The good oil: Power through the roof

Mazda will unveil the retractable hardtop variant of its third-generation MX-5 sports car at next month's British motor show. It will be the first MX-5 to be equipped with a power-operated roof. Earlier models came with a traditional soft-top or removable hard-top. The power-operated roof folds into a space between the headrests and boot. The new model will go on sale in New Zealand later this year.

SMART PHONE KNOWS YOUR LIMIT

Could police one day use cellphones to detect alcohol? WebsiteEngadget Mobile says mobile company NTT DoCoMo has developed a cellphone that has a built-in breathalyser. Originally designed for bus, taxi, and truck drivers, the sensor detects and measures the amount of alcohol in the driver's breath and transmits the information to their supervisor.

GEARING UP FOR BETTER DIESELS

Mitsubishi Motors and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are developing a next-generation diesel engine for sale in Europe and other markets.The new engine will be a 2-litre unit for small and mid-size cars, and designed to meet the upcoming Euro5 emissions standards, which come into effect in 2010.

MOVE TO GETZ BETTER STABILITY

Hyundai is planning to make electronic stability control standard across its range of cars and commercials. The Korean carmaker already equips about 70 per cent of its models with the system but is moving to include entry-level models like the Getz. Building it into the cost of the Getz is the stumbling block.

MINI TO THE MAX FOR STUDENTS

Twenty-one students from a college in Kuala Lumpur took four minutes to stuff themselves into a lime green 1999 Mini Cooper, waited the 20 seconds to claim a place in the Guinness Book of World Records - and then repeated the feat for a television crew who showed up too late to record the first time around.

WE ARE THE WORLD

A US servicemen in Iraq who damaged his ankle jumping from a four-wheel-drive Humvee in Baghdad and spent time in a military hospital for treatment has been turned down for a job as a postman on civvy street. Jason Lyon, 28, from Buffalo, New York, was told by the US Postal Service that he was welcome to apply for a less strenuous position. Lyon protested and the US Postal Service said it would seek a second medical opinion on the ankle.