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

Gordon Murray Design T27 crash tested

The original Smart car probably did more than its fair share to persuade us that small cars needn't necessarily be unsafe. But now Gordon Murray is on the same mission: to persuade us that his titchy T27 city car is as safe as houses too. Gordon Murray Design has just issued its first crash test results, showing a T27 electric car after a crash test at the UK's MIRA industry research lab.  The crash test in question was the European-standard 40% offset deformable barrier front high-speed impact.

BMW's quirky new i3

The side view of the new BMW i3 electric vehicle takes some getting used to, with no two windows the same size or shape. The i3 is high-waisted through the front door and then there's a notch for a taller rear-passenger window and the rear-hinged rear door and a narrow, tapering window at the rear quarter. Yet when you look at the underlying structure -- made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic -- an innovative choice for a mass-produced car -- there's a giant side opening from front to rear.

CAR Most Wanted of 2014: Audi Sport Quattro

By the CAR editorial team First Official Pictures 06 January 2014 09:00 Like a moth to a flame, Audi remains bewitched by the prospect of reviving the Sport Quattro. Thirty years on from the Frankfurt show reveal of the Sport Quattro, the homologation model that spawned Audi’s dominant World Rally cars, VW’s premium brand is unveiling the Sport Quattro concept, take three. Three years ago, Audi showed the Quattro concept (take two), a beautiful, modernist update of the 1980s icon.