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

Hot Octavia now with diesel power

By Phil McNamara Motor Industry 18 August 2006 09:01 A grunty, 170bhp diesel engine will join Skoda's high performance vRS range in September. The engine will be available in the Octavia hatch and estate, priced at £18,370 and £19,200 respectively. The 2.0-litre TDI kicks out 258lb ft, more twist action than a BMW 330i.

Euro NCAP finds quadricycles had “severe safety problems”

Euro NCAP has branched out from cars and crash tested a small selection of “heavy quadricycles”  – small, four-wheeled vehicles that were originally developed from motorcycles that are sometimes also known as microcars, and don’t come under the usual car regulations. Although legal for use on the road, these machines do not need to achieve the same rigorous crash test safety standards as ordinary cars. But they are increasingly seen as a fuel-efficient urban transportation alternative, and some of them can be driven teenagers as young as 16.

How the Honda Civic got a fast makeover

Jay Guzowski was getting more nervous by the day. As senior product planner for the redesign of the 2012 Honda Civic, Guzowski was shepherding the compact car from design freeze to market. But as he listened to others around the American Honda conference table -- with a year to go before the car's on-sale date -- he heard a disturbing refrain: The upcoming Civic was not good enough.