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

Spied: The 2012 Volkswagen New Beetle looks a bit squished

Volkswagen's upcoming onslaught of new products includes a redesign for the New Beetle. The new New Beetle is expected to arrive in 2011 as a 2012 model, with a convertible version set to arrive a year after the coupe. Recent spy photographs of a prototype being tested on public roads in Europe show that the 2012 New Beetle has a roofline that has less arch than the current model.

Public urged to give view on A9 plan

THE PUBLIC have been urged to have their say on the design of the most expensive road project in Scotland's history. The £3 billion upgrade of the A9, which runs from central Scotland to the north coast, to full dual carriageway will cost more than the M74 completion, the new Forth road bridge and the Aberdeen bypass combined. The first public displays setting out the logistical and environmental impact of the first £40 million section of the upgrade, from Kincraig to Dalraddy in the Highlands, will be unveiled this month.

Infiniti Steer-by-Wire on the way (video)

Nissan has revealed that it plans to install an electronic steer-by-wire system in to its Infiniti models in 2013. As car makers seek to squeeze every last fraction of a mile out of their cars to hit economy and emissions targets, computer control of many of a car’s functions are controlled by computer, which means the official tests for economy and emissions can be guaranteed to produce predictable results. Now Nissan are to take electronic steering to its logical conclusion by eliminating any direct connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels (except in an emergency) with the first fly-by-wire steering system in a production car.