Rocket power

Want to test drive the nearest thing to a Formula One car? Ring Open Wheeler Imports on 0508 694 694 to book a spin in the Ariel Atom 2, a two-seater, road-legal rocket. "You'll be astounded by the performance, handling and grin-factor of the car. It's the ultimate toy," says Open Wheeler boss Andrew Mackie. The Ariel Atom 2 is powered by the 2-litre engine from the Honda Civic R. The 164kW (220bhp) four-cylinder unit gives the car a slingshot zero to 100km/h time of 3.7sec. Mackie is booking road tests from tomorrow through to Sunday.

MITSUBISHI IMPROVES

All's well at Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand, says managing director John Leighton. "We sold 9500 vehicles in 2003 compared with 5500 in 2001, our market share has increased from 7.4 per cent in 2001 to 10.2 per cent in 2003. We are continuing on this growth path with sales for the first quarter of this year up 8 per cent over the same period last year." Leighton is talking about Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, his head office in Japan. It is restructuring after major shareholder DaimlerChrysler refused to pump any more money into the ailing carmaker. MMC is burdened with a multibillion-dollar debt.

HOT DRIVE

It's the latest must-have accessory to set you apart from the neighbours: a heated driveway. The high-tech device, developed by Danish firm Devi, consists of heated mats underneath a paved driveway. The mats are plugged into the house's electricity and work when the temperature drops below zero. A spokeswoman for property developer Applecross, which is planning to install a heated driveway on a site near Edinburgh, said: "We could not imagine somebody who had paid £1.4 million ($3.76 million) for a penthouse wanting to scrape their driveway clear. These are exactly the kinds of gadgets this end of the housing market expects nowadays."

CITROEN'S STAR TURN

Citroen's updated model in the C5 range is to get a steering wheel where the rim turns independently of the centre. This innovation is also tipped to appear on the new C4 at its Paris motor show launch in September. In addition, the C5 gets a fresh digital readout in the centre of the dash, easier-to-use ventilation and stereo controls and improved seat fabrics. Meanwhile, Citroen in France is offering a free loan car to honeymooners. It says the scheme could extend to other countries, if it works out.

SMELL OF LUXURY

One of the best aspects of a new car is the smell, right? But it never lasts long enough. Now, luxury carmakers are experimenting to create the best and longest-lasting new-car smell yet. It will come from the adhesives and sealers that hold all the fabric, plastic and other materials together. Cadillac is aiming to create a permanent Cadillac-only smell of leather.

EMIRATES' VW STAKE

Arab Emirate state Abu Dhabi is about to buy 10 per cent of Volkswagen. Under the deal, Abu Dhabi's state-owned Mubadala Development, Volkswagen and an unnamed Saudi investor will buy LeasePlan, Europe's leading car-fleet-management firm, from Dutch bank ABN Amro for $US2.4 billion ($3.8 billion). LeasePlan, which made a net profit of €193 million ($368 million) last year, would be one of VW's biggest acquisitions, giving it control of a firm that manages about 1.2 million vehicles.

WE ARE THE WORLD

British brewery boss Dave Roberts has come up with a new beer, called Highway Robbery ale. It's Roberts' way of protesting at the use of speed cameras he calls "unnecessary and unwanted roadside mugging machines". Highway Robbery ale will be on tap in Northumbrian pubs. Its pump crest shows a speed camera dressed like infamous 18th-century highwayman Dick Turpin.