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

AutoWeek office swag: Mazda rotary-engine keychain with realistic motion

When I got the keys to our long-term 2011 Mazda 5 last week, they came with a surprise--this aluminum-and-brass keychain in the shape of a rotary-engine housing, complete with moving rotor. The rotor doesn't just rattle around or spin in a circle. Thanks to a thumbwheel on the back of the housing, coupled with a timing gear and offset crank journal, the thing actually moves in an approximation of epitrochoidal motion just like a real Wankel.

M-way closures 'all year round'

SOME MAJOR MOTORWAYS did not operate at full capacity on any day last year, according to figures obtained under a Freedom of Information Act request. There were some lane closures on all 365 days of 2013 on the M1, M4, M5, M6 and M25 as well as on the M60 in north west England and on the M54 in Shropshire and Staffordshire. There were 358 days of lane closures on the M62 in northern England, 357 on the M40 which runs west from London to South Wales and 355 on the M27 in Hampshire.

Lamborghini LP560-4 Superleggera coming?

What appears to be a Lamborhgini LP560-4 Superleggera out testing But if the photo above is anything to go by it looks as if Lamborghini is planning a Superleggera version of the LP560-4 sooner rather than later. Which would work out pretty well for Lamborghini as they have rashly declared that they will deliver a new car at every road show, and with the replacement for the Murcielago cars – LP640/LP650-4/LP670-4 – still some way off, this could be a  good solution. They’ve run out of new cars for shows after revealing the Lamborghini Reventon Roadster this week at Frankfurt, so they need to get a bit of a hustle on before the next major show if they’re going to keep their promise.