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

Bid to cut car insurance premiums

THE COMPETITION WATCHDOG is proposing to impose a cap on replacement vehicle costs following motor accidents as part of a clampdown to help cut premiums for all drivers in the £11 billion private motor insurance market. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said the cap on charges passed to the insurer of the driver who is at-fault in an accident for the cost of providing a replacement vehicle to the non-fault driver, would "more closely reflect the costs incurred and remove significant inefficiencies". The watchdog has previously found that the "complex chain" of claim costs following an accident collectively inflates premiums by as much as £200 million a year.

Kia Rio (2011) first official pictures

Kia is going to be busy at the 2011 Geneva motor show: it will show off the new Rio, as well as the Picanto. These are the first official pictures of the Rio, a smart, very European-looking rival to the Fiesta/Corsa/Polo ancien regime. The new 2011 Kia Rio is bigger in every dimension, apart from height.

Toyota's Akio Toyoda flies solo at media event, in change of style

It was as much a change for Akio Toyoda as it was for Toyota Motor Corp. In unveiling the company's new mid-term business plan this week, the media-shy president flew solo at a news conference without the usual safety net of being flanked by his top brass. The move was a departure for Toyoda, who -- in his two years as president -- has tended to divert technical or detailed questions to a panel of executives sharing stage with him.