The new Ford Focus is now on sale with a new look and a host of new equipment. The best-selling Ford Focus has been 'Mondeo-ised', and the revisions are most evident at the front, with the Volkswagen Golf rival sporting new headlamps and a bolder grille.

19 December 2007 by Vijay Pattni Prices for the new Mitsubishi Evo X will start from £27,499 when it goes on sale next year. And the range-topping Mitsubishi Evo X FQ-360 model - with an expected power output of 360bhp - will start at £37,999. But buyers on a budget

F1 star Lewis Hamilton has been banned from driving in France after being caught speeding on a motorway. The McLaren driver was caught by police speeding at 120mph in the northern town of Laon on Sunday behind the wheel of a Mercedes - 40mph over the speed limit.

Apart from all you civilians, we press members experience an exclusive little pocket of each auto show called Media Day. Last year brought memories of multiple automakers from across the Earth's continents making flashy, techno music-filled new car introductions of their latest wares, hyping us up about what's to come. Funny how things can change in a year's time.

An outsider heading to an auto show in a Southern California region called the Inland Empire probably expects a majestic, cultural paradise with plenty of fun, sun, and sand. True enough, if you take "paradise" to mean smog, "sand" to mean desert, "sun" to mean 90 degrees and "fun" to mean commuting in gridlocked traffic to get there. Also, an auto show in March is like a movie release in February; can you say "leftovers"? Sorry, the 2005 model year was pretty much done by Christmas.

As similar as they may sound, differences exist between the California International Auto Show and the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show. Anaheim kicks off the model year, L.A. kicks off the calendar year. The latter takes place in an area so densely packed that those track driving events for Volvos and Chevys - always a spectator magnet - didn't make the cut. Even among a mostly unchanged main cast, the spotlight shined on different performers. And there were many more guests from the aftermarket industry, who, fittingly enough, were placed underground

Just a block down the street from The Happiest Place on Earth, the nation's most car-crazed state held its first auto show (with three more to follow in winter) featuring what's to come in 2005 and 2006. Everyone who's anyone in the auto industry was at Anaheim's Convention Center this week (which might explain Isuzu's absence), as were some big-name tuners (Steve Saleen, anyone?). Whether speaking of the performers or the audience, it was a healthy turnout.

International car shows offer car manufacturers a platform for showcasing their latest cars to an international audience. All the international car shows held all over the world serve as a common platform for manufacturers to get together, share knowledge and expertise, and announce their plans to an eager world audience.

A car show is a platform for automobile manufacturers to demonstrate their latest cars to consumers. Often it is also the place for them to show their antique cars and at the same time to show concept cars or models of cars under design that will grow to become concept cars of the future.

Auto shows are an American tradition, some of which have continued into 100 years of automotive existence. The 2007 automotive shows again brought in the crowd to admire the new innovations, concepts, and imagination of the leading automobile manufacturers.