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Although Ford is spending less on gay marketing and to support gay groups, the cutbacks are due to the slowing economy and not because of any “settlement” with the American Family Association, as the group announced this week.

“I can tell you there was not a negotiated settlement to this boycott,” said Ford spokesman Jim Cain. The automaker still backs groups including Human Rights Campaign and Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.

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PSA Peugeot Citroen has now produced more than 10 million vehicles equipped with the HDi engine, a key factor in reducing CO2 emissions.

Coming less than a decade after the Group introduced HDi technology in 1998, this success validates its commitment to high-volume production of modern diesel engines that offer superior environmental performance, driveability and fuel efficiency.

The HDi has enabled PSA Peugeot Citroen to maintain and expand its leadership in diesel engine technology and to outpace the fast growth in diesel sales in Europe over the past ten years. It has also helped make the Group the European leader in CO2 emissions control.

Deployment of common-rail technology across the Peugeot and Citroen model base has enabled the development of a diverse array of high-tech diesels, ranging from the 55hp, 1.4-liter 4-cylinder engine to the 205hp, 2.7-liter V6. The lineup comprises eight passenger car versions, steadily gaining in power in 14 to 34hp increments.

The success of the HDi engine stems from its alignment with both customer demand and the growing environmental consciousness of modern society. HDi-powered cars deliver properties symbolized by a “magic square” of fuel efficiency, driveability, quiet ride and clean running.

Leveraging their recognized expertise in diesel technology to develop the HDi, PSA Peugeot Citroen’s engine ers have achieved unprecedented performance levels in terms of driveability, quiet ride and environmental footprint.

The HDi reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 20% compared with the  previous generation of prechamber diesels and by 30% compared with a same-size gasoline engine. More efficient management of the combustion process provided by common rail technology has reduced carbon monoxide emissions by 40%, unburned hydrocarbons by 50% and engine particulates by 60%.

HDi technology has also enabled the Group’s engineers to develop the world’s first FAP particulate filter, which is gradually being fitted to almost all of the Peugeot and Citroen HDi models.

When it comes to luxury sports cars, Ferrari begs to differ with the Pope.

The Vatican issued a document listing its rules of the road, including one warning against using cars “as a means for outshining other people and arousing a feeling of envy”.

Ferrari’s general manager acknowledged the Vatican’s concern that some drivers could use the cars as status symbols, but he said most people bought Ferraris for the love of driving.

“Unless having fun has become a sin, I don’t believe it (to be wrong),” Amedeo Felisa told Reuters this week at an event celebrating Ferrari’s 60th anniversary in its hometown southeast of Milan.

A unit of Italy’s Fiat, Ferrari makes some of the world’s most exclusive cars, each worth more than 100,000 euros. Felisa was convinced that buying a Ferrari was not a sin. “I hope not, but you should commit at least one from time to time,” he said.

A team of Greek scientists and companies is working on the transformation of a hydrogen-powered bus into a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, it has been confirmed.

The 40-seater bus was handed over to the team by the country’s Transport Minister Michalis Liapis. On completion of the project, the bus will be Greece’s most environmentally-friendly vehicle on the road to date.

A number of European cities already run hydrogen-powered buses, as although they are more expensive they are significantly more environmentally friendly than conventional alternatives.

Motorists in Bosnia were surprised on the weekend when they were pulled over by police only to be presented with music CDs as a reward for good driving, a Sarajevo daily said yesterday.

Police in the eastern town of Gorazde handed out CDs with popular local music to conscientious drivers for obeying rules, such as speed limits and using seat belts, said the Dnevni Avaz newspaper. Bad driving habits and poor roads make driving in Bosnia one of the most dangerous experiences in Europe.