Evening Gazette

Small and Smart - the New Verso-S

PUT an S on the end of a car's name and it normally stands for Sport. But Toyota is breaking the mould with its new Verso-S - because this time it stands for small, spacious and smart.

Electric Phantom Set for Geneva ; Drivelines

ROLLS-Royce is joining the electric revolution and has developed a battery-powered Phanton which will be seen for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show. The car - a one-off codenamed the 102EX -is purely experimental and will be used as a test bed.

Croft Ready ; Drivelines

CROFT motor sports circuit has announced its plans for the coming season, including a Nostalgia Weekend which was popular last year. The circuit, near Darlington, has confirmed a fixture list of 11 events including the MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship from May 13-15 and the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship on June 18-19.

Bmw I's Future ; Drivelines

A SUB-BRAND is being introduced by BMW to mark the growing importance of eco models. The BMW i series cars will feature alternative power systems such as electric motors and plug-in hybrid vehicles which are low on emissions.

Prices in Accord ; Drivelines

Virage Looks to Be a Real Lean Machine ; Motoring World

THE looks are long and lean, the power savage, the refinement guaranteed. It's not a mirage, but the Virage. And performance car maker Aston Martin will be showing it for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show next week.

Used Hyundai I10 or New Hyundai I10..?

IF you want a decent small car you have a lot of choice these days. A sharp rise in the cost of fuel coupled with emissions based road tax has made these cars very popular.

Slack's Skoda Satisfaction ; Drivelines

A TEESSIDE motor dealer has been named number one for customer satisfaction by Skoda. Derek Slack Motors of Middlesbrough picked up the honour at the Skoda Retailer of the Year ceremony at the Zofin Palace, in Prague.

Downhill Audi ; Drivelines

AUDI'S expertise in lightweight construction and tackling wintry conditions is take a new twist on the piste. The company has just produced a set of carbon skis and is considering putting them on sale in time for the next winter sports season later in the year. Made from an outer shell of high-strength carbon fibre encloses layers of aluminium and titanium, and a wood core the skis are said to be significantly lighter than conventional skis making them very manoeuvrable.

Smarter Smart ; Drivelines

The American Dream Moves Upmarket

CONSIDERING how much effort and cash goes into marketing cars it is amazing how many odd campaign ideas slip through the net. Currently I am confused over BMW's Joy tag line. Joy who? Is it a very European Ode To Joy? And did Renault not realise that by picking on the good sheepists of Gisburn they needled all of us with a broad northern rurality? Or that the area is really rather upmarket and largely owned by Mrs Elizabeth Queen? Nissan seems to want to convince us that the Qashqai is the ca...

Back to the Future As Vw Revives a Drop-Top Delight

VOLKSWAGEN is serving up a treat for drop-top fans with the return of a model last seen nine years ago. The new Golf Cabriolet will make its public debut at next week's Geneva Motor Show ahead of a September launch date.

Piaggio's Brilliant New Mp3

I COULDN'T wait to escape the UK's miserable winter and jet off to the sunny South of France. Hooray for the launch of Piaggio's MP3 Yourban. This three-wheeled twist-and-go has become a regular sight on our roads since Piaggio launched its first MP3 in 2006.

Craig Relishes Tees Return

LAST time he was in Middlesbrough comedian Craig Campbell tucked into that local delicacy the parmo and discovered that, when it comes nights out, Teessiders love a good laugh. The Canadian funnyman, who played Middlesbrough Town Hall while supporting Frankie Boyle on his 120-date sell-out nationwide tour, is now on the road with his debut solo tour. With his trademark brand of inventive storytelling, the comic is playing play venues nationwide - including dates in Middlesbrough and Darlingto...

Sample the Snowdrops ; Out and About

TAKE a wander through stunning snowdrops in Guisborough this weekend. On Sunday, visitors to the woodland gardens, right, next to Gisborough Priory will be able to enjoy the spectacle of the spring blooms among the trees of the Monks' Walk.

Let the Good Times Roll Again!

LEGENDARY rock and rollers SHOWADDYWADDY will be playing a hit- packed set at a Teesside theatre next week. The band, who formed way back in 1973, play a date at Middlesbrough Theatre on Thursday. Their first single, Hey Rock And Roll, was released in April 1974 and shot to No Two in the UK charts.

Dvds:

Alan Little reports: CYRUS (15) .... DIVORCED film editor John (John C Reilly) is stuck in a rut seven years after the break up of his marriage to Jamie (Catherine Keener) until he meets Molly (Marisa Tomei) at a party. After a few dates he is a little mystified by the fact that she never invites him back to her house so he follows her and discovers that she has a 21-year-old musician son Cyrus (Jonah Hill). The mummy's boy is determined to sabotage John's romance in a humorous and often pain...

Review: No Strings Attached

THAT crazy little thing called love complicates a seemingly perfect relationship based on sex in Ivan Reitman's contemporary comedy of social mores. As the title suggests, No Strings Attached centres on a pair of 20-something professionals who don't have time in their busy schedules for an inconvenience such as commitment.

Review: I Am Number Four

DIRECTOR DJ Caruso (Eagle Eye, Disturbia) provides the requisite slam-bang thrills in this adaptation of Pittacus Lore's novel, the first instalment of a proposed six-book series. To a cynical eye, I Am Number Four has been constructed purely with box-office receipts in mind, mimicking the forbidden love and adventure of the Twilight films, albeit with earth-bound aliens replacing the vampires and werewolves.

Strung Out for Love ; Film of the Week: No Strings Attached

NOT many women can boast of having Ashton Kutcher waiting for them in the room next door -unless, of course, you are Demi Moore. The Kutcher that eventually comes out to greet me is unshaven and looking slightly tired.