Last updated 19:15 BST.
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Channel delays: Stena Harwich-Hook. Condor.
Weather alerts: Amber: Italy, Slovenia, Montenegro.
Weather: thunder north; cloudy central; fine west and south.
Traffic: see @DE_Traffic.
Notes: Condor.
See Travel/Traffic/Weather for more.
News: next gen Audi lights – Russia bribe fine – traffic dips Spain, Portugal, Italy; flat France – Mercedes GLA.
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Audi’s new indicators, debuting on the updated A8 next week.
Headlights – is Audi about to open a new front in headlight wars? Now even Hyundai has done away with fairy light LEDs and adopted ice white DRL strips the pressure is on to pull something really fresh out of the bag. We’ve known about Audi’s new matrix lamps for a while, those that can dim individual LEDs to avoid dazzling anything in the way while illuminating either side. They’re great obviously, but who’s going to be able to tell you’ve got ‘em?! Not so with the new indicators which will debut alongside on the facelifted A8 next week: ‘During flashing, the blocks are sequentially activated at 20 millisecond intervals, from the inside outwards in the desired turning direction. After 150 milliseconds, all segments are bright; for another 250 milliseconds they illuminate with full intensity. Afterwards, the turn signals go dark before repeating the lighting sequence.’ Gaudy or great? Not long to wait now.
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Russia – a Chinese driver in Sakhalin was fined £12,000 for trying to bribe a traffic policeman says Interfax.
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Traffic – no statistical sampling and super computer analysis needed in countries with tolls, they just count the receipts to see what’s happening with motorway traffic. For the first half of 2013, according to figures from the Financial Times, traffic is down 9% in Spain, 6.3% in Portugal and 2.8% in Italy. The paper analysed the results of the leading operators in each country: Abertis Infrastructuras, Brisa, and Atlantia respectively. This is distressing news in Spain especially where several operators were already under severe financial pressure. None as yet however have gone bust. Motorway traffic in France is reportedly broadly flat.
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Mercedes’ Evoque-fighter, the GLA is revealed today ahead of its debut at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show. The launch GLA250 4MATIC features an inline 4-cylinder 208bhp petrol engine mated to the 7-speed double clutch transmission. UK prices start at £25,000. Compact, 4x4s with fancy badges have clear go-anywhere-do-anything appeal so it’s a sector we keep an eye on. Happily the GLA does have the all-important full length panoramic sunroof. Hopefully Range Rover has an appropriate response waiting in the wings. The GLA looks decidedly sportier even though it’s a fair bit down on power compared to the 240bhp Evoque, so far.
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