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

Audi shows S3 Sportback (2013) – but is a used S3 a better buy?

Here’s Audi’s S3 Sportback, the five-door version of the 296bhp Quattro hot hatch unveiled last year. The S3 Sportback takes 5sec flat to accelerate from 0 to 62mph, that’s one-tenth of a second quicker than Audi’s official figure for its three-door stablemate. That’s because the initial 5.1sec S3 time was only an estimate, and Audi’s subsequent tests have shown the three-door S3 actually dipping below five seconds in the 0-62mph sprint.

Cadillac Converj concept

Cadillac surprised the press today when it revealed a new 2+2 concept called the Converj. In his introduction to the concept, GM Vice-Chairman Bob Lutz said the vehicle was "pushing the envelope on design quality, and efficiency - everything that makes a great design great". Conceived at GM's Advanced Design studios in Coventry, UK, by a design team led by Simon Cox (Director of GM Advanced Design UK), the project was brought to realization in the US under the leadership of Dave Rand, Executive Director of GM Advanced Design.

Volvo is working on cordless charging for electric cars

Imagine not having to actually exit and plug in your electric car (assuming you have an electric car to plug in), and instead just parking it over a special parking spot. That's the promise of a new technology that Volvo is working on, and if taken to the mass market once made commercially viable, it means electric cars will be able to recharge just by sitting over a charger built into the parking spot's surface. That would certainly eliminate the need for those bulky upright chargers that are spreading around the country.