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

CAR interviews Hermann Tilke, the F1 architect (2014)

By Tom Clarkson Motor Industry 27 August 2014 09:50 Is this man a genius? You have to hope so because he’s designed half the tracks on this year’s Formula One calendar; and cars, irrespective of their performance, are only as spectacular as the tracks around which they’re racing. Monaco is utterly captivating, Bahrain less so – you get the idea.

2013 Nissan LEAF updated

Nissan has updated the LEAF EV in Japan for 2013 with better range, less weight and a new LEAF S entry-level model. Revealed in Japan – but likely to come to the UK from 2013 when the LEAF starts rolling out of Nissan’s Sunderland factory – there are significant upgrades to the powertrain which result in both less weight and better range. Nissan has had a play with the electric powertrain and made it both smaller and lighter with a new motor that uses 40 per cent less dysprosium (a rare earth metal) than before, and comes in 30 per cent smaller and 10 per cent lighter, and a new streamline battery case and a few other tweaks drops the LEAF’s weight by 80kg.

Concept Car of the Week: Abarth 2000 (1969)

In 1969, a few years before it was sold to Fiat, Abarth and Pininfarina worked together to develop an attractive sports car prototype. Simply called Abarth 2000 after the displacement of its engine, this red beauty features a sleek wedge silhouette with a roof only 970mm from the ground. The bonnet connects with the pillarless wraparound windscreen for 180-degree vision.