Hot on the heels of the 612 Scaglietti four-seater comes the new Ferrari F430, replacement for the 360 Modena.

The engine is a new 4.3 litre V8, producing 490 bhp which equates to an awesome 114 bhp per litre, one of the highest figures ever seen for a non-turbo engine. Performance is as high as you would expect: 0-62 mph acceleration in 4.0 seconds and a top speed in excess of 196 mph. Other features include two claimed world firsts for production cars: the electronic differential (E-Diff) and the steering wheel-mounted switch (better known to the Ferrari Formula One drivers as "manettino"), which manages the integrated systems controlling vehicle dynamics.

The car will be officially launched at the Paris Motor show in September 2004.

Toyota will unveil a new diesel at the Paris Motor Show which is claimed to be the cleanest and most efficient diesel yet. Thanks partially to the use of a particulate filter, combined pollution from oxides of nitrogen and particulates (i.e. soot) are the lowest ever recorded for a production diesel. Meanwhile power is a spectacular 183 bhp - from approximately 2000cc (Toyota is not quoting the exact size prior to launch).

The new engine will find its way into production models in 2005.

BMW has announced a fifth engine addition to the new 1 Series model line-up. Badged 118i, it is actually powered by a detuned version of the 2.0-litre petrol from the 120i, producing 129bhp and 180Nm of torque. Acceleration to 62mph takes 9.4 seconds and the top speed is 130mph, with a combined fuel consumption of 38.7mpg. If you are wondering about the name, BMW now badges the engine according to its power rather than its actual size. Hence the 150 bhp 2.0 engine is badged 120i because BMW thinks that is a good output for 2.0 litres. The 115 bhp engines are always badged 116i or 316i, regardless of whether they are of 1.6 or 1.8 litre capacity, because that is a reasonable output for a 1.6 litre engine.

The specification of 116i will include 16 inch Run-flat tyres, Dynamic Stability Control, Corner Brake Control, Traction Control, six airbags and CD player. The base 116i will cost approximately £17,300 with the SE and Sport models to be priced at a higher level, although the precise figures have not yet been released.

Audi is celebrating the fact that it now has the youngest buyers of any premium brand. According to the authoritative New Car Buyers Survey, a piece of market research financed by the car manufacturers themselves, the average age of an Audi driver is now 42. The company boasts that this is up to 10 years younger than for other prestige manufacturers. "Is that important?" you may ask. In a way, it is. Car manufacturers want younger buyers for two reasons. The obvious one is that a 42 year old will be in the car market for longer than a 60 year old, so the company has more selling opportunities over the long-term. The less tangible one is that you can sell a car with a youthful image to older people, but you can't sell a car with an old image to young people.

Audi is particularly pleased because, when it started its marathon climb towards prestige status in the late 1970s, it had the oldest buyer profile. Now, with the help of the highly successful TT, it has re-invented itself as an aspirational brand for thirty-somethings.

  Fiat to Shut Two Factories for Weeks

Fiat will temporarily shutter two of its car plants in late September, sidelining more than 5,000 workers amid slack demand for some of its key models, a spokesman said on Tuesday.

He noted that sales are traditionally weak in August, when much of Italy goes on holiday.

Fiat's plant in Termini Imerese, Sicily, which makes the compact Punto model, will close for one week and its Cassino factory, which makes the slow-selling Stilo, will close its gates for two weeks starting Sept. 27, he said.

The Termini Imerese closing will temporarily sideline 1,400 workers, while the closing of Cassino, in southern Italy, will affect 3,600 workers. Fiat will also close down for a week a single line which produces the Lancia Lybra model in its historic Mirafiori plant in Turin, affecting 550 employees, the spokesman said.

  Dealer Gives Cars Away Free

Buy a car, get one free

It's hard to believe. But with a deal more commonly seen at clothing sales, one car dealership in New Jersey has upped the ante to lure buyers who have become blase about the usual incentives offered on vehicles these days. For buyers who purchase any new 2004 or 2005 model Nissan, the Route 46 Nissan dealership in Totowa is giving away a 2003 Nissan Sentra, usually an off-lease or traded-in vehicle.

"We've had a lot of interest and we've had a lot of customers take advantage of the sale," said Frank Tackett, a partner in the dealership. Tackett said the new Nissans in the showroom range in price from $19,000 to $45,000 (10,600-25,000 pounds), while he estimated the value of the second-hand models being given away at about $11,000.

Since late 2001, the US auto industry has routinely offered thousands of dollars' worth of incentives per vehicle to boost sales. Monthly auto sales have dived when automakers tried to pare back the deals, most recently in June. Sales bounced back in July as the Big Three automakers hastily slapped the incentives back on.

US car buyers received an average discount of $4,982 on the sticker price in July, according to the latest report by auto research firm Edmunds.com. Full-size sport utility vehicles had the largest discount, of nearly $9,500.

For August, sales reports have been mixed and the official industry sales data are due on September 1.