The Tour has not been cancelled since 1946 when France was recovering from the War but has now been cancelled is in its 107th year after France's lockdown extension.

French sports minister Roxana Maracineanu looked to clarify the situation around the biggest race in cycling, which has already been rearranged to take place on August 29.

It is the first time China has led the Bentley sales table, a landmark that will be seen as another sign of a new world economic order.

A British sports car, whose determined lady driver beat the Nazis to win Olympic gold at the Berlin Games of 1936, has revved into London 2012.

Sultry pop star Lana del Rey took the wraps off Jaguar's flashy new F-Type sports car, pictured right, as a string of new British vehicles stole the Paris Motor Show from under the noses of the French this week.

James Bond star Daniel Craig performed a top secret mission right under the noses of the world's media at this week's royal global premier of the latest 007 movie, Skyfall, which goes on general release today.

Start queuing for the Dacia Sandero - it’s Britain’s cheapest car at less than £6,000. Renault bought the Romanian car-maker in 1999 as its ‘budget’ brand and the UK market is the final piece of the jigsaw.

It accelerates from rest to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds and will cost around £77,000 when in showrooms early next year (for delivery in summer).

Production of the third generation Octavia started this month at the Mlada Boleslav plant in the Czech Republic, ahead of its March launch in Britain.

It will be in showrooms this spring, priced at £160,000, following its global unveiling at the Detroit Motor Show on January 14. Bentley describes it as its ' performance flagship convertible'.

What would you splash out on if your numbers came up? According to new research, for British car fans, nothing but a Bentley will do.

With a longer range, lots of extra space and a heavier steer, the Nissan LEAF might be small but it drives like one of the big boys - and that's no bad thing.

RAY MASSEY: As controversial table-manners go, it certainly beats resting on your elbows. This remarkable stunt came as the dashing Earl of March hosted a sumptuous sponsors and press dinner.

The British car maker is marking its big day with a striking display of its heritage and future technology, proving that although it's 65, the car won't be pensioned off.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a growing family must be in want of a multi-purpose car, writes RAY MASSEY of the £23,895 KIA Carens '3' 1.7 CRDi manual.

That rare shaft of sunshine this week was enough for British supercar-maker Aston Martin to launch a blistering £200,000 flagship soft-top, a highlight of its centenary year.

Earplugs ready! German sports car meister Porsche and the Goodwood Festival of Speed are revving up for their birthdays this month. Porsche will mark the 50th anniversary of its classic 911.

RAY MASSEY: The first things to catch the eye are the curious blisters of air-filled plastic, which adorn the sides of the door and bodywork.

This is not so much a van as a luxurious business-class aircraft cabin on wheels. I had to ferry three adults, two growing teenagers, and luggage.

Most of the hi-tech kit needed for the car to drive itself — from self-parking to collision avoidance — is already hard-wired into the new version.

It's not every day I get a police escort down The Mall from Buckingham Palace. But I did - well, sort of - in this head-turning electric car from BMW.

Just in time to add to your New Year wish list comes Mercedes-Benz's latest version of its C-Class compact saloons. And what a high-tech feast it is.

Nifty, nimble and willing 1.6-litre 156 bhp petrol engine linked to a smooth six-speed manual gearbox, which helped propel the car from rest to 62 mph in just 8.2 seconds.

This is the second generation of the family car that broke the mould and helped create a whole new segment of 'crossover' vehicles, which put a 4x4 shape on the frame of a hatchback.

Ray Massey, motoring editor, gets to grips with the award-winning family car, Nick Clegg's push for electric cars and the biggest dangers on the road.

As the new year plates arrive, car sales look set to flourish as people are enjoying PPI claim payouts and cheap credit.

The second worst car was the Mercedes-Benz B-Class (2005- 2012) managing just 42.6 mpg compared with the claimed 59.6 mpg (71.8 per cent).

The 200 mph California T is set to roar into Britain from September after its world debut at next month's Geneva Motor Show, whilst the Jaguar F-Type sports coupe was launched this week.

The latest new Porsche roared into 'Motown' this week as all eyes turned to Detroit - the home of U.S. car-building, but a city that has known better times.

She is known for her individual style, so it should come as no surprise that singer VV Brown has partnered with Vauxhall Motors to personalise and design her very own Vauxhall ADAM car.

As Maserati marks its 100th year, you can expect to see the luxury car sponsoring exclusive events and opening new showrooms across the UK.

Ray Massey tests the Hyundai iX35 Premium 1.7 CRDI 2WD Manual, a car with kerb appeal

Promising more space, headroom, legroom and much greater ease of entry for rear passengers, it goes on sale in October from £15,900 to £20,050 on the road

The Audi S3 feels smart, comfortable, sporty and grown-up, but also great fun says RAY MASSEY. The stop-start system also switches off the engine to save fuel.

Prices start at £20,455 on the road for the 1.4-litre TSI 125 PS manual and rise to £33,795 for the mean-looking 2-litre TSI 280 PS R. First UK deliveries will be in October

The new model will be 17 per cent more economical than its predecessor. The Fabia is expected to go on sale in the UK early next year and will cost between £10, 000 and £16, 000.

The XE, on sale next spring from £27,000, is Britain's challenger to Germany's big-selling BMW 3-series and is arguably the most important family car in the firm's history.

The event marks Parliament allowing motorists to drive without a man waving a red flag ahead in 1896. Hollywood drove a two-seater 1904 De Dion-Bouton

The Passat has been around for 42 years, the first model came out in 1973. The estate car is the fourth biggest-selling VW in the UK. The new model has keyless entry and heated seats.

Built with flexibility in mind, it also has a sliding second row of seats. There is a choice of five turbocharged petrol and diesel engines. It is also the only car in its class to team four wheel -drive with seven seats.

The company have put a great deal of attention to detail into the new model of the Zetec which is both effortless and nimble to drive. Ford have listened to their customers and simplified the car's interior.

Amid all the fashion models and cars at the Paris motor show, Kia's sports utility vehicle turned heads. The seven-seater promises improved ride, handling and crash safety, writes RAY MASSEY

The new prototype is a two-door 'crossover' aimed at young families but the final version will be a four-door petrol-electric hatchback crossover. It includes a permanent integrated child seat.

The Outlander PHEV can be charged overnight at home, run on electric-only power or operate in hybrid mode, switching between petrol and electric power, depending on which is most efficient.

Just as George Osborne ratcheted up company car tax for thousands of motorists, German giant BMW unveiled its new 'budget buster' — its first mainstream plug-in petrol-electric hybrid SUV.

In a stunt worthy of the latest Bond film Spectre — for which the firm is supplying many of the cars — the XF (pictured) was revealed in a dramatic stunt high over the Royal Dock in Canary Wharf.

Cumberbatch was at the Shanghai Motor Show for the unveiling of the MG GS It will go on sale in Britain late next year.

As British Jaguars delivered guests to the annual WTA pre-Wimbledon Party, the Russian tennis star squeezed in a sneaky drive of the Porsche Boxter Spyder.

Having test-driven one for a week, I'm impressed with Volvo's exceptionally striking, high-tech and nimble XC90 sports utility vehicle.

Jaguar's elegant new products are leaping ahead to rival German companies such as BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz. The elegant new sports saloon XF is the latest to hit the road