Spring is a good time...
Spring is a good time for convertible sales, especially for Volvo. The C70 is currently enjoying unprecedented popularity despite its advancing years, with 2003 figures up 31.7 per cent on 2002. Volvo told us that the cabrio"s appeal has increased since coup탩 production ceased in 2000. "The XC90 is also generating more showroom traffic than ever. People are waking up to the brand," said a spokeswoman.
Having been beaten to...
Having been beaten to both drivers’ and manufacturers’ crowns by Vauxhall in 2007, the Spanish squad is looking for swift revenge, and its World Touring Car outfit swapped to diesel in the summer with good effect.
Since being armed with the TDI-engined cars, SEAT drivers have won three of the last six rounds. Yvan Muller is now tied with BMW ace Andy Priaulx at the top of the points table, with only the Macau finale to run on 18 November.
Having achieved such success with diesel power on international race tracks, the company is now tipped to follow suit here in Britain. “We’re looking at the feasibility of running SEAT Leon TDIs in the 2008 British championship, and a decision will be taken once we’ve fully evaluated the performance variations between the petrol and diesel cars,” admitted Scott Dennis, SEAT UK Motorsport Manager.
Leon team leader Jason Plato confirmed, “It looks good on paper and it makes sense from a marketing perspective. But first we must find out if it really is a better package. The circuits, tyres and race day formats are different in the BTCC, and despite the obvious commercial attractions, we will only run the TDI if it’s significantly faster.”