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

Mercedes AMG had its best ever year in 2013 – sales up 40 per cent in the UK

Record sales in 2013 for Mercedes AMG AMG is becoming more and more important to Mercedes, not just in numbers sold but in the performance glow AMG versions of Mercedes cars cast across the whole range. And those numbers of AMG Mercedes sold reached new highs in 2013 with AMG reporting sales of 32,200, the biggest ever total from Mercedes performance division. AMG’s three key markets – the UK, US and Germany – all posted record sales, but it was the UK that saw the biggest growth with sales up by 40 per cent (up 20 per cent ion the US and 10 per cent in Germany).

Pininfarina Cambiano Concept arrives before Geneva

The Pininfarina Cambiano Concept - Pininfarina's hope for recovery? The Pininfarina Cambiano Concept is a range-extender supercar from Italian Design House Pininfarina with four electric motors. Italian coachmaker Pininfarina has not had an easy time of late (much like many traditional design houses), and was in real trouble earlier this month when it effectively ran out of money.

OFFICIAL: Alfa Romeo 4C laps the Nurburgring in 8:04s

The Alfa Romeo 4C (pictured) laps the Nurburgring in 8:04s We wouldn’t normally report on a car lapping the Nurburgring in around 8 minutes; after all, the Nurburgring lap record for a full production car is sub-7 minutes, so 8 minutes seems almost a stroll. But the lap time round the Nurburgring for the Alfa Romeo 4C is worthy of note because it’s a new lap record for a production car with less than 250bhp, and puts the Alfa 4C very much on the map as a performance car. We’d heard rumours a few weeks ago that Horst von Saurma has managed the impressive time in the 4C round the Nurburgring, but Alfa has now confirmed the time – with the 4C shod with road-legal Pirelli Zero Trofeo tyres – was completed on 23rd September 2013.