On a Mercedes W123 diesel, a vacuum leak can prevent the engine from switching off. The central locking uses the same vacuum supply, so a leaking door-lock circuit can affect engine shutdown. It is on
Why did Volkswagen make Harlequin cars? The multicoloured Polo began as a promotional demonstration of Volkswagen’s modular ordering system. Customers wanted the display cars, prompting the Polo
An LS V8 in a Porsche 911 isn’t exactly new territory. People have been swapping American V8s into 911s for years. But Gary Reid has taken the idea somewhere Porsche definitely never planned for
The Porsche 944 was never offered as a wagon, but Carpoint has decided to fix that. The German Porsche specialist has turned the classic sports car into a hand-built shooting brake called the GT-K44.
The new Dodge Charger has crossed the Atlantic, and British buyers can finally get their hands on the gas-powered Sixpack. There’s a catch, though. Dodge never developed the new Charger for righ
The Messerschmitt KR200 looks as though it ought to have a pilot rather than a driver. Its two occupants sit one behind the other beneath a clear canopy, with the little engine tucked behind them. The
A stubborn wheel nut invites a familiar response: a longer wrench, a firmer pull and perhaps a few unkind words. On certain older Chryslers, that approach can end with a snapped stud. The nut was neve
Washing a car in winter can feel wonderfully pointless. The bodywork is clean for perhaps half a journey. Then a truck passes in the opposite direction, the windshield receives a cold brown showe
A vehicle identification number has the charm of a password printed by a malfunctioning office computer. It is long, awkward to recite and generally ignored until an insurer, parts supplier or registr
Inside a modern automotive design studio, there are enormous screens, virtual-reality headsets, laser scanners, 3D printers and computers capable of rendering a car so convincingly that its paint appe