Amec weighs on FTSE February 14, 2013 The FTSE 100 edged down this morning as oil engineer Amec weighed heavily on the index. Shares in the engineer lost more than 5.5 per cent in early trading, despite it posting an 11 per cent hike in annual earnings this morning, enabling it to pledge a 20 per cent increase in its dividend. “In [...]
The new Mini might be the best yet February 11, 2013 BACK WHEN most cars could still be relied upon to regularly break down, racing and rally car constructor John Cooper invented the original pocket rocket. He race-tuned the astonishing BMC Mini to create the Mini Cooper. It earned iconic status by dominating saloon car and rally racing in the 1960s. It won the Monte Carlo [...]
Rivals worth considering February 11, 2013 The BMW M1235i, from £29,995 At this price the bigger and more practical, rear-wheel drive BMW M135i might be worth considering. There’s a 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder engine pushing out 316bhp from under its understated bonnet. It can accelerate from zero to 62mph in just 4.8 seconds and is a far better everyday driver than past [...]
Peugeot aims to top its iconic 205 February 4, 2013 IF YOU are of a certain age you’ll know how revered the Peugeot 205 was. The little motor transformed the supermini segment when it was introduced back in 1983 and went on to become something of an icon. Peugeot is hoping its new 208 model can recapture its success. Unlike its 206 and 207 predecessors [...]
And if that doesn’t take your fancy… February 4, 2013 Ford Fiesta Titanium 1.0T EcoBoost, £16,045 It’s Britain’s best selling car for a reason. The Ford Fiesta is a great all-rounder and considered to be one of the most fun superminis to drive. It’s also sharp-looking and offers a good combination of attributes. The latest model is available with a three-cylinder 123bhp 1.0-litre EcoBoost engine, [...]
The sporty but sensible Mazda 6 January 29, 2013 With the price of fuel about to go up again, it’s no surprise so many of us now consider fuel economy one of the most important considerations when buying a new car. It’s the latest front to open up in the battle to attract car buyers and Mazda has made a massive effort to ensure [...]
Car talk January 29, 2013 Aston Martin ushers in an even faster supercar Aston Martin has introduced a faster, more agile four-door Rapide supercar. The Rapide S luxury GT has a more powerful, though more efficient, 6.0-litre V12 engine. Power is up by a massive 80bhp to 550bhp shaving 0.3 seconds off its 0-62 mph time; down to just 4.9 [...]
FTSE 100 flat after hitting multi-year highs January 25, 2013 The leading share index was flat in this morning’s trading, after the FTSE 100 hit its highest level in almost five years yesterday, giving London its best start to the trading year since 1989. The blue chip index surged past the 6,200 level, closing up just over one per cent at 6,264.91 last night. But [...]
Iron ore output jumps at BHP January 23, 2013 Australian miner BHP Billiton posted a three per cent annual uptick in iron ore production in the last three months of the year, as it kept pace with Chinese demand. The FTSE 100 mining giant produced 42m tonnes of iron ore in the fourth quarter, from 41.1m over the same period in 2011. BHP reiterated its [...]
Unilever boosts FTSE 100 as it edges towards 6,200 January 23, 2013 The leading share index edged up towards the 6,200 level this morning, led by consumer goods group Unilever. The stock was the strongest riser on the FTSE 100 this morning, on the back of a buoyant trading statement. Turnover jumped 10.5 per cent in 2012, boosted by growth in emerging markets. Martin Deboo at Investec [...]