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

The Britalian Job: MINI remakes the Italian Job for London 2012

MINI has done a remake of the Italian Job – dubbed the ‘Britalian Job – to celebrate the London 2012 Olympics. MINI always turns up interesting promo videos (not always good, but always interesting) so with BMW sponsoring the London 2012 Olympics it’s no surprise they’ve had their camcorders out. The result is something MINI are calling the ‘Britalian Job’, an homage to the classic 1960s Italian Job with the original Mini and starring Michael Caine and Noel Coward (and Benny Hill), although in truth it’s more like an homage to the later version with Charlize Theron.

Drivers 'don't care' about engine oil

JUST 4% of drivers choose which engine oil goes into their car during a service, according to new research. The remaining 96% either don’t care or simply go with whatever a mechanic recommends, leading to calls from a leading engine oil manufacturer and the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) for raised awareness of the benefits of high-grade engine lubricants. In a study of 1,000 drivers, conducted on behalf of Mobil 1, 65% said they wouldn’t know what oil viscosity their car would need to take, while 69% added they had no idea which brand of oil their car manufacturer recommends.

Spied on the street: Porsche Panamera

Yes, Porsche has given up several official photos of the Panamera sedan ahead of the car's expected official rollout at the Shanghai auto show in late April. That means prototypes on the road have stripped off the camouflage. But it's still interesting to see the car in a natural setting.