The latest series of hit BBC show The Apprentice concluded just before Christmas and in doing so shone a light on women in engineering.

Engine braking restricts airflow when a driver releases the accelerator. This creates a high manifold vacuum that cylinders are made to work against. Energy is sapped from the engine, causing a drop in power and speed.

The motoring industry is by its very nature fast paced.

New technology continually alters our perceptions and expectations of what can be achieved on four wheels. Yet while a great many car features have evolved - some beyond recognition - others have remained largely untouched.

Two years ago we wrote about the flying car and asked whether us mere mortals could ever hope to replicate the likes of Doc Brown and take to the skies via our wheels.

We’ll be honest in admitting we felt this idea was farfetched at the time and (light) years away. As it happens, we and a great many sceptics were wrong. That’s because the future we spoke of is here, at least according to one Dutch automaker.

The electric revolution may still be in its infancy, but it’s undeniable that fossil fuel-based engines are on borrowed time. However, whether they’re battery powered or fuel cell-based engines, the future greener vehicles will still need to prioritise passenger safety for any commercial or mass produced vehicles. We can then safely assume that the braking system will be unchanged for the foreseeable future, until a more revolutionary system can be produced of course.

Two years ago we wrote about a car turned rocket ship that promised to break the land speed record and inspire a new generation of engineers. Big plans however quickly gave way to big problems and after much fanfare the very future of the Bloodhound project soon hung in the balance.

Now it's returned from the brink and we’ve taken a look at how. What went wrong and why, from near extinction, are things suddenly back on track? Could the sacred 1,000mph barrier be reached after all?

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but also an ancient mathematical equation, apparently.

The Golden Ratio principle garnered much attention last year when it was used to crown George Clooney the ‘most beautiful man in the world’. A beauty king needs a beauty queen of course and soon after the same formula anointed model Belle Hadid to this make-believe throne.

In case you hadn’t noticed it’s getting cold out there. The British summer was short-lived and not altogether tropical, though we did at least soak up the hottest July day on record!

Now however the days are getting shorter and there is an undeniable chill in the air. Soon attention will turn to log fires and gift buying, but before then motorists may want to brace themselves for Christmas another way.