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

Ownership costs of traditional versus alternative fuel vehicles

As gas prices remain high, and an increasing number of automakers roll out plug-in hybrid cars and full-electric vehicles, it's becoming easier to be tantalized with the idea of driving right past the gas station and simply "plugging in." The debate ensues when it comes to cost: These alternative fuel vehicles mean a larger outlay of cash at the onset, but the long-term fuel savings could make the purchase worthwhile. To help straighten out this numbers game, we use the Department of Energy's Vehicle Cost Calculator to compare alternative fuel vehicles with their gasoline-only counterparts. For each scenario, we assumed that our hypothetical owner was able to get the full $7,500 federal tax credit and a $2,500 state tax credit, such as is available in California.

New Subaru Impreza finally goes on sale in the UK – price from £17,495

The new Subaru Impreza Hatch (pictured) goes on sale in May It’s a bit hard to call the Subara Impreza the ‘new’ Impreza when it’s already three years since it was revealed and more than two years since it went on sale in Japan and the US. But the latest Subaru Impreza is new for the UK as Subaru has decided the Yen has weakened enough since the Impreza’s launch to make it a viable option to import it. Even so, it is a bit of a Hobson’s choice for buyers with just the Impreza Hatch – not the saloon – on offer and only in a single trim level and with a single engine option – the 1.6 litre petrol Boxer engine.

London's GPS-based speed-limit trial puts Big Brother's foot on the gas pedal

A fleet of 12 Toyota Priuses in London have been fitted with GPS-linked speed limiters to measure how drivers respond to having their speed controlled by a computer rather than their own feet. For now, the trial is local to London, run by Transport for London, the agency that manages the city's roads, buses, subways and trains. The agency is using its own fleet of Priuses for the test and will add a bus and a taxi later this year.