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

Mercedes SLS AMG Electric Drive sets Nurburgring production EV record

The Mercedes SLS AMG ED (pictured) set a new EV lap record at the Nurburgring Just as Audi decides that the R8 e-Tron isn’t a production viable option, Mercedes decides to prove there is potential for electric cars at the very high end. The Mercedes SLS AMG Electric Drive has been to the Nurburgring and set a new lap record for a production electric car of just 7 minutes 55 seconds. The SLS AMG ED, which goes on sale very soon at more than £300k, may weigh a chunk more than a regular SLS (550kg more), but it gets plenty of help from its four electric motors – one at each corner – to overcome the weight of its batteries with 751bhp and 737lb/ft of torque on hand.

Porsche Macan to debut at Los Angeles – gets V6 turbo petrol

The dealer presentation for the new Porsche Macan The Porsche Macan – Porsche’s take on a smaller version of the Cayenne to tap in to the more compact SUV market – will arrive at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November and get V6 turbo power. Jalopnik has managed to get photos of a dealer presentation of the Porsche Macan which confirms its arrival at Los Angeles and also gives us some detail of what will power the new smaller Porsche SUV. We’re not entirley sure the photo Porsche used in the presentation is the actual Macan (Jalopnik think Porsche has used a render by Auti Bild to muddy the waters for their dealers – just in case the presentation leaks) but it does seem clear that Porsche, at l;east initially, aims to provide the Macan with decent levels of Porsche power.

Consumer Reports gets top vehicle picks mostly right

Despite the publication's uncomfortably broad definition of reliability -- it spans everything from "the engine fell out" to "the touchscreen display shows fingerprints too easily" -- automakers still clamor to get on the Consumer Reports recommended vehicle list. This year's winners cover a broad spectrum of vehicles, and for the most part, we're in agreement with the magazine's editors, with one significant exception at the top of the list. Best overall vehicle went to the Tesla Model S.