News in Brief

21st December 2007

BMW’s new 1-Series Convertible will cost from £24,055 when it goes on sale in April. That will get you the 120i ES model, which has 168bhp. A higher spec SE version is £25,205, while the 215bhp 125i SE costs £26,195.

Before that, the M3 saloon appears in March. It’s priced at £49,210. And anyone who buys a BMW with Bluetooth and sat-nav (except Z4 and X3 models) will get the firm’s new ConnectedDrive system. This allows you to find routes on your PC and then download them to your car.

Vauxhall fire risk sparks recall no. 2
All Vauxhall Corsas, Tigras and Combo vans built between 2004 and 2006 are being recalled – that’s 355,000 vehicles in total – due to a potential brake problem. And it relates to a fault the firm has already tried to fix before.

It’s due to issues with water getting into the wiring for the ABS which could cause a fire. The initial fix involved just covering the exposed area. However, a Vauxhall spokesman admitted this hasn’t been robust enough, so the firm is recalling the vehicles again to replace the ABS unit. The latest generation Corsa isn’t affected.

Stylists handed Citroen challenge
It's not only the double chevrons that help Citroen fans spot the French company’s cars. But if you had to capture the brand behind classic motors such as the DS or C6, how would you do it? Well, here’s your chance to give it a go.

The maker has challenged wannabe designers to create an image of an everyday object using styling cues from its models.

The winning entrant takes home a top prize of 10,000 Euros – that’s about £7,000! To help get the ball rolling, Citroen has given entrants access to 3D models of its vehicles and parts at www.aedo-to.com/citroen – so it’s time to get drawing.