RAC Trackstar boss Pat...
RAC Trackstar boss Pat Gallagher said: "Car security is getting better, so it"s not surprising thieves are using different methods. This type of fraud often happens on high-value vehicles, so the financial impact is greater." Gallagher added that fraudulent transactions were more likely to happen after 5pm, when the banks have shut and the seller can"t check the draft"s authenticity.
The car has been designed...
The car has been designed as a support vehicle for the Monte Carlo Rally - which the original Mini Cooper won in 1964. It features a spare wheel mounted on the roof, red drop-down side boxes containing tools and a clever sliding boot floor to aid stowage. Like other Traveller concepts seen in Frankfurt, Tokyo and Detroit, the Monte Carlo version has been produced to generate interest in the forthcoming estate car.
Although the concept won"t make it to the showroom, its storage features could become options for the production car, on sale in 2007. There"s an asymmetric barn-style door on one side to improve access to the rear seats, and the back end will feature twin van doors. Engines will include a 1.6-litre turbocharged unit.