Engineers of the future found out more about the cars of the future - and the present - from an expert visitor.

The second year motor vehicle mechanics students at Uxbridge College heard all about the lastest in car technology from David Waghorn, Franchise Director, Honda and Lexus for Inchcape plc UK.

He also brought along his Lexus GS 450h, which a group of students had a peek at after the talk on 11 December.

The £38,000, 3.5 litre, high-performance car, known as a hybrid model, runs on electric power at speeds of up to 20mph and from a petrol engine at higher speeds.

Other features include a pre-crash safety system, which works out if you are about to have a crash, and tightens the seatbelts if necessary.

Mr Waghorn said he thought electric cars would never be popular because they were too inconvenient to charge, but predicted hydrogen-powered cars were a growing trend particularly because they can be powered from renewable sources.

Caroline Jones, Director of Technology, said: "Our courses are specifically designed to prepare people to work in industry so visitors like David fit in perfectly here. Everyone was really inspired by David's talk - and his car!"

Inchcape is a global distributor of cars which covers franchises including Toyota and Jaguar.