News In Brief

Auto Express Car Reviews

24th June 2006

Stone me! The gritters are out - and this time it’s because the weather is too hot. Sweltering temperatures have increased the risk of melting tarmac. Now, hot-under-the-collar bosses at County Durham and Cumbria councils have ordered workers to spray surfaces with crushed rock dust, instead of the usual ice-busting salt. It should keep the bitumen in place on the road and off tyres.

PEUGEOT has announced it has started production of the new 307 saloon at its plant in Argentina. The four-door will be the fifth model made at the Buenos Aires site, and is expected to go on sale in Latin America in late autumn. It joins the 206, 307 hatch, Partner and Citroen Berlingo at the factory. The extended line-up is tipped to create more than 1,000 jobs - news that won’t go down well with British workers at Ryton.

SPORTS car firm TVR will keep its factory in Blackpool, Lancs, easing fears that hundreds of jobs would be lost. Earlier this year, the maker said it might have to move abroad. But bosses told union leaders last week that production would stay in Blackpool - albeit at a different site. New TVRs are set to debut at March’s Geneva Motor Show.

POOR man’s Impreza? Mitsubishi has fitted some racy extras to its Lancer - but added only around £200 to the price. The £11,524 Sport features a 134bhp 2.0-litre engine, and covers 0-60mph in 9.6 seconds. Buyers get lowered suspension, 16-inch alloys and a MOMO leather steering wheel.

WATER palaver! A car wash firm in West Malling, Kent, has responded to the threat of a drought order by digging a borehole on the premises to create its own personal supply of water. Parkfoot Garage owner David Charman claims the order would otherwise put him out of business. “I use around 10,000 litres of water a day,” he said.