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

Maybach is dead - Zetsche closes Merc's upmarket wing

Daimler is to announce the closure of Maybach, marking the failure of its upmarket division resurrected to battle BMW's Rolls-Royce and VW's Bentley subsidiaries. Chief exec Dieter Zetsche will tomorrow (Saturday 26 November) announce he's lost patience with Maybach in an interview with a weekend newspaper in Germany. No more Maybachs will be developed and stocks will deplete by later in 2012.

Americans plan to keep their cars longer, AutoPacific study finds

In another chilling sign that auto sales are likely to remain stalled, a new study finds that Americans intend to keep their cars longer, indicating a general concern about the industry and the overall economy. The number of new-car buyers planning to keep their rides more than four years has risen to 59 percent, according to a study released Tuesday by California marketing research firm AutoPacific. That's an increase from last year, when about 45 percent of new buyers intended to wait more than four years for their next purchase, and it's up from 2005's tally of 46 percent.

New Vauxhall Astra engine details

Vauxhall has released details of the engines for the new Astra Vauxhall released a fair bit of information on the Insignia inspired new Astra back in May. That was followed up with video of the new Astra blatting round Millbrook and details of the new Astra’s interior. But with the official launch of the Astra at Frankfurt looming, Vauxhall has now released details of the engine range for the new car.