Wood heater in a car...and it is perfectly legal

The Swiss is s stickler for rules so when Paskal Prokop decided to fit a wood-burning stove in place of the front passenger seat of his Volvo 240 wagon he had to get the authorities to approve it for road use and apparently he has done such a good job to warrant the approval.

He says the wood stove keeps the car warm even when he turns off the engine. What it does for the Volvo 240's carbon footprint doesn't bear thinking.

Spyshots: V40 is looking very good and very Volvo

 These spyshots of the upcoming Volvo V40 is so distinctly Volvo that I guessed it was from Gothenburg even before I read the headline.

The strong shoulder line, distinctive rear lamps and sloping window lines is a clear link to current Volvo cars.

Not much is known about this species but researchers expect more spyshots and teasers to come our way in the next week.

More pictures after the jump

Chevrolet confirms Cruze wagon ahead of Geneva debut

General Motors is aggressively pushing the Chevrolet brand as their global flagship and no global car brand can be respected without a serious presence in Europe. Acceptance in the old continent will give Chevrolet much needed credibility to storm the rest of the world.

In Europe, station wagon is still a popular option and most brands, from mass to premium all have at least one on offer for the European market and Chevrolet is following suit with their global car, the Cruze.

We like the design, it is neat, coherent and rather stylish but that sloping rear hatch probably takes some of the practicality and load carrying capacity out of the car.