Edited by Trish Whelan
31 July 2003: Toyota has launched in Japan its sixth hybrid model, the Alphard MPV. It joins the the original Prius, Crown Mild Hybrid, Estima Hybrid, new generation Prius (due here early next year) and the Lexus RX300 Hybrid Synergy Drive.
31 July 2003: Ford is expecting a 4-star rating in the Euro-NCAP crash testing programme for its new Focus C-MAX compact MPV. And it expects a good pedestrian protection rating also when the new car is tested.
31 July 2003: Fiat has decided to name its new supermini ‘Panda’, maintaining the name of the original 'plain box' model which was launched in 1980 and will only end production in September.
31 July 2003: Nissan’s Almera is the most reliable small family car on the road in Britain according to warranty insurer Warranty Direct’s latest Reliability Index.
31 July 2003: 'Tell the truth and shame the devil' is a saying that many of us were encouraged to do by parents and teachers. But complying led to a German motorist losing his licence.
30 July 2003: The Department of Finance 'couldn't give a damn' about the safety of cars on Irish roads, the boss of Ford Ireland said this week.
30 July 2003: Volkswagen may let its Phaeton luxury car 'die slowly' following disappointing sales results for its flagship, and the company is considering a new above-Passat car aimed directly at BMW's 5-Series.
30 July 2003: Up to 5,000 tonnes of tyres a year will be disposed of in a facility proposed for North Kildare by Padraig Thornton Waste Disposal Ltd.
29 July 2003: The new Focus C-MAX compact MPV will be on sale in Ireland in November, putting up a new and important competition to Opel's Zafira and Renault's Scenic - which have had the bulk of the market to themselves - and newcomer VW Touran.
28 July 2003: The 24-hour weekend drive by a diesel Opel Speedster at Opel's Dudenhofen Test Centre in Germany has resulted in 17 International Records for the ECO-Speedster, which achieved an average speed of 225.079 km/h and a fuel consumption of only 2.54 liters per100 kilometers
28 July 2003: A new concept SUV from Nissan will show at Frankfurt the way the company intends to take this particular motoring route.
28 July 2003: Complex conversations with a passenger are dangerous to road safety, just as much as on a cell-phone, according to research carried out in Madrid.
28 July 2003: Bosch has developed an alternator that is so efficient it can actually add up to 6mpg to fuel economy figures. It is also 5 decibels quieter and up to 400cc smaller than conventional alternators.
28 July 2003: If the Iraq War doesn't bring Tony Blair down, a new 'crime victim' tax on traffic fines certainly should, if it gets passed by the current British Government.
28 July 2003: Russia has introduced western-style drink driving limits to replace a vague law that simply prohibited people from being 'drunk in charge of a vehicle'. But the move has rasied fears that the move will actually encourage motorists to drink.
25 July 2003: Opel are planning to break nearly 20 international records this weekend at their Dudenhofen circuit with their diesel-powered Speedster.
25 July 2003: We might all be driving on lead-free petrol now, but two environmental groups say the car industry is the biggest culprit in polluting land, water and air with lead.
25 July 2003: Ford Motor Company in the US has shown its latest technology concept vehicle which combines advanced accident avoidance systems and intelligent vehicle technology in a modified Ford Explorer. It’s called S 2RV.
25 July 2003: Elephant owners in Delhi, India, are having their beasts fitted with reflective patches on their rears to prevent road accidents.
25 July 2003: A survey of drivers in the 50-90 age group in Manchester suggested that compulsory re-testing after a driving ban should be put in place as an effective measure of improving road safety.
25 July 2003: Motorist users of cellphones may be up to 38 per cent more liable to accidents and accidents with injuries than those who don't, according to a study of more than 34,000 driving licence holders in Quebec.
24 July 2003: Semperit Ireland and the National Safety Council, have inaugurated a new seatbelt campaign targeting ParkRite Car Parks in Dublin City and County.
24 July 2003: The AMG performance car division of Mercedes Benz has just released details of its V8-engined E-Class Estate, with a power output of 476 hp - up 34 per cent on that from the previous car.
24 July 2003: SEAT has increased the power output of the Leon Cupra R to to 225 PS.
24 July 2003: Fuel consumption of more than 75mpg has been returned in an Avensis 2.0-litre D-4D saloon – by a Toyota motorist driving the length of Britain on a charity run.
24 July 2003: Canadian research results indicate that a graduated driving licence system could improve accident rates among novice drivers, by allowing them gain experience in more 'forgiving' environments.
24 July 2003: The Volvo XC90 has been selected Auto Express Car of the Year 2003 as well as ‘Best 4x4 Off-Roader’ in the magazine’s annual New Car Honours.
24 July 2003: Hyundai will have fuel cell cars on the road next year, under lease to participating fleet operators.
23 July 2003: Mitsubishi Motors Europe will unveil the i compact concept at September's Frankfurt Motor Show. The car has a lightweight body combined with a powertrain that uses a newly developed 1.0-litre MIVEC engine.
23 July 2003: The Land Rover Defender has been named ‘the greatest car of all time’ by BBC TV’s Top Gear in a phone vote by its viewers.
23 July 2003: Volkswagen has today released details of the new Golf, which goes on sale in RHD form early next year. The car will get its public debut at the Frankfurt Show in the second week of September.
23 July 2003: The upgraded BMW X5 will debut in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show, and RHD versions will be available in January 2004.
22 July 2003: Police in Germany this week reported a bizzare accident caused by somebody's underwear.
22 July 2003: BMW has launched its first three-wheeler since the Isetta bubble car of the mid-50s.
22 July 2003: Mazda is the fastest growing Japanese car company in Europe, according to figures for the first half of 2003. Kia is the second fastest.
22 July 2003: Peugeot has a new summer special promotion for its 206, the limited edition 206 Midnight. Only 400 units of the Midnight will be available.
22 July 2003: Mercedes Benz has just had to deal with an expensive boo-boo in the United States, which shows how much carmakers fear the wrath of their consumers in that country.
22 July 2003: Two Zimbabwean mortuary workers have been arrested for renting out corpses to motorists so they could take advantage of special fuel preferences given to hearses.