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

Mazda 3 five-door (2008): the first photos

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 25 November 2008 09:43 Mazda has issued five photographs of its new 3 hatchback ahead of its debut at next week's Bologna motor show. The five-door, announced today, follows hot on the heels of the Mazda 3 four-door saloon unveiled at last week's 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.Few firm details have been released today, but Mazda claims the engines will be more efficient, the kerbweight lighter and 'the world's first catalyst to be constructed using single nanotechnology.' Apparently this cat uses significantly fewer rare materials such as platinum and palladium than regular filters.The new 3 will have a new range-topping 2.2-litre turbodiesel, developing 183bhp or 148bhp. Both are EU5 compliant and are cleaner and more powerful than the current 2.0 TD.

MINI Countryman Cooper & Paceman Cooper get ALL4 4WD

The MINI Countryman Cooper (pictured) & Paceman Cooper get ALL4 4WD We always find it astonishing that car makers ‘ration’ the availability of four wheel drive platforms in their cars, usually citing a ‘lack of demand’. But that lack of demand is usually predicated on the lack of supply, and increasing the supply of 4WD cars would see more sold, especially after a series of harsh winters where many motorists struggled to keep their cars in a straight line. So the decision by BMW to extend the availability of their ALL4 4WD setup to a wider range of MINIs is welcome, with the petrol Countryman Cooper and Paceman Cooper now getting the ALL4 option too.

BMW M3 CRT: It’s another Limited Edition BMW M3

BMW M3 CRT - a lighter, quicker M3 You do wonder how many limited editions you can make of a car before its stops making sense. A bit like the Veyron, where the limited edition is the norm, not the rarity. BMW may not be as bad as Bugatti on the limited edition M3 front, but they’re fast catching up.