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

How the Nissan Qashqai reinvented the family car

The 2014 Nissan Qashqai (above) arrived in showrooms this week, but will the second-generation model be as groundbreaking as the first? Inevitably, the all-new Qashqai looks very similar to the outgoing model, but why change a winning formula? The original Qashqai was, arguably, the most successful new family car launch since the original Volkswagen Golf from 1974. And it came out of the blue, because Nissan was perhaps the last company anyone would have expected to come up with such a revolutionary design.

Audi readies flagship Sport Quattro concept for Frankfurt

Audi will unveil its new Sport Quattro concept at next month's Frankfurt motor show, previewed in a number of sketches. We first saw the Quattro concept back in 2010 at the Paris motor show and three years later the carmaker has produced another iteration, a 2+2 coupé, that measures in at 4,699mm – 419mm longer than the Quattro concept (4,280mm). From what the sketches show, the Sport Quattro retains the chunky C-pillar of the 2010 Quattro concept, the 1984 Sport Quattro and the original Ur-Quattro models, while the four headlamp units are another nod to the original.

Government promises £140 million for pothole patch-up

AP The government has promised an extra £140 million to help local councils patch up potholes on Britain’s roads. This includes those damaged in the major flooding that occured during Christmas and early February. Local authorities that suffered the worst of the recent flooding will receive £36.5 million to help repair flood-ruined roads, while the rest of the money will be doled out by the Department for Transport (DfT).