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

This day in Autoweek history: The 1976 Chevrolet Chevette

Today in Autoweek history, we look back to the week of September 20, 1975, when Corey Farley gave us a look at the new 1976 Chevrolet Chevette. The B-segment (for 1976, anyway) newcomer weighed in at a scant 1,998 pounds and carried an equally lightweight MSRP of $2,899. Farley described how the Chevette handled some of the rigors of testing, which included hauling four journalists and their camera equipment around the Black Lake testing facility in Milford, Mich.

Mercedes MLC: Coupe M-Class coming in 2015

The 2015 Mercedes MLC - a coupe Mercedes ML You didn’t think Mercedes could ignore the unexpected success of the BMW X6, did you? Well, they can’t, so they’re planning a coupe version of the ML for 2015 – the Mercedes MLC. Big car news in the U.S – and jobs news, too – is that Mercedes are investing a not insignificant $2 billion in their production facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina, to up production of Mercedes for the North American market.

Toyota Hybrid-R Concept – a Yaris with 400bhp – teased for Frankfurt

The Toyota Hybrid-R Concept (pictured) is a 400bhp Yaris Hybrid heading for Frankfurt We’ve always believed that the best use for hybrid powertrains is to get extra performance without the penalty of increased fuel consumption. Toyota, on the other hand, have primarily used their impressive – if complicated and expensive – hybrid powertrains to yield improved economy and emissions from more prosaic cars like the Prius, Yaris and Auris. But now it looks like Toyota are ready to show us what hybrid technology can offer in the way of performance too, with a tease for what Toyota are calling the Hybrid-R Concept, which appears to be a Yaris with more than 400bhp on tap.