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

Special-edition Jaguar XKR 175 confirmed for Pebble Beach reveal--and the U.S. market

A limited-edition, high-performance Jaguar called the XKR 175 will debut at Pebble Beach later this summer in celebration of the historic brand's 75th anniversary. The name of this speed demon actually indicates the number of units that will be made for the United States. Jaguar says 175 will reach U.S.

Vauxhall launches speed limit detectors on Insignia (2008)

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 19 June 2008 07:53 Vauxhall's new Insignia will be the first of a wave of cars to have a forward-facing camera that can read road signs. The optional kit will detect speed limit and no overtaking signs – and flash up a reminder to the driver on the dashboard.GM calls the tech, which will be launched in early 2009, Traffic Sign Recognition and it uses a small, wide-angled camera system supplied by Hella. It sits at the top of the windscreen near the rain sensors and rear-view mirror, scanning the road ahead taking 30 photos per second.It's 1984 all over again...With a range of 100 metres, the camera focuses on circular patterns and then interprets the numbers inside by contour comparison; if a match is found on the software's database, that road sign will be flashed up in the driver's binnacle.The front-facing camera is also used as a lane departure warning system, alerting the driver if they unintentionally swerve out of their lane on a motorway.Cars with cameras: a growing trendMore and more manufacturers are fitting cameras to their cars nowadays and you can expect a flood of systems like the Insignia's to be launched in 2009, including the new BMW 5-series.CAR tried out these new systems on Bosch prototypes in 2007.

Beware valet parking insurance loophole

USING A VALET parking service could mean losing your car with no insurance cover. Drivers are being warned to check their insurance policies before handing over their car keys to valet parking attendants as more than half (51%) of the UK’s motor insurance policies do not cover this service. While valet parking companies provide insurance cover for their employees to drive your car, many insurance policies do not cover ‘damage to vehicle while in the control of valet parking staff.’ This means if your car is damaged or written off while it’s being parked or retrieved by valet parking staff, you could be left seriously out of pocket with no claim against the valet parking company.