News In Brief

A Lamborghini Gallardo has been donated to the Italian State Police by Lamborghini. The V10, 500 bhp 190 mph performance car has been liveried in the colours of the state police and includes a siren and flashing lights on the roof. This is the first time that a Lamborghini will be used by Italian police.

Auto Express Car Reviews

17th May 2004

Warnings that motorists should keep their car keys out of view are not being heeded as TRACKER reports that so far in 2004, a massive 80% of the stolen vehicles the company has retrieved have been stolen with the keys. Car-jackings on the other hand, appear to be on the decrease. Car-jacking incidents peaked at 3.3% in 2001 and have fallen year on year ever since.

Harm Lagaay, Head of the Design Department at Porsche AG in Stuttgart, will retire on July 1st, 2004. The company's Board of Management has appointed Michael Mauer, Chief Designer of Saab and Advanced Concept Center General Motors Europe, as his successor. Mauer will take up his new position at the Research and Development Center in Weissach not later than November 1st, 2004.

The Office of Fair Trading has confirmed that new car warranties are clear and fair. Manufacturers were quick to remove franchised dealer servicing as a condition on some new car warranties after the OFT raised concerns at the end of last year. Today OFT issued a statement saying, 'The remaining manufacturers whose new car warranties included servicing ties have all now lifted their servicing restrictions'.