More motoring news in brief.
Honda's hybrid challenge
Honda is set to introduce a hybrid challenger to the Toyota Prius. The Insight, which shares its name with an earlier Honda hybrid, will go on sale early next year and will be a fully-fledged five-seater family car. It is expected it will be priced below the Prius.
The most likely powertrain will be a mix of the latest battery technology, along with a revised version of Honda's 113bhp 1.4-litre iVTEC engine.
Citroën to reveal new concept coupé at Paris motor show
Citroën will unveil its new concept coupé (pictured) at the Paris motor show later this month.
Even though it carries all the powerful lines of a concept SUV that will never be built, reports suggest that a coupé based on the C5 platform and styled roughly along the lines of this car may well make it into production.
VW workers mobilise against Porsche boss
Volkswagen's powerful works council will summon thousands of employees to make a show of strength in protest against Wendelin Wiedeking, the Porsche chief executive, at a VW supervisory board meeting on Friday.
It will be another twist in the power struggles that have erupted since Porsche bought a stake in VW, which led to Wiedeking's taking a seat on the board. He has already suffered a string of nerve-testing weeks, during which rumours have spread in the German media that he would be ousted as head of the sports carmaker. Porsche has denied this.
At the heart of the conflict lies a clash of cultures between a family-owned company and a large corporation. Bernd Osterloh, Volkswagen's head of works council, had lashed out against Porsches management, saying they were "amateurs" and "arrogant upstarts". But Wiedeking has also fanned the flames by criticising Volkswagen's management for some of their decisions.
People close to both companies say the relationships between Wiedeking and Martin Winterkorn, Volkswagens chief executive, are far from easy.
UK's August new car sales lowest since 1966
New car registrations in Britain had their worst August in more than 40 years last month, adding to an already gloomy week for Europe's car producers.
The monthly survey showed new registrations fell an annual 18.6 per cent to record the weakest August since 1966, as the credit crunch kept buyers out of the showrooms. The British Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said there were just 63,225 car registrations last month, compared to an average for August over the past eight years of around 75,000.
Top Gear tickets go on sale today
Tickets for Top GearLive show go on sale today.
The event, featuring a 75-minute stage show and side events is being held at Dublin's RDS Simmonscourt on Thursday November 27th to Sunday November 30th.
Tickets can be reserved by calling 0818300275 or on www.rdstickets.com