Mighty Midget

A concours-winning 1933 MG J2 Midget goes under the hammer at a classic vehicle auction in Sydney on July 19. Launched in 1929 and updated as the more powerful J2 in 1932, the tiny MG Midget was designed to compete against the small French Salmson and Amilcar sports cars. Its four-cylinder 847cc engine developed 26.9kW (36bhp) and drove the rear wheels through a four-speed gearbox. The foot brakes were cable-operated and the handbrake acted on all four wheels for emergency stops. The car had a top speed of 112km/h. Considered by many to be the archetypical MG sports car, the J2 Midget was the first MG to have the twin-humped scuttle, cut-away doors and rear mounted fuel tank - a distinctive styling feature that extended through all the famous MG production models to the TF. MG built 2083 J2 Midgets between 1932 and 1934. Auctioneers Shannons expect the J2 Midget to fetch around $50,000.

Suzuki's V6 push

Suzuki is to use variants of General Motors' new global V6 engine. The two companies, partners in development and distribution since 1981, signed a deal that will allow the Japanese carmaker to build both 3.2-litre and 3.6-litre engine variants at its Sagara engine plant in Shizuoka, near Mt Fuji. Production is due to begin in two years. The new 24-valve V6 engine is an all-alloy unit, with variants ranging from 2.8-litre to 3.6-litre. The new-look Holden Commodore, due out this year, is expected to get the 3.6-litre powerplant, producing about 190kW at 6200rpm and 346Nm at 3200rpm. The Commodore's present pushrod 3.8-litre V6 does 152kW at 5200rpm and 305Nm at 3600rpm.

Peugeot showroom

Auckland dealer Continental Car Services is to turn its Chrysler Jeep/Peugeot site in Great South Rd into an all-Peugeot outlet, complete with the French company's global blue livery. The changeover begins in August, when Jeep moves to a new yard in Greenlane. The new Peugeot operation will be Continental's sixth new showroom in five years.

Road toll rising

Road deaths in Britain are up 2.2 per cent, an increase opponents of speed cameras say was inevitable. Last year, 77 more drivers died on Britain's roads than in 2002. For motorcyclists the increase was higher still - 84 more deaths last year than in 2002. Deaths and serious injuries were down 40 per cent in areas patrolled by speed cameras. But Paul Smith, founder of safety lobby group Safe Speed says that the increased road toll is contrary to the Government's view that speed cameras are making the roads safer. Said Smith: "In the pre-camera decade, from 1984 to 1993, we saw road deaths fall by 32 per cent. In the speed camera decade, from 1994 to 2003, we have seen road deaths fall by just 3.8 per cent. The focus on speed limits is dangerously simplistic." Another road safety body, the AA Motoring Trust, says the emphasis on cameras is encouraging authorities to pay less attention to other road safety measures. It wants better visibility at junctions, where four out of 10 British motorcyclists are killed.

Stability on the move

The marketing campaign says: "Here's a back end of a bus that's worth a look." Technology firm Bosch wants car buyers in Britain to ask for Electronic Stability Control on their next vehicle and thinks putting its message on buses is the ideal way to get drivers' attention. The German firm says up to 1000 lives a year could be saved and 12,000 injuries avoided if all cars in Britain had ESC as standard.

We are the world

When Fidel Cueva, 41, realised that the bus taking him home from work in California had passed his stop, he bailed out of its emergency window - at 90km/h. He survived, battered and bruised.