An intelligent system that could before long enable cars to tell mechanics which of their parts need servicing is being unveiled by engineers at the University of Cambridge.

The specially-adapted Fiat prototype, which will be presented at a European technology show this week, can tell garage staff about the state of its components in seconds by using electronic tags inside its engine.

The system has been designed by academics at Cambridge's Institute for Manufacturing. In conjunction with sophisticated software, it could be used to speed up servicing, and identify which parts can be recycled or reused when the vehicle reaches the end of its life. Combining such information from many vehicles would pinpoint which parts of a car need redesigning.