Arias Pistons 12.5:1 Compression 82mm Bore Honda B-series on 2040-parts.com

2014 Ford Transit Connect Wagon announced

Ford has introduced the 2014 Transit Connect Wagon, a vehicle the automaker is calling “so unique it is a revolution in seven-passenger transportation.” We won't know whether or not it is truly revolutionary until we can get behind the wheel, but at first glance, the new vehicle appears to be a very tall wagon or a small minivan, or a Transit Connect with larger windows. The Transit Connect Wagon is tied to Ford's current car lineup aesthetically via the characteristic Blue Oval hexagonal grille, but it's the van/wagon's utility that will likely become its biggest selling point. Ford claims the Transit Connect Wagon will be able to swallow a 1,200 lb.

Do Winter Tyres REALLY work? Oh, yes, say Volvo (+ video)

Volvo prove how effective Winter Tyres are in the Snowdome For some reason, the debate on fitting winter tyres in the UK continues to be a debate, even when those who’ve actually used a car fitted with winter tyres swear by them (an argument not helped by previous government advice). So Volvo – safety conscious as ever – decided to prove the point by taking the very good Volvo V40 off to the Snowdome indoor ski slope in Tamworth to see exactly what difference a set of winter tyres makes to the grip available in a regular, FWD, family Volvo. And the results should make every car owner go out and fit winter tyres.

Smart fortwo Edition Limited Three

Mercedes has had stick in the past for playing with its ‘Toy Car’, the Smart. What was a quality maker like Mercedes doing involved with a car the size of the boot on an S Class Mercedes and named after a watch maker (the name stands for Swatch Mercedes Art)? Don’t get me wrong; there was always going to be a market for a car designed to park ‘nose-in’ in busy European streets, but its seemed like Mercedes was stretching itself too thin at a time when it was suffering a big loss in the reputation it had for building high-quality machinery.