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

VW Pickup concept (2008): first official photos

By Chris Chilton First Official Pictures 24 September 2008 18:00 He’s designed Alfa Romeos, Audis and even a Lamborghini but now Walter de'Silva has gone all humanitarian and designed a pick-up.  VW’s first small flatbed since the Mk1 Golf-based Caddy will take on trucks like the Toyota Hilux and Mitusbishi L200 when it goes on sale late in 2009. It is, but not for long. This thinly veiled concept, called simply Pickup Concept, has been designed as a search and rescue vehicle for coastguards but essentially this is what badge-conscious UK builders will be driving in 2009. The new Volkswagen corporate face with its monobrow top grille and wide mouth is likely to be carried over mostly unchanged to the cars that will roll off the South African production line, as will the surprisingly stylish interior which features hooded instruments and Audi TT-style air vents. Mechanical details are sketchy but Volkswagen claims that engines will be common-rail diesels which rules out the old-tech 2.5 five pot that powers many of VW’s current commercials.

Nissan 370Z Nismo cost £36,995 & rest of 370Z range gets a price cut

The extra bang you get from the Nismo isn’t that great – it gets just 13bhp more than the regular 370Z – but it does get tweaked suspension, brakes and a sports exhaust as well as a rather OTT body kit. The body kit may be a bit too brash for many tastes, but Nissan do say it gives the 370Z levels of downforce that rival the GT-R, so when your neighbours laugh at your Halfords-esque 370Z you can tell them it’s all about the go and not the show. We’re sure they’ll believe you.

JLR Factory plans on track – Sunday Times story rejected

JLR's UK restructuring is on track despite the stories in this weekend's press Back in September, JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) announced that it intended closing one of its Midlands factories as part of a long-term plan to breathe new life in to the future of JLR. We dutifully reported that but confess we took the easy ‘Bad News’ tack on the story. It was obvious; JLR are closing a factory ergo bad news.