ‘misleading’ fuel economy figures used in an advert, after a customer complained they couldn’t get anywhere near the 68mpg quoted. The court case once more exposes the yawning gap between officially sanctioned mpg figures and those experienced by owners. A recent study by the Independent Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) looked at cars sold in the UK and Europe, and discovered the difference between official mpg figures and real-world driving had grown from 8% in 2001 to a barely believable 21% in 2011.

Porsche Panamera designer focused on rear-seat passengers

There's no mistaking it for anything but a Porsche, but with four doors and four full seats, the Panamera is like no previous Porsche. Styled by a team of in-house designers under the direction of Michael Mauer, the Panamera is 195.7 inches long, 76.0 inches wide and 55.8 inches tall--making it slightly shorter but wider and lower than the Maserati Quattroporte, with which it shares a coupelike profile. As with all such silhouettes, "the real challenge is giving the rear-seat passengers enough headroom," says Mauer.