Audi Australia can no longer claim to have the world's largest Audi dealership. Audi West London has opened with three floors of cars, a 32-bay basement workshop, a one-tonne aluminium sculpture hanging in the foyer and a two-storey exhibition and convention centre. It cost $82 million and its design was inspired by a 600km/h instrument of death (B2 Stealth Bomber) and the fish that killed Steve Irwin (manta ray).

Automotive enviro-fraudulence reached fever pitch when HSV recently claimed in a news release that its Maloo ute had won the 3147km Darwin to Adelaide Global Green Challenge. It didn't. In fact, it emitted the most CO2 (178g/km), consumed the most fuel (243.5L), and offered the worst fuel economy (7.74L/100km) of all 17 competitors. Ford was pretty disappointed to learn of HSV's victory, especially after the ECOnetic Fiesta achieved 3.13L/100km, burnt less than half the fuel and emitted just under half the CO2. The only green thing about the Maloo was actually its colour. However, it's probably the only Maloo in history to drive more than 3000km through the bush without once doing a burnout or any circle-work.

If Mazda is correct, synthetic urine could help save the planet. The new CX-7 uses an additive called AdBlue - 33 per cent pure urea diluted in water - to reduce harmful NOx exhaust emissions. Mazda's faux pee causes ‘selective catalytic reduction' that turns NOx into nitrogen and water when squirted into the exhaust. A $140 refill buys you 15.5 litres - enough for 20,000km - which is significantly more than the non-synthesised stuff. The car won't start when the AdBlue tank runs dry, and there is no organic roadside refill option. At least, not yet.

Pain, Sant' Agata Bolognese-style: The GFC has not been kind to Lamborghini. But even at home-loan rates the interest bill on a Murcielago LP640 remains extortionate for mere mortals ... except in the US, where Lambo America has just rolled out three years interest-free finance. The deal is on the table only on the LP640 and only if you have a rock-solid credit rating. If your credit's rocky, the best they can do is 5.99 per cent over an incredible 12 years - that would be $920 weekly (interest only) if the same deal were in place Down Under. But as things stand for most of us the carrot is still half a world away, and remains well beyond arm's reach.

In the future, hotel valets might go the way of the dinosaur. Cars might park themselves autonomously, after you get out. Stanford University's new Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Laboratory (VAIL) has designed an inbuilt robotic valet for a Passat called, inexplicably, ‘Junior'. It's able to locate the first available parking space and park without any human intervention, using laser, radar and lidar. (VAIL is also designing a robotic Audi TTS called ‘Shelley' that will be sent off to climb Pike's Peak on its own.) Slight problem: Junior can park only if provided with a map of the car park well beforehand, and has no capacity for obstacle avoidance. (Think: Mother-in-law.) Nor will it stop if it encounters one...

The world's cheapest (and, some might say, ugliest) car is on fire - literally. Three spontaneous conflagrations have erupted from the steering columns of early examples of the Tata Nano. Only around 7500 Nanos have so far been delivered to customers. No injuries have been reported as a result of the fault, which Tata claims is caused by a short-circuit in the headlight/indicator/wiper-washer combo switch. Tata has committed to a pre-deliver ‘audit' of upcoming Nanos, but has so far sidestepped the dreaded ‘R' word (recall). As many as 200,000 Nano pre-orders have been lodged, which should be only about 80 steering column fires' worth.

Russian roulette is being writ large across busy intersections in Bulgaria. A new gambling fad dubbed ‘Russian Road Roulette' (RRR) involves crazed drivers, busy intersections and paying punters. SMS messages alert punters and participants of the next intersection, bets are placed, and competitors drive through against red lights, swerving if required to avoid pedestrians and right-of-way motorists. According to RRR rules, drivers must not touch the brakes, or crash into cars or pedestrians. Punters who back a winner stand to make as much as $8k a round. And so far, only two deaths have been attributed to the new ‘sport'. Ridiculous.

The car you drive has a direct bearing on the risk of death and injury to you as a driver - an especially important concept for young drivers, who are inherently more likely to crash than experienced drivers.

So, what are the safest first cars for young drivers?

For less than $30,000 there are 20 small and light new cars available in the Australian market with a five-star safety rating.

Having five stars is important: for every 10 peaople who die in crashes in a one- or two-star car, five would have survived if they had been in a five-star car.

The safest first new cars are currently:

Citroen C4
Fiat Ritmo
Fiat Punto
Fiat 500
Ford Fiesta
Ford Focus
Holden Cruze
Hyundai i30
Kia Soul
Mazda2
Mitsubishi Lancer
Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback
Peugeot 207
Peugeot 308
Renault Clio
Renault Megane
Subaru Impreza
Toyota Corolla
Toyota Yaris
Volkswagen Golf

For more information on star ratings: www.ancap.com.au

Industry sources say an announcement about future Holden Commodore exports to the US is imminent. The resurrection of the Commodore for US law enforcement is likely, though no official statement has been made as we recorded this episode of The Drive Show.

Chevrolet is tipped to reveal its favoured US police patrol car at the 116th International Association of Chiefs of Police convention in Denver this week. The Commodore-based G8, re-badged as a Chevy after the demise of Pontiac, is among the favourites.

But it's not the first time the Commodore's resurrection has been mooted. In winter, GM marketing boss Bob Lutz talked up the Commodore's future as the next Chevy Caprice ... then kyboshed the concept just four days later.

Stay tuned.

Full Story here

Save thousands - get the lowest price on your next new car here

Hear this story in Episode 19 of TheDriveShow