Automotive

It’s one of the sensations that every motorist dreads, a sudden clunk as one of your car’s wheels disappears down a pothole in the road, along with the nasty suspicion that it may have done some serious, not to mention expensive, damage. It’s a problem that’s even worse in the winter. That’s because it’s not simply harder to spot one of these perils when conditions are dark or foggy, it’s also when more and more potholes start to open up...

Thousands of jobs are at risk in Luton and Ellesmere Port after PSA Group, the owner of the Peugeot brand, has announced it is in talks to buy General Motor's European arm. General Motors employs around 35,000 people in the UK under the Vauxhall banner, including 4,500 staff at car plants in Ellesmere Port and Luton and 23,000 in its retail network. Significant job cuts could be in line after PSA, which has worked with GM in Europe since 2012, said it was...

The first commercial flying car in the world has officially gone on sale this week after car manufacturer PAL-V unveiled the Liberty Pioneer and Liberty Sport. Following the successful test programs of their concept vehicles in 2009 and 2012, PAL-V started the design of the commercial products that have been launched today. PAL-V is now nearing an exciting phase for its continued business growth, namely fulfilling the first client orders. While other flying car manufacturers' concepts require modified regulations and in...

Millions of motorists are suffering from a fear of parallel parking - or so called 'parallelophobia'. Almost a third of drivers admit the prospect of trying to manoeuvre their motor into a parallel space drives them to distraction, and 34 per cent confessed they think it’s the hardest parking technique. What's more, over half of drivers have gone past an empty space because it meant they would have had to carry out the procedure they fear the most. Three in ten...

A dilapidated Aston Martin is expected to sell for more than £350,000 despite being partially buried in leaves after languishing in a wood for more than 40 years. The Aston Martin DB4 was the first production car capable of doing 0-100-0mph in less than 30 seconds when it was launched in 1958. It was built to compete with sports cars from Ferrari and Maserati - but this particular model hasn't moved in almost half-a-century. The car was manufactured in the...

Driverless cars are on course to generate €17 trillion for the European economy by 2050, according to new research. Fully ‘autonomous vehicles’ are predicted to be providing fully ‘hands-off’ door-to-door transport on the road within the decade. A poll of 6,000 people in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Norway found almost a quarter of those planning to buy a car in five or more years would consider an autonomous car, which will add 0.15 per cent to Europe’s annual growth rate...

Mobile phones and cars don’t usually mix but a new game is bringing the two together, albeit safely. Downloads of over 1m in the first five days suggest that car fans were craving a realistic driving experience on their smartphones and with an Android launch this week, the success of Gear.Club, already the number one overall app in 25 countries and the number one grossing app in 10 markets is set to move up another gear. According to Newzoo, the...

Frustrated your existing car doesn’t connect seamlessly to your latest phone or you want better fuel economy? To keep pace with consumers’ demand in the real world, the global automotive industry is relying on a more ‘virtual’ world of development Since the late 1970s car manufacturers have trumpeted the use of computers to design and build better cars. Whilst there was a considerable marketing spin to many of those earlier claims, just cast your mind back to the car adverts...

What is it about the confines of a vehicle that make blokes feel impervious to societal norms? Last month our correspondent Courtney Greatrex became a national hero after she hit back at two tradesmen who wolf-whistled at her from their van. After she reminded them that their behaviour was not only intimidating but also a form of harassment they called her a "f**king whore" and sped off. Fortunately we work for a national news outlet, and they became headline news across all the national...