3 X 3 million for BMW

BMW has just notched up a milestone: three million examples of one vehicle model, the 3-Series. In just six years the E46 3-Series has grown to a family of five body styles - saloon, coupe, convertible, compact and touring. The three millionth vehicle, a high-performance M3 convertible, was built at the Regensburg factory in Germany.

JAGUAR TOP DIESEL

Sleek Jaguars and diesel engines may seem a contradiction, but the S-type has come top in the diesel category of Scotland's car of the year. Judges said that with demand for diesel luxury vehicles high, this ultra-refined Jaguar could not have come at a more crucial time. The car is still being evaluated for New Zealand and Australia so we'll first see the engine in the Land Rover Discovery 3, expected early next year. The X-Type estate was top in the luxury car category.

READING THE ROAD

Nearly half Britain's roads have been put in the dangerous category because of shoddy markings. The Road Safety Markings Association says 42 per cent of white lines painted on single carriageway roads are not acceptable.

PAPERBACK WARRIORS

Just love those Subaru WRXs? Look for a new paperback, Subaru Impreza, by Briton Brian Long, that is described as a definitive history of Subaru's incredibly successful Impreza, including its many rally victories. There's year-by-year cover of all production models and 400 pictures, mostly colour.

CRISPER CRUISER

Chrysler's love-it-or-loathe-it PT Cruiser will soon have a 2.4-litre engine to replace the 2-litre. It's in the American domestic lineup but has so far been unavailable on export models but badgering by the New Zealand, Australian and South African managers has paid off. Power and torque increases are small but useful. The factory says it is good for a top speed of 195km/h and a 0-100km/h time of 10.6 seconds.

CARGO NO GO

A new challenge faces car designers in America. Many items, such as a computer monitor or microwave, won't fit in a passenger car unless removed from the box. American manufacturers are trying to rev up car sales but face an uphill climb with potential customers who are want to carry anything from timber to big-screen televisions in their sport-utilities, pickups and vans. Laments Greg Bellopatrick, General Motors' chief engineer for mid-size cars: "People are looking for the functionality of an SUV but not the truck-like characteristics. They truly want a car but one that has more functionality."