Aston: yours for £500 million

If you fancy owning Aston Martin, you'd better get your hand down the back of the sofa pronto to find £500 million.

That's the asking price Ford wants - or more accurately desperately needs - for its flagship sporting brand.

The sell-off of Aston will help bolster ailing Ford, which lost more than £6.4 billion in 2006.

If you're tempted, you'd better hurry - investment bank UBS has decided today is the deadline for offers.

UBS is managing the sell-off, and in pole position to win the sale at the moment is James Packer, who just happens to Australia's richest man.

The lucky winner of the Aston auction will be announced later in the week.

© Source: article on topgear

Volkswagen Kicks Off Search for Vintage Diesel Vehicles

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In its ongoing push to promote diesel vehicles to the American public, Volkswagen on Tuesday kicked off a U.S. search for the oldest running VW diesel vehicle and the VW diesel with the most mileage.

Winners of the contest will get the use of a 2007 VW Touareg V10 TDI for six months. The company says it anticipates that the oldest running VW diesel will likely be a Rabbit, circa 1977, since 12,393 such vehicles were sold that year.

The contest will get started on March 1, when owners will be able to submit information, including digital pictures, online at www.vw.com. Finalists will be required to have their vehicle and its documentation validated at a VW dealership. Both vehicles must be equipped with their original engines.

The highest-mileage diesel VW is open to "registered and running vehicles." The mileage must be documented and verifiable with an odometer reading and service records.

"We anticipate an enormous response from our owners," said Keith Price, Volkswagen of America spokesman.

© Source: article on insideline

Jaguar XK: Exterior Styling Pack

Jaguars gorgeous XK is the latest to get a bolted-on dose of bling, with an official Exterior Styling Pack available on all non-supercharged XKs from March.

Designed to give the car a more bold and distinct appearance - or so they say - the pack comprises front and rear valances, a couple of new grills and fresh tailpipe finishers.

Call it what you want, Jaguar, but we still know it's a bodykit.

A completely and utterly pointless bodykit at that, but we're ashamed to say we rather like it.

Does this mean we're chavs at heart? Probably. Pass the furry dice and his 'n' hers sunstrip...

© Source: article on topgear